Month: November 2019

1st November 2019

Advice from our competitors for those new to Mountain Marathons

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Many thanks to all who contributed. These comments are really valuable and even those of us who have completed many Mountain Marathons picked up new tips.

 

Don’t carry too much, train and enjoy!  Try a low-key orienteering event.  Tell your partner you may get cross with each other but it’s only temporary.  Look out for how each other are feeling, encourage them to eat/drink etc.  Keep checking in with each other and keep a sense of humour!

Don’t start too fast or worry about placing well but just enjoy

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1st November 2019

A Beginner’s guide to Mountain Marathons-please read before entering any event

Useful Information Comments Off on A Beginner’s guide to Mountain Marathons-please read before entering any event
A Mountain Marathon is a navigational event taking place in high and rough ground where competitors, make their way between a series of specific checkpoints over two days, with a break at an overnight camp. Competitors must carry all the equipment necessary to camp, feed themselves and cope with adverse weather conditions. A Mountain Marathon is race, but not in the conventional sense. Each team starts at a different time, but it is still the fastest team that wins.

Mountain marathons generally have two types of format and competitors choose which they prefer when entering the event. A “line” course requires visiting a series of checkpoints, usually between six and 10 of followed in a set order with the competitor choosing the best route between each checkpoint. The winner is the person or team with the fastest combined time over the two days. The other format is known as “score” and in this case the competitor has  to choose which checkpoints to visit within a certain time. Different checkpoints have different points allocated to them. The objective is to plan a route so as to obtain many points as possible during the time allowed. Penalties will be imposed for overrunning the time allowance.

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1st November 2019

Things people bring on the SLMM- and things they wished they hadn’t!

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We asked 2018 competitors to let us know if there was something , other than Mandatory Kit that was particularly useful, or something they didn’t take but wish they had taken.The list turned out to be a lot longer than expected!

 

 

Sun cream

A wide brimmed sun hat

Sun block

Midge head net

Water filter

Water purification tablets

Blister specific plasters

2L water container

Cap with neck cover/flap

Glasses with prescription for reading

Vaseline

Spare running top and socks

Buff to wet and put round neck for cooling.

Jelly Babies

Lightweight cap with visor

Electrolyte tablets

Inflatable pillow. Hardly any weight and a better night’s sleep.

Vaseline

A gas stove extended foot, so much safer than just the canister on the ground.

Flapjacks

Long handled titanium spoons for eating overnight food

Tampons

A collapsible cup for scooping water out of streams whilst on the move.

Pillow and earplugs

Phone for decent pictures – pleased you now allow this in the rules.

Midge net

Toothbrush and paste.

Ultralight walking poles

Sleeping mat

Duck tape

A meat and potato pie for Sunday breakfast.

A white peaked hat, purchased at the last minute

Tissues

Flip flops

Ibuprofen

Altimeter

Tick remover

Plastic foot bags.

Rum

Tea bags

Swiss army knife (climbers model) and duct tape

Sun cream

A small flexible cup to grab a drink often whilst running

Sun hat with wide brim all round

Zip lock plastic bags as water carriers at camp

A crossword puzzle for Sat evening

A bottle of wine for the overnight camp, decanted into a plastic water bottle which reverted back to its main function (water) on Sunday

Insect repellent wipes

Cash

Credit Card

Coffee

Toenail clippers

Talc to help avoid blisters

OS Maps, not used to Harveys

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