OMM 2013

OMM Elite, A Game of Two Halfs

Kim Collison (Team Mountain Hardwear) / 04.11.2013

Kim Collison paired up with Steve Birkenshaw multiple winner of the Elite OMM for this edition in the Brecon Beacons. The forecast was for wind and showers with overnight rain, sounded usual for this time of year. I thought I had packed light but in the hotel I packed even lighter with my luxury being a very light Ghost Whisperer windproof which turned out to be great running layer for day 1 over my base layer. I knew it was going to be an uncomfortable night but I had accepted this was part of competing at elite level in the OMM and I had slept in worse places!

Finally arriving at the start I was ready for the off, we watched Oli Johnson and Ben Abdelnoor go one way and other teams go another. Route choice straight away! We went for over the top with slightly better running it worked okay for us as we ran into the team which started just in front of us at the control probably not much in it. We expected Nick Barrable and Gustav Bergman to go off hard and to be on us and they almost were by control 2.

The next leg was a monster leg going right across the map with many route choices. We looked at going south as this looked like the best way to approach the control but before decision time which happened to be the start location I spotted a good network of paths which linked a northern route coming across to the south which we hoped would provide good quick running, perhaps too quick. Steve agreed so we put the choice in to action.

We were able to run a large proportion of the route making very good time, we probably pushed a little too hard up a good track into the wind and down the other side as Steve started to bonk by the bottom of a big climb to control 3 which he struggled to recover from for the last two hours. Good news we had caught Tom Gibbs and Hugh Aggleton so our choice had worked. It looked like this was a great move as all our competitors had chosen a southern route. 

We came into control 3 with Tom and Hugh but we couldn't keep with them, Steve was trying to stuff mint cake down him while I carried his pack and navigated. It was a case of damage limitation and nailing the navigation for the rest of the day. Even though Steve was suffering he was still able to keep moving at a good pace. I was shocked to be leading the OMM overnight, I was sure someone else would of beaten us today but some good route choices and Steve hanging tough meant we had a 13 minute lead over Gustav Bergman and Nick Barrable.

I'm going to gloss over the night and to say it was a lovely affair where I got 11 hours of beautiful sleep!

Day 2 with dreams of winning the OMM we had to make good choices and run hard. The courses were shortened with the threat of a big storm on the way, probably too short. We set off and felt we were going ok, hit the first three technical controls well and then three to four we opted for the longer and hopefully better running route but unfortunately the direct line was the better option as Nick and Gustav were on us, bugger.

We held them on the three technical controls even getting a better line to the last but from there it was a big climb up and over towards the finish and they proved too strong for us. We kept going trying to keep ahead of the chasing pack which we safely managed to do.

I was delighted to of finished second in my first OMM Elite and learnt loads from Steve's experience and the Swedish orienteering superstar and Nick proved their quality on Day 2 and were worthy winners.

There will always be those what if's in the back of my mind, guess I’ll just have to come back and try again!

First published on the Team Mountain Hardwear Facebook Page.

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