Marmot Dark Mountains an Overnight Success

Press Release / 28.01.2015

Rapidly becoming the right of passage for experienced mountain runners, Marmot Dark Mountains™ took place in the Howgills on the night of Saturday 24th January. The extremely challenging event, which vets all competitors before accepting an entry, has once again received widespread acclaim from the competitors.

Greg Weatherhead, who alongside partner Kevin Drew, finished first on the C Course said, "My partner and I have done over a dozen mountain marathons between us and we both thought that this was one of the best organised events we have ever done." Alongside his running partner Andy Bell, Darryl Watton, who finished 3rd on the Short Score Course commented that "...Marmot Dark Mountains was absolutely superb and we enjoyed it immensely."

Race Director Shane Ohly, provided an insight to the organisation of the event, "As a race organiser you know when things are running smoothly when you can casually take time to chat with competitors and friends whilst surrounded by a smoothly running operation. I particularly wanted to thank Charlie Sproson for all his hard work on landowner permissions and course planning. Supporting Charlie and I this weekend were a superb team of volunteer marshals. They make it all happen, and they are a committed, knowledgeable and motivated team that are a credit to the wider mountain running community." 

With just 136 entries in 2015, Marmot Dark Mountains™ is a micro event and the organisers explained that putting on a race of that complexity would be impossible without the generous support of sponsors Marmot and Petzl. Indeed, there was a large round of applause for the two leading outdoor brands at the prize giving ceremony from competitors, organisers and volunteers a like. Ohly commented succinctly, "Thanks for putting something back into the outdoor community". 

One the consistent themes of race over the past three years has been the excellent attitude and experience of the competitors. “It’s a rare individual who has the experience and nerve to take on the challenge of an overnight winter mountain marathon and everyone who takes part in the event genuinely impresses me”, explained Ohly. He continued, “It doesn’t matter it it’s the Elite runners or a team retiring early on the C Course, everyone participating in Marmot Dark Mountains™ to date has shown consistently sound mountain judgment and made good decisions about how far, and how long to push themselves in some very challenging weather and terrain”.

Highlighted as favourites before the event, local mountain runners Kim Collison and Adam Perry did not disappoint and stormed round the 53km / 3,000m height gain course in just 8h:34m to win the elite race by a huge margin. Kim and Adam now have one of the most prestigious - certainly heaviest - mountain running trophies to keep until the race returns in January 2016. Tim Higginbottom and Alex Pilkington finished 2nd in 9h:17m and Steve Birkinshaw and Jim Mann came in 3rd in 9h:48m.

Andy Thompson, who with running partner Rob Brown completed the A courses said that Marmot Dark Mountains, "... was the best mountain marathon he'd done", whilst Tim Martland, competing with Jim Allen on the B Course exclaimed that the race was "...something all mountain marathoners should do!"

Key Event Information
Website: www.Marmot-Dark-Mountains.com
Date: 24th and 25th January 2015
Venue: Howgills, Cumbria
Entry: from £45
Courses: Elite, A, B, C, Short Score and Long Score

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