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Original and Best Entries for the first Original Mountain Marathon open March 2006. But it’s still the KIMM at heart. There are marathons, there are mountain marathons, and then there is the KIMM - or rather, there was. The Karrimor International Mountain Marathon claimed to be the world’s first adventure race, but now the name is history. Later in 2006, somewhere in the wilds of Scotland, three thousand runners will compete in the first Original Mountain Marathon. The KIMM is dead, long live the OMM. Only the name has changed. Pairs of runners will still spend the last weekend in October tackling two marathons, over mountainous terrain, carrying all their gear and food for a remote overnight camp. The idea is much the same as in 1968 when late Gerry Charnley asked then Karrimor boss Mike Parsons, to provide some prizes for new type of race. “I thought it was a good idea for an event”, Mike told me, “and I’ve been involved with all thirty seven ever since.” Liz using the Sub-Kilo! Runners navigate through the mountains to remote check-points, called “controls”, which in mist are not easy to find. GPS isn’t allowed, and picking a good route between controls can make all the difference. Get it wrong, and the going may be tough and slow. Many competitors stagger into the overnight campsite long after dark. There are now four courses of different length; the Elite course covers the distance of two marathons in two days, with several thousand feet of ascent and descent; the C course covers one marathon over two days; and the A and B courses are somewhere in between. The start is staggered, and as because teams don’t know who is running in which class on which course, it’s foolish to follow the folk in front. A control I speak from sore experience! In last year’s event, my partner and I were contouring around a small valley, heading towards the spot where I was sure our next control was located. Then below me, in the valley itself and tucked neatly inside a ruined building, I saw the bright orange-and-white kite which marks a control. In my head, I knew it was too low to be on our course, but after watching runner after runner clock into it, I just had to check it out. I did, loosing a lot of height in the process, and of course, it was not one of ours. I’d wasted time and energy because I hadn’t enough confidence in my navigation. I really should have known better, since we’d entered one of the “score” events specifically to challenge our navigation. This is a separate type of competition within the overall event, in which each control is worth a number of points, and the hardest to reach are worth most. Competitors don’t know where they are until after the start, so they have just minutes to plot a route that collects as many points as possible within a strict time limit. Long score competitors run seven hours on the first day and six on the next; medium score is six and five hours; short score is five and four. Score competitors plan route One of the cheapest, yet most valuable pieces of equipment is a length of string. Cut it in advance to the distance on the map you think you’ll be able to cover in the time. Then, during that frantic few minutes after the start, when you and your team-mate try to decide which controls to go for, lay the string on the map to show how far you can run. That was one of the tips I picked up on the official training course run in the English Lake District by KIMM veteran Joe Faulkner. (www.joefaulkner.com) “Once you’ve worked out your route, stick to it”, advised Joe. “But only up to a point. Because you also need contingency plans in case you’re going faster or slower than you thought. Aim to be heading back earlier than you might expect, because there’s often a cluster of points near the finish. If you’re early, you can go for these.” Two days with Joe and his tutors sharpened my skills. I rarely used my compass, and instead learnt how to run on contours to save height loss, how to locate the smallest hillside depressions, called re-entrants, and how do all this while constantly on the move. Most importantly, I discovered that I run/navigate at 3-4km per hour on open fell, and 5-6km per hour on tracks and roads. Once I knew this, I knew how long to cut my piece of string. If the days are a test of brain and body, the nights are a test of equipment. Random kit checks ensure all competitors carry the minimum gear specified in the rules, yet this leaves a lot of scope for personal choice. Some competitors lug around huge rucksacks, while others squeeze their gear into packs the size of postage stamps. It’s a simple trade-off between weight, speed and comfort. Heavy pack equals slow day but comfy night. Light pack equals fast day but less comfy night. The event controller Steve Willis urges first time competitors not to go too light. “Take plenty of kit, take your time and enjoy it”, he says, “You’re not going to win so make sure you have a comfortable night’s sleep and get plenty of carbohydrates into you.” Simon & Liz in Kimmlite Sub-Kilo Tent Equipment specifically designed for the event is made by KimmLite, an offshoot of Karrimor and, for years, the pet project of MD Mike Parsons. As we chatted the night before the last KIMM, Mike explained Kimmlite was also changing its name to Original Mountain Marathon. “I’ve made the KIMM sack for years, and could have come up with something lighter, but I’d have only sold fifty. Now more people are running, biking, adventure racing and climbing, and they all want very light gear”. The result is an entire range of OMM gear, with packs ranging from 22lt to 50ltr in size. Mike leant me a 350g OMM Kamleika waterproof smock, which was soft and comfortable to run in, yet kept me dry in hail and driving wind on the second day. My partner and I endured a cramped night in an OMM SubKilo, probably the smallest tent in the world, but it kept us warm and dry, and at 950g, was lighter to run with than many solo tents. OMM even make a half-sleeping bag, in which the insulating down only comes up to the waist. You’re meant to wear your clothes, possibly even a down vest or jacket, to keep your top half warm, and the half-bag keeps your legs and feet cosy. I wasn’t convinced. Elite or long course competitors, who camp after dark and start again at first light, might be prepared to suffer one short, chilly night so they may run with the lightest packs. But that’s not advised for short score competitors who may be camped from 3pm until 8am. This event is a different challenge for all who enter. For the top competitors, it’s a flat out race for which they train all year. For others, the challenge is just to finish and feel they’ve done the best the can do. Although three thousand people take part, the mountains have an astonishing capacity to absorb them all, and teams frequently find themselves with not another competitor in sight. The KIMM was a friendly, physical, mental test of the first order. The OMM is sure to be the same. http://www.kimm.org.uk/ http://www.theomm.com/ OMM Minimum Equipment All competitors must have the following minimum clothing; if not worn it must be carried. a) Waterproof overtrousers (must have taped seams). b) Full leg cover additional to overtrousers, jeans are not permitted. c) Shirt and sweater, or equivalent specialized clothing. (Not cotton) d) Waterproof Jacket which must have long sleeves and head covering (must have taped seams). e) Adequate footwear with suitable grip for fell conditions, road running shoes are not suitable. f) Hat, gloves and socks All competitors must have the following equipment: a) Head Torch. b) Whistle. c) Compass. d) Map - as supplied. e) Sleeping bag. f) Emergency rations. g) First Aid equipment; h) Biro or pencil. i) Space blanket or large heavy gauge polythene bag, j) Rucsack Each team must have the following equipment: a) Tent - it must have a sewn-in groundsheet. b) Food for the duration of the event, i.e. 36 hours. c) Cooking equipment (including stove or solid fuel blocks).