The Original Mountain Marathon 2006

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A Shorter C Class

Rob Howard / 28.10.2006

The campsite for the C and Short Score classes was at the old Caldons camping field in Glen Trool on the western side of the Galloway Park, and the first arrivals were setting up their tents by lunchtime.

The fastest C course team took just 3 and a half hours to arrive at camp, which race controller Steve Willis was very happy about. “Last year it was too long,� he said, “and we wanted to avoid that happening again. With the winners in at this time we won’t have teams out too late.�

He was a busy man as there were many queries about the courses, in particular the timings for the day, which included the bus journey from race HQ. The plan to deduct the time of the journey broke down when teams did not all use their timers before boarding the bus, and didn’t all get on the right buses. (One bus also had a longer journey as it went to the overnight camp instead of the start!) In the end the organisers agreed to take times from CP1 as the effective start for the day.

These courses had avoided the most difficult ground in the forest park and by mid-afternoon the camp was getting busy as the Short Score competitors came in. Some arrived twice – missing the final checkpoint by a bridge and having to go back and get it.

One team this happened to was Roger Mapleson and Tom Hill. They finished in around 4 and a half hours, relieved not to have taken the 6 hours they recorded on day 1 last year. “It was a faster, shorter course,� they said, “rough and wet, but with no fierce ascents.� See All Event Posts