The Original Mountain Marathon - OMM
Symonds Brothers Snatch first OMM Elite Win
News Release / 04.11.2010
Dartmoor was the venue for the 43rd Original Mountain Marathon. The event was a huge success with competitors from as far afield as Afghanistan, France, Switzerland, Spain, Belgium, Denmark and America. One team, a military one, had been given special permission to come over from Basra especially for the event.Saturday morning was dull and grey following on from a very wet and windy night for the competitors who had arrived at the registration point in Okehampton Military Camp on Friday evening.
The weekend saw ideal conditions for testing stamina and navigational skills on open moorland where visibility was hampered by periods of rain and mist.
A new 'D' course this year gave beginners a chance, although it is still a significant effort taking most runners over 5 hours on day one to reach the overnight campsite. The more experienced competitors ran & navigated up to 70 km over rough and difficult ground, carrying all their overnight camping gear, and the lead teams were still in around 6 hours - un believable! No wonder the OMM is considered by many to be the ultimate test of mountain fitness and skill. Overnight camps saw kit checks with no-one being disqualified for not being properly equipped.
There was only one medical incident during the weekend that required evacuation off the moor when one of the competitors broke their ankle. This was dealt with very quickly and they were soon being treated in hospital.
All bar one of the teams returned to Okehampton camp for a meal and hot shower on Sunday afternoon. They had problems navigating round a swollen river in growing dusk and took the correct decision to camp for the night returning safely back to registration at 10 o’clock on Monday morning. Mountain Rescue Teams and the Police having been notified on the Sunday night stood down on their safe return.
The winners podium was occupied in the Elite class with Andy and Joe Symonds taking first place in a combined two day time of 10 hrs 35 mins 3 secs; followed by Steve Birkensahw and Jethro Lennox (winners of the 2009 event). In third place was Jon Morgan and Al Powell.
The wining Ladies team was Heather Dawe and Andrea Priestley. The new military prize The Hutton Trophy, given by Colonel Jim Hutton in memory of his son who he competed with in past OMM’s was presented to the top military team of Tom Shimmell and James Cackett who came 43rd in Long Score event Full results and photos are available at www.theomm.comSee All Event Posts
