OMM 50th anniversary
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Re: OMM 50th anniversary
Jethro with your skills set I would have expected you to round up a few Herdwicks to keep you warm.
Fac et Spera. Views expressed are not necessarily those of the Scottish 6 Days Assistant Coordinator
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Freefall - addict
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Re: OMM 50th anniversary
The MWIS forecast for the weekend which was published on the Friday lunchtime did prove to be accurate, so the weather was neither better nor worse than I expected.
TBH it was a lot worse than I had hoped having had such a good day on Friday, but then knowing Sunday's weather and conditions would be really good kept me going throughout the day on Saturday and the evening.
TBH it was a lot worse than I had hoped having had such a good day on Friday, but then knowing Sunday's weather and conditions would be really good kept me going throughout the day on Saturday and the evening.
- charles2
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Re: OMM 50th anniversary
Arnold wrote:Heretical question - does it make sense to have a race where 75% of people retire in what seemed like "relatively normal" conditions for the time of year (at least not extreme ones)?
I like a tough challenge like the next person - well slightly less than some of you mentalists - but this would certainly put me off taking part as I also like the satisfaction of completing my course in a vaguely reasonable time.
Or, does being "really really tough" make it more attractive to people?
No I don't think it makes to sense to have an event where every year 75% of people retire. But some years can be tougher than others, this was one of them, and I don't think there is anything wrong with that. The linear courses were perhaps a bit over-planned. Speaking to the planner on Sunday he seemed to think his elite course could have a 6:15 winning time in good conditions. Seemed unlikely to me, maybe 7hrs at a push for a fit team hitting everything spot on in good weather. But other years are not as long.
Does it being really tough make it more attractive? To some people yes. Look at ultra endurance races like Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc, Marathon des Sables, Dragon's Back - they all sell out quickly, there is no shortage of people wanting the challenge.
But others don't want that, and if you are put off by the uncertainty of how long you might be out for, or possibility you might not be able to complete it, you can enter a score course. Maybe that is why they are so popular these days - 621 teams entered across long/medium/short score courses, only 369 across elite/A/B/combined courses.
- Duncan
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Re: OMM 50th anniversary
After exceptionally bad weather in the 1976 Galloway race only 30% of the competitors managed to finish, leading a BBC interviewer to ask the organisers "Don;t you think the event is too tough?" to which Gerry Charnley (founder of OMM) replied, "Everybody knows this is the toughest event on the calendar and it's not a Sunday afternoon picnic".
That was 1976 and now 41 years on extreme weather has also resulted in less than half the competitors finishing.
Is it too tough? It wouldn't be the race it is if it wasn't tough. You don't enter lightly.
The linear courses might be too tough for some which explains the popularity of the score courses.
Even in the relatively benign conditions of Sunday (compared to Saturday) still many failed to complete in time (could be tiredness from previous day/night).
- charles2
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Re: OMM 50th anniversary
Simon E wrote:Routegadget for both days now up.
The splitsbrowser for day 2 ( http://www.omm.routegadget.co.uk/rg2/rg ... ser&id=101 )
is showing the data for day 1.
Actually it looks like the Day 2 RG is showing the correct map, but day 1 times.
- charles2
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Re: OMM 50th anniversary
charles2 wrote:Actually it looks like the Day 2 RG is showing the correct map, but day 1 times.
You're right, it was. Now fixed. I'm amazed that 11 people managed to put their routes up despite that.
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Simon E - green
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Re: OMM 50th anniversary
You're right, it was. Now fixed. I'm amazed that 11 people managed to put their routes up despite that.
Maybe they were still too exhausted to realise
- Big Jon
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Re: OMM 50th anniversary
Interesting post race discussion with my older daughter tonight who ran the Medium Score with her husband. She made the point to me that 10 years ago the OMM (or was it KIMM then?) organisers would have probably accepted that the line courses were over-planned (even allowing for the weather) and 'apologised' in their post race comments. Not so now, just a comment that 'Mountain Marathoners are a hardy bunch'.
She puts this down to the commercialisation of the event and the OMM organisation which she thinks has lost its roots. An interesting perspective - not sure if it matters much, just disappointed I missed it this year.
She puts this down to the commercialisation of the event and the OMM organisation which she thinks has lost its roots. An interesting perspective - not sure if it matters much, just disappointed I missed it this year.
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DaveK - green
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Re: OMM 50th anniversary
DaveK wrote:Interesting post race discussion with my older daughter tonight who ran the Medium Score with her husband. She made the point to me that 10 years ago the OMM (or was it KIMM then?) organisers would have probably accepted that the line courses were over-planned (even allowing for the weather) and 'apologised' in their post race comments. Not so now, just a comment that 'Mountain Marathoners are a hardy bunch'.
She puts this down to the commercialisation of the event and the OMM organisation which she thinks has lost its roots. An interesting perspective - not sure if it matters much, just disappointed I missed it this year.
I did the LAMM on Mull about 10 years ago with a nonO mate and finished day 1 in about 10 hours on the D course! Weather was fine - course was way long. From memory the lead time was just short of 7 hours. Like a number of other pairs we didnt even bother to start Day 2 and just legged it to make sure we didnt miss our ferry. Planner definitely apologised for that one but it did put me off the LAMM for a bit after that - prefered the control you have doing a score course on the OMM.
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