The Original Mountain Marathon
Oldest, Youngest, Mostest, Furthest ...
Rob Howard / 25.10.2007
For the statistically minded here are a few facts and figures to ponder about those competing this year.Age is no barrier to the hardened OMM racer, and experience can count for more than youthful enthusiasm! The oldest competitor this weekend will be Philip Thompson who is 72 and a member of OMM ‘20 year club’. With his partner Keith Montgomery they have a combined age of 123, but that’s not the oldest partnership in the race. That honour goes to two Long Score teams, Colin Spears (70) & Michael Dugmore (67) have a combined age of 137, giving them just a year on Arthur Boyt (68) & Dick Amour (68) with a combined age of 136. Maybe they’ll have a good race against each other!
Those who have raced 20 events or more can join the OMM ’20 Year Club’ which currently has 37 members. Its thought the most events run by anyone is approaching 30, and many of those tallies will go up this weekend. Among the most prolific club members racing the 40th OMM are Dave Prentice, who first raced in 1977 in the Howgills, and Wendy Dodds, who was in the first women’s pair to finish the event back in 1972 at Tibbie Shiels, Selkirk. This weekend she is racing with former international runner Sarah Rowell in the A class.
Among the club members are Dave Marr and Roger Jay, who had completed 21 races in the same partnership … until this year! The record will be broken as Roger is having an emergency operation in a few weeks time and can’t take part, but Dave’s son Andy has stepped up to race with his Dad. “It’s my first KIMM,� he said. “I had promised to do a Mountain Marathon with Dad, but didn't realise it would be quite so soon, or the Long Score! Nevertheless, fresh from the Great North Run and a week's emergency training in Scotland, I’m looking forward to our first family outing.�See All Event Posts
