Tuesday 29 October 2013

Brecon Beacons Original Mountain Marathon - Oct 2013

2013 Original Mountain Marathon – Brecon Beacons 26/27th October

The last weekend of October sees the Mountain Marathon Event, this year in the Brecon Beacons over a very wet and wild and windy weekend.

Daniel and I did this last year (Father and Son with combined ages to compete as Vets!) and had somewhat of a disaster – see 2012 OMMblog.

Over the year, we have done more planning and some walking together as training – certainly I have lost weight and intended to run more?

We met in Staines at Dan's and took the motorvan over to the Brecon Beacons Mountain Centre on Friday afternoon, before getting a minibus to the Event Centre to Register and get last minute energy bars and gels.
It had already started to rain!

Day 1 – 6 hours

We started out in the rain, using the competition map provided to find check points with points allocated – the idea being to get the maximum number of points in the 6 hours allowed before finishing at the overnight campsite.

Daniel recording on the electronic device to prove we found the check point
Daniel looking to where next
 
Yes, down and up there – thankfully, only to about 2/3 to the top!

Day 1 almost over - a tired looking Daniel!
 
Anton, smiling as almost to the overnight campsite!
 
Tent up!
 
Getting the brew on!

Overnight: the stormy wind flapped the tent and the rain poured down – and the zip on our new Vango tent failed under the severity of the conditions!! We had little sleep!

Day 2 – Bad weather course – 4 hours back to the Event Centre

Waiting at the start of Day 2

Other runners enjoying the occasion?!

Spectacular waterfall high up on the fell

Daniel viewing the remains of a crash – possibly a military one as the area is used by the MOD
There is a lot of wreckage here and it has been laid out to resemble the original shape of the aircraft, which adds a definite poignancy to an already atmospheric site. 
The crash occurred on 9th October, 1953, during a training exercise in low cloud cover, and resulted in the death of the pilot. It was a De Havilland Jet Vampire V2 106
 

Which way now as the mist descends?

The grandeur of Fan Brycheiniog, the Black Mountain

Slogging up the last climb!


 Photo taken at Sunday's finish – Vets with a combined age this year of 100!

Proud – and relieved to have finished!

Back to the 'comfort' of the motorvan!


 
The 2013 OMM Certificate – Bronze Standard
 

We finished the course and gained a number of points, all within the time limits (so no penalties). We did, however, punch the final compulsory check on Day 1 slightly out of sequence as we realised we had more time to get another one – and hence more 10 more points.

Our results are a definite improvement over last year - in what is a very competitive class.
Day 1 - 155 points, 137 out of 201 in 5 hours 37 min
Day 2 -  70 points,  171 out of 197 in 3 hours 40 min

Final Result - 225 points, 151 out of 197 finishers
                                                73rd Vet Team out of 89





 

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