Marmot24™ and Marmot Dark Mountains™ get Petzl sponsorship

Posted on July 22, 2014 by talkultra

Lyon Equipment, the distributors of Petzl in the UK and Ireland, has today announced a wide-ranging new sponsorship deal with Ourea Events. The agreement will see Petzl, the Worlds leading headlamp brand, becoming an event partner for both Marmot24™ and Marmot Dark Mountains™.

Both races involve lots of nocturnal action and Petzl, with it highly innovative headlamp range, makes a logical partner for these events. Marmot24™ consists of 24-hours non-stop mountain marathon racing and the inaugural race takes place at the beginning of August in the Lake District. Marmot Dark Mountains™ is firmly established as one of the most serious and challenging mountain races in the UK, with dusk to dawn racing in January each year. Both events require competitors to navigate, race and remain safe in the mountains at night.

In addition to become an event partner for these two prestigious races, Petzl will also become a supporting sponsor for the Dragon’s Back Race™, Berghaus Trail Chase™, Great Lakeland 3Day™, Cape Wrath Ultra™ and the Rab Mountain Marathon™. This wide ranging new sponsorship will strongly associated Petzl with many of the leading mountain running events in the UK for the next three years.

Shane Ohly, Managing Director of Ourea Events said, “Petzl products are superb and their headlamps are a natural companions to our events, which often challenge product and people in equal measure!”

Image ©iancorless.com – Marmot Dark Mountains

He continued, “I fondly remember my first Petzl Zoom headtorch in the early 1990’s and don’t think I have been without a Petzl headtorch of some kind since then. With such a wide and innovative range of headlamps there is definitely an appropriate Petzl product for all our competitors at all our different events”. I am looking forward to working with Lyon Equipment and Petzl”.

Martin Bergerud, Brand Manager for Petzl at Lyon Equipment added, “We are genuinely excited to be linked to and working with Ourea Events as Event Partners on the Marmot 24 and Marmot Dark Mountain Marathon and as supporting sponsors to all their other current and future iconic events that they organise. They deliver eye exciting yet challenging events where having dependable and practical product designed for the task are key, an ideal playground for Petzl”.

For more than 30 years Petzl has led the way in as an innovator in the research, design and manufacture of quality headlamps. From humble beginnings, when Fernand Petzl fashioned the first helmet-mounted light for caving, headlamps were refined over time, until he created the ‘Zoom’ model, which, with its rotating bezel as a switch and focus adjuster, became a seminal outdoor product well into the 21st century. At the same time, international praise grew for all of Petzl’s climbing and mountaineering equipment.

Petzl now provides a comprehensive range of hands-free lighting for many outdoor activities from alpinism to fishing and night-running to canyoning. Utilising the very best LED and battery technology you can choose from the iconic TIKKA range the proven MYO RXP, illuminate a tree from 120 with the ULTRA, have the security of the back up of an E+LITE in your rucksack or delve into the future with the latest REACTIVE LIGHTING featured torches such as the TIKKA R+ and the revolutionary NAO.

For further Information about:

Ourea Events, visit www.OureaEvents.com or contact Shane Ohly on 07771516962 or ShaneOhly@OureaEvents.com

Petzl and Lyon Equipment, visit www.lyon.co.uk/outdoor/ or contact Martin Bergerud on 015396 26338 ormartinb@lyon.co.uk

Please note – Press release provided by Ourea Events

Dragon’s Back Race™ 2015 gets support from YHA

Posted on June 12, 2014 by talkultra

Organisers of the legendary Dragon’s Back Race™ have today announced that YHA (England and Wales) will be supporting the event in 2015.

The race follows the mountainous spine of Wales, from Conwy Castle in the north to Carreg Cennen Castle in the south. The race is an incredible 5-day journey across wild, trackless, remote and mountainous terrain and is widely acknowledged as one of the hardest mountain races in the World.

Race Director Shane Ohly said, “At the last Dragon’s Back Race in 2012 the event volunteers and many of the competitors stayed at the YHA Conwy before the race and we received a fantastic, warm welcome from the staff, despite staging an impromptu takeover. In 2015, the YHA Conwy will be our official headquarters in the days before the event with all our event personnel staying there. We will also have the competitor registration, kit check and briefing there. It is a great venue and we look forward to returning in June 2015.”

Joe Lynch the Sales and Marketing Director for the YHA continued, “We are delighted to be supporting the Dragon’s Back Race™ and proud that the team have chosen YHA Conwy as their base for this fantastic event. With over 136 hostels throughout England and Wales, YHA strives to create opportunities for everyone to enjoy our great countryside. Not everyone chooses to run 300km with 17,000m of ascent in five days, but everyone staying with YHA can be assured of the essentials for any trip; A warm welcome, excellent hospitality, great food and unbeatable value for money. We wish all of the Dragon’s Back Race™ competitors every success and look forward to welcoming you to YHA Conwy.”

The original Dragon’s Back Race™ happened in September 1992 and was famously won by Martin Stone and Helene Whitaker (nee Diamantides) who together beat an array of the World’s best mountain and ultra runners. This was the first time in the history of mountain running that a woman had beat the best men and it happened at arguably the Worlds toughest race.

Steve Birkinshaw. Winner of the 2012 Dragon’s Back Race™. © Jon Brooke

Ever since, the Dragon’s Back Race™ was whispered about with a mix of awe and trepidation and with the help of books like Richard Askwith’s ‘Feet In the Clouds’, its reputation had reached legendary status with most fell, mountain and ultra runners by September 2012 when the second Dragon’s Back Race™ happened.

The 2012 race was a huge success with a multi award winning, feature length documentary (Review HERE) capturing the brutal pleasure of the race. British mountain running legend Steve Birkinshaw won and incredibly, Helene Whitaker returned after twenty years to finish fourth overall.

Entries for the 2015 Dragon’s Back Race are now open but close on the 8th September 2014.

Key Event Information
Website: www.DragonsBackRace.com
Date: 22nd – 26th June 2015

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MARMOT24™ – LOCATION ANNOUNCED

Posted on June 3, 2014 by talkultra

The organisers of the UK’s first 24-hour nonstop mountain marathon, Marmot24™, have just announced that the inaugural event will be held in the Lake District National Park this August.

Marmot24™ combines the very best elements of the predominantly British mountain marathon phenomenon with aspects of the more international 24-hour rogaining events. With mountain running and navigation at the heart of the event, competitors will have 24, 12 or 6-hours to visit as many checkpoints as possible on a score format course.

Race Director, Shane Ohly described the competition area to us. “From our central Event Centre the competition area spans 360 degrees in all directions and includes approximately 300 square kilometers of the finest mountain running terrain in the UK. It is Perfect for a 24-hour non-stop mountain marathon and we are looking forward to welcoming everyone to the event weekend 2nd/3rd August”.

He continued, “To the north of the Event Centre are the remote Northern Fells guarded by the imposing flanks of Blencathra. To the south, Clough Head marks the start of the Dodd’s ridge running towards Helvellyn and ultimately Ambleside. There are also interesting yet rarely visited fells to the east and west. The terrain is perfect for a mountain marathon with laser fast ridges and valleys linking remote and trackless areas that contain complex contour features.”

As many regular visitors to the Lake District will know this vast competition area includes about every topographical feature you could possibly imagine, and the experienced planning team of Charlie Sproson and Shane Ohly, will no doubt be conjuring up another excellent event after the highly successful Great Lakeland 3Day™ earlier this year.

The 24-hour race starts at noon Saturday but if that sounds too daunting, then there is a 12-hour race starting at midnight Saturday and a 6-hour race starting at 0600 on the Sunday morning. Everyone will finish at 12 noon on the Sunday in what promises to be an exciting and dramatic finale to a memorable weekend of racing.

Over 100 competitors have now entered Marmot24™ including a large number of elite Spanish runners that includes Aurelio Antonio Olivar, the 2013 European Rogaine Champion.

If you enter Marmot24™ now you can get a free Marmot Compact Hauler (worth £22) for each person.

Key Event Information
Website: http://www.Marmot24.com
Date: 2nd & 3rd August 2014
Venue: Northern England
Entry: from £55
Courses: 24-hour, 12-hour and 6-hour

Great Lakeland 3 Day ™ Day 2

Posted on May 5, 2014 by talkultra

Heavy rain during the night cleared to low-lying mist and persistent light rain. It was the forecast for the whole of day-2 of the Great Lakeland 3 Day ™

Departing day-1 camp, runners had a starting window of 0700 – 0900. This staggered start providing an opportunity for slower participants to get on the trail and covering ground while faster competitors gained a little extra sleep or a second breakfast.

It was a classic day on the Lakeland fells and mountains. The four courses, Elite, A, B and C allowed each and every participant to gain a flavor of a true Lakeland experience. Kentmere, Troutbeck, Ambleside, Rydal Water and peaks at Loughrigg Fell, Great Rigg, Red Screes, High Peak, Lingmoor Fell Seargent Man and a climb up to Stickle Tarn to finish off the day.

Of course, not all participants covered all the peaks… each course had its highlights and challenges. Elite runners tackled 3,264m of vertical gain and 50.9k, A Couse, 2,704m and 45.7k, B course 2,129m and 34.9km and finally the C course 748m and 22.4k. At the finish, the verdict was unanimous, a very tough but an extremely challenging day in sometimes difficult conditions; particularly when navigating due to very low mist and poor visibility.

In camp, after a long day, the free ale and cider flowed as each and every runner told stories of a day on the fells and mountains of the English Lakes. One thing is for sure; with 1-day still to go, the GL3D has been an incredible success.

Results Overall after day-2:

Elite

Jim Mann 12:13:59

Tim Laney 12:34:03

David Spence 13:43:06

1st lady – Kerstin Rosenqvist 16:08:04

Simon Harper 13:51:33

Jim Trueman 13:56:47

Matt Poxon 14:35:27

1^st lady – Sally Ann Spencer 15:04:15

Eddy Charlton-Weedy 8:09:48

Alexander Beaven 9:34:13

David Neill 9:27:15

1^st lady – Christine Waller 12:27:05

Stephen Burt 7:47:44

Jaqueline Cooper 9:07:40

Martin & Nicola Kirkman 9:09:54

Ourea Events HERE

Great Lakeland 3 Day™ HERE

200 RUNNERS PREPARE FOR THE 2014 GREAT LAKELAND 3DAY™

Posted on May 1, 2014 by talkultra

For the third successive year the Great Lakeland 3Day™ has sold out and this May bank holiday weekend will see a record 200 competitors setting off on a three day mountain running journey in the Lake District.

The location for the 2014 GL3D™ Event Centre is at Pooley Bridge at the North Eastern tip of Ullswater, and this is where competitors will be arriving on Friday night for registration. Pooley Bridge is one of those quintessential Lake District villages surrounded by water and mountains and it is a fitting staging post for the adventure ahead. Where precisely the Elite, A, B and C courses go from there is a closely guarded secret but in the best traditions of the Lowe Alpine Mountain Marathon, the competitors have been promised a surprise on the first morning. Race Director, Shane Ohly explains further, “The LAMM has a deserved reputation for surprising competitors on the first day with an unexpected change of venue or logistic and I wanted to embrace this idea for the GL3D™.”

The Great Lakeland 3Day™ has earned a reputation for being an informal and friendly event and the new C or ‘Cafe Class’ course embraces this ethos. Ohly continued, “New for 2014 is the C Course, which is specifically aimed at walkers and the slowest runners and features checkpoints in cafe’s! Because we allow competitors to simply enter the event and then choose their desired course on the day we can’t be certain how popular it is going to be. However, the record number of entries suggests it’ll be very popular indeed!”

Despite the relaxed atmosphere the Great Lakeland 3Day™ remains a formidable challenge with the Elite course covering 130+ kilometres with over 8,000m of ascent in three days. It promises to be a grand tour of some of the best Lakeland ridges, summits and valleys. The early GL3D™s aimed to cover about 25 miles on average each day and this is the distance that the organisers now aim for on the A Course. Usually the first and second days are slightly further/harder than the last day to help participants get away at a reasonable time after the event has finished. Race Planner Charlie Sproson from Mountain Run has planned the 2014 event and his summary optimum distances and height gains are shown below.

	Day 1 (optimal)		Day 2 (optimal)		Day 3 (optimal)		Total (optimal)
	Distance (km)	Height (m)	Distance (km)	Height (m)	Distance (km)	Height (m)	Distance (km)	Height (m)
C Course	24.1	1,183	22.4	748	19.5	968	65.90	2,899
B Course	31.3	1,590	34.9	2,129	26.7	1,201	92.89	4,920
A Course	40.0	2,373	46.8	2,883	29.2	1,765	115.94	7,021
E Course	46.2	2,738	50.9	3,264	36.0	2,052	133.02	8,054

Former GL3D elite winner, artist and author, Heather Dawe who recently published the widely acclaimed Adventures in Mind has kindly provided two prints for the fastest male and female on the Elite course. With Heather’s connection to the event, it seems like a fitting way to recognise the effort of the leading runners.

The GL3D™ is sponsored by Lowe Alpine and supported by Climbers Shop, Joe Browns and Harvey Maps

Key Event Information

Website: www.GreatLakeland3Day.com

Date: 3rd, 4th & 5th May 2014

Venue: Lake District

Entry: Sold Out!

Courses: Elite, A, B and C Course

OUREA EVENTS ANNUAL 1% FOR THE PLANET DONATION GOES TO FIX THE FELLS

Posted on April 29, 2014 by talkultra

Each year Ourea Events™ donates 1% of its total sales to grassroots environmental organisations at the forefront of the protection of the mountain environment. Ourea Events’ managing director, Shane Ohly explained his reasons for the company’s association with 1% For The Planet.

“As an event organiser I recognise that the mountains, which we all love to run in, are beautiful, wild yet fragile environments and I am sure that all mountain & fell runners want to minimise their impact. As a business we already take steps to minimise the effect our events have on the environment and improve their sustainability. However, it is inevitable that each event will have some impact on the local environment, even if it is negligible relative to the impact of members of public, agriculture and industry. Therefore we donate 1% of our total revenue to organisations at the forefront of protecting and preserving the mountains.”

In 2013, Ourea Events™ only organised two events, which were both held in the Lake District (Marmot Dark Mountains™ based from Muncaster Castle and the Great Lakeland 3Day™ based from Dowthwaite Head Farm). It therefore seems fitting that the organisation’s 2013 donation goes to the Fix the Fells campaign, which repairs and maintains mountain footpaths in the Lake District.

1% For The Planet inspires members of the business community to contribute 1% of sales to environmental groups around the world. Quoting the 1% For The Planet website, Shane Ohly said, “It’s about businesses recognising that industry and ecology are inherently connected. It’s about realizing the positive effects of connecting businesses, consumers and nonprofits through philanthropy. And it’s about understanding that the true cost of doing business can be mitigated by a simple pledge to the planet”.

Liz Guest from the National Trust, which coordinates the Fix the Fells program said, “Many thanks indeed for choosing to support Fix the Fells and the National Trust, it is very much appreciated. Every gift really does make a difference to what we can achieve… it will be used to support our work maintaining and caring for the upland landscape in the Lake District”.

If you would like to get involved with Fix the Fells, there is an opportunity to join their Volunteering Day in Langdale on 8th June, to help with some path repair and maintenance work. It will be an opportunity to meet their rangers and Lengthsmen as well as getting stuck in!

Ourea Ltd, trading as Ourea Events™ owns the Dragon’s Back Race™, Great Lakeland 3Day™, Berghaus Trail Chase™, Marmot Dark Mountains™, Cape Wrath Ultra™, Rab Mountain Marathon™, Marmot24™ and Trail-Rush™. The business joined 1% For The Planet in 2012.

This weekend will see the Great Lakeland 3Day™ ‘GL3D’ take place in the English Lakes. Read about the event HERE

Great Lakeland 3Day™ Preview

Posted on April 4, 2014 by talkultra

Relaxed, friendly and an amazing mountain experience, the GL3D™ has built quite a reputation! With an emphasis on long mountain journeys and spectacular scenery, participants can expect a really excellent 3-days without complex navigation.

Trails, footpaths, ridges and valleys make up this idyllic journey through arguably one of the greatest playgrounds in the world; the English Lakes. Event HQ is at the North Eastern tip of Ullswater at the quintessential village of Pooley Bridge.

Taking place on the 3^rd, 4^th and 5^th May 2014, the GL3D™ is a small but adventurous mountain marathon. Attracting runners and long-distance walkers, the race is renowned for its atmosphere. So much so, it has gained a reputation as one of ‘the’ events to do!

Three long and consecutive days in the mountains have built a dedicated following from competitors who are able to choose an Elite, A, B or C course. However, a unique element is the ability to choose whichever course they prefer on each day. This mix-n-match approach certainly does offer a unique format, however, should you choose all Elite or all A, B or C that is no problem, the choice is yours.

Sharing an overnight camp, the inclusion of a ‘beer tent’ certainly seems extremely popular. As you can gather, this is all about fun days on the trails. The inclusion in 2014 of the C class confirms this. Specifically aimed at walkers and slower runners.

Courses are triangular, allowing everyone to start and finish at the same location. The GL3D™ is all about maximum enjoyment. However, each participant should be competent in the mountains whether running or walking and an ability to navigate is essential. You must be self-sufficient!

Although some competitors race, many solo participants form groups to share a day in the hills. No prizes are awarded, just a slap on the back and a nod of respect from your peers.

Flexible start times between 0700-0900 (faster participants start later) reflect the relaxed nature of the event and if cramming a few extra zzz’s in your sleeping bag doesn’t tempt you, I am sure the ‘free’ tea, cakes and beer at the end of each day will.

Tempted? I bet you are…

supported by

Race website – http://www.greatlakeland3day.com

Entry – http://www.greatlakeland3day.com/enter/

The nitty-gritty

Competitors must register before starting and they can only do this on the evening of Friday 2nd May (between 1800-2200) or on the morning of Saturday 3rd (between 0600-0700). Competitors can only register at the Event Centre. At registration competitors will be issued with their map, which is pre-printed with checkpoints and control descriptions (for all courses), and their SI card. We recommend arriving on the Friday night so that everyone has an opportunity to relax, meet fellow participants and discuss the following day’s route. The night before the GL3D™ the atmosphere is always good and many competitors sneak off to a local pub for an informal gathering. Camping is available on the Friday night and this is included in the entry fee.

Competitors may also park their car at the Event Centre for the weekend at their own risk. The competitor’s beer tent will also be erected on the Friday night but GL3D™ beer is only served on the Saturday and Sunday evenings!    Our courses are described as Elite, A, B and C, as is usual for mountain marathons. However, it is important to note that the distances at the GL3D™ are greater. This is because our routes are more runnable (we stick to footpaths and tracks for much of the time) and the navigation is easier (generally mountain summits) than at the equivalent mountain marathon courses at the LAMM, OMM etc. We would describe our courses as roughly equivalent in terms of ‘difficulty to finish’ as the same standard mountain marathon course at one of these events. The approximate course details are:

Course	Average Distance	Average Time	Number of Checkpoints
Elite	30 miles per day	9 hours	9
A	25 miles per day	8 hours	8
B	20 miles per day	7 hours	7
C	15 miles per day	?	1

Elite, A and B Course These courses are definitely for runners and it is not possible for walkers to complete these courses within the cut-off times. Competitors must have finished an equivalent mountain marathon course within 50% of the winner’s time for the course that they are entering. Any competitor who is slower than 50% of the winner’s time and/or arrives at the overnight camp after the cut-off time will automatically be moved onto a shorter course for the following day.

C Course The GL3D™ has always attracted long distance walkers but other than the most able, they have generally struggled with the long distances and significant height gain each year. Because of this, for the 2014 event we are introducing a C course (already coined the Café Class by the planning team), which will be specifically aimed at walkers or slower runners and will only have one checkpoint per day to allow competitors maximum route choice between the overnight camps… and time to visit the very best Lake District cafés!

The choice of four different courses means that competitors can choose from either an Elite, A, B or C Course. The really exciting component of the GL3D™ is that competitors simply enter the event, and then choose whichever course they prefer on the day. This could either be Elite for all three days, Elite, B then A or any ‘mix-and-match’ combination. All competitors will still share the same overnight camp.

To appear in the overall results, competitors must complete the same course each day. Obviously, on a daily basis we will publish results for each course.   Each day competitors start anytime between 0700 and 0900 (please note that there is a 0715 Mass Start for competitors on Day 1 in 2014) and should expect to spend a long day in the hills. The first two days will be the hardest and the last day will be easier. We anticipate that everyone would have finished by 1500 on day three.   The course will be roughly triangular with a different overnight camp each night. We will provide free tea/coffee, cakes and beer at the end of day one and two and a large, tasty meal at the end of day three.

The competitors ‘beer tent’ – a popular addition to the 2013 GL3D™- will be available at each overnight camp and can used by competitors to hangout in, cook meals in etc.

RAB MOUNTAIN MOUNTAIN™ – NEW ORGANISING TEAM FOR 2014!

Posted on February 17, 2014 by talkultra

©johnbrooke

The popular Rab Mountain Marathon™ has new owners after a transfer of ownership by Peak District based Dark and White, to Ourea Events. The event is a two-day fell running and navigation challenge for solos and pairs with an overnight camp, which moves to a new location each year.

With events like the Dragon’s Back Race™, the Great Lakeland 3Day™ and Marmot Dark Mountains™, Shane Ohly and his team from Ourea Events have been steadily building a reputation for delivering high quality mountain running events in recent years and this move puts the iconic Rab Mountain Marathon™ in safe hands. A self confessed mountain marathon addict, Ohly, was clearly delighted with the move, “Since its launch in 2007, the Rab Mountain Marathon™ has proved a firm favourite with the mountain marathon community and we have no intention of changing the event format in any way, which I know is excellent having taken part myself”.

The Rab Mountain Marathon™ has a score only format, which minimises the chance of ‘snakes’ of runners all heading to the same control, maximises route choice and offers a more personal mountain marathon experience. Over the years the event has built up a deserved reputation for being relaxed and welcoming with a fun and friendly atmosphere. The lack of prescribed start times, the wide spread of prize categories (including Veteran and Super Veteran) and the opportunity for younger competitors (aged 14+) to participate have all helped to cultivate this unique mountain marathon experience.

©johnbrooke

Ohly continued, “The Long Score and Short Score options put the competitors in control of how long they spend out each day, and also provide an almost unlimited challenge for the leading elite runners. It is a great format that Dark and White have devised and I would like to thank Adrian Boyes and his team for all their hard work over the years”.

Adrian Boyes, the owner of Dark and White explained his decision for the change, “Due to personal/family circumstances I am unfortunately no longer able to devote the necessary time to organising and controlling the Rab MM. The event has been very successful over the past 7 years and it was not an easy decision to relinquish control. After lengthy discussions with Shane Ohly I am 100% confident that the event is in very safe hands and that the spirit and ethos of the event will continue for many years to come.”

Rab Marketing Manager, Dan Thompson said, “Rab would like to thank to Adrian Boyes and the whole team at Dark and White for building the Rab Mountain Marathon™ into a popular and important event in the mountain running calendar. All of us at Rab are excited about working with Shane and his team at Ourea Events in the future – they have lots of experience of participating in and delivering these type of events, and they have no plans to make changes to what is a popular event format. We’re looking forward to an exciting future for the Rab Mountain Marathon™.”

The 8th Rab Mountain Marathon™ will be held on the 27th and 28th September 2014 and entries have opened today.

For further Information about:

Rab Mountain Marathon, please visit www.RabMountainMarathon.com or contact Shane Ohly on 07771516962 or info@RabMountainMarathon.com

Key Event Information

Website: www.RabMountainMarathon.com

Date: 27th & 28th September 2014

Venue: Northern England

Entry: from £47.50

Courses: Long Score and Short Score

The Dragon’s Back is back!

Posted on February 17, 2014 by talkultra

I am now able to confirm the dates for the third iconic Dragon’s Back Race™ in 2015. The race will depart from Conwy on Monday 22nd June and finish five days later at Carreg Cennen Castle in South Wales.

In the last few weeks there has been a comprehensive update of the Dragon’s Back Race™ website and the majority of details for the 2015 race are now available online.

There is bound to be much speculation about the first day of the race, which in 2012 included all the Welsh 3000ft peaks, and the notoriously exposed Grib y Ddysgl ridge between Crib Goch and Garnedd Ugain. Some competitors felt that the route was too hard. This is something I have consider very carefully and just like 2012, I shall be keeping the details of the final route secret until the competitor briefing on the night before the race. However, the keen eyed will have spotted that the estimated distance for Day 1 in 2015 is 7km / 600m less than 2012. Competitors can certainly infer that the Day 1 route in 2015 is going to be slightly different, but they should not make the mistake of thinking it is going to be easier!

The 2015 course will be similar, but not identical, to the 2012 route. The 2012 route took its inspiration from the original 1992 Dragon’s Back Race™ and again for 2015, it is our absolute intention to stay true to the original concept of running the mountainous spine of Wales.

Also new for the 2015 race will be live tracking of the competitors so that friends and family can watch all the action unfold in real time each day.

The deadline for Dragon’s Back Race™ 2015 applications is Monday 8th September 2014. Please do not delay if you are intending to enter and get yourself registered and familiar with the online process.

If you were interested in volunteering as a marshal at the Dragon’s Back Race™ the Application process is now open.

The Dragon’s Back website HERE
Check out the DVD HERE it’s a great watch!

Marmot Dark Mountains™ – 2014 Race Preview

Posted on January 23, 2014 by talkultra

This weekend will see the second Marmot Dark Mountains™ take place in the Peak District. “The Peak District has the perfect blend of high moorland areas, challenging terrain and a wonderful sense of wilderness… especially at night.”

Taking the classic two-day mountain marathon format, Shane Ohly (RD) and Ourea Team have given the race format a new… darker twist. The Marmot Dark Mountains™ will pack everything into one night. Derbyshire in January can only mean one thing… cold and potentially wet. Current weather forecasts are showing at best an 80% chance of rain, wind speeds of 17-22mph and lows of 2degs. Navigation is only going to be one element of this race!

©benwinston

Based on the classic mountain marathon format, competitors will compete in 2-man teams in categories Short/ Long Score, A, B, C and Elite. The nature of the terrain would normally dictate the distance of each course and the Ourea Team are sticking with this format and planning with a certain winning time in mind.

The addition of darkness, potentially bad weather and navigation will all make Marmot Dark Mountains™ a tough challenge.

©benwinston

“The knowledge gained from the first event shows that with experienced and vetted competitors, you can run an event in atrocious weather and allow the competitors to make decisions about their own safety.”

Although the winning time for the chosen race class will be similar to a normal mountain marathon, the distance covered will be reduced.

Departing from Glossop (Peak District) on Saturday evening, the longest classes will set off first and conversely; the shorter classes will set off later. This dusk-to-dawn style of racing will look to have all competitors finishing in a 1 to 2-hour window come Sunday morning. The break of dawn as runners converge on the finish line will without doubt make this an exciting finale to a long nights racing.

Marmot Dark Mountains™ is a challenging event, however courses will remaining open until 1200 on Sunday; this will allow sufficient time for everyone to complete their respective courses.

Shane Ohly when asked about the event and who would be the main protagonists had this to say, “My suspicion is that the elite race will be a battle royal between the duo of Steve Birkinshaw / Tom Gibbs and Chris Near / Tim Higginbottom. Both Steve and Tim are excellent navigators but with a 14-minute difference in their start times, I am hoping that they will remain in the ‘dark’ about each others positions until they have finished. I wouldn’t dismiss Simon Patton / Dave Troman either as both have intimate local knowledge and the darkness can be a great leveler of speed. Dark horses will be Jim Mann (recent winter BG record) / Stuart Walker – they are not renowned as a strong navigation team but they are fast.”

It goes without saying that there will a hearty breakfast and hot drinks available to everyone as they finish. Competitors may also sleep at the Event Centre, which is recommend, before travelling home.

Race sponsorship comes from Marmot, Silva and Trail Running Magazine.

Entrant Numbers (teams of 2):