The 55th edition of “The OMM” had some fantastic racing around the Glens of Ben Vorlich & Glen Artney in Perthshire.
The 2 day OMM mountain marathon for teams of two with competent mountain skills had 1600 competitors cross the start line on Saturday.
The men’s Elite course winning team of Phil Rutter & Finley Wild covered 48miles and 15,000ft of very difficult terrain in 11hrs 29mins. For two days Finley & Phil were within 2 minutes of second place Felix Wilson & Dan Ashwood, finally gaining enough time to take the title at the end of day 2.
The women’s elite race saw an outstanding performance from the team of Catriona Graves & Naomi Lang who’s unrelenting pace over the bogs and tussocks gave them a one hour lead over second place Despina Berdeni/Lisa Watson and 10th Elite team overall.
The Long score course saw more close racing with top 2 teams Peter Fagerström/John Kumlin & Jasmin Paris/Konrad Rawlik level at the end of day 1. The Swedish team took the title after visiting an extra checkpoint early on.
The OMM is a unique race that requires competitors to be self-sufficient for two days including running with a tent & sleeping kit for an overnight camp in the mountains. 800 teams settled into their tents under the dramatic Glen Artney fells for a cold, soggy but rewarding evening under a clear sky.
The OMM event’s legendary status has attracted mountain enthusiasts from all abilities and backgrounds to test themselves on the October weekend for 55 years.
Alistair from OMM said “The OMM is primarily a cracking couple of days in the mountains for people who love being in the hills. It’s a really tough event but as everyone who’s had challenging days in the hills knows the scenery & feeling of accomplishment is worth it.”
This year saw a record number of new teams entering the event with the eldest competitor 78yrs and the youngest 16yrs. Wendy Dodds completed her 48th event, a remarkable achievement. Father & son team Peter Weinig & Jack Hay from Munich in Germany took the family team prize and the team of Rob Ashton & Liam Wilson representing the British Army claimed the military trophy.
Entries are open for next year’s 56th Original Mountain Marathon will be held in the Lake District on the 25+26 October 2025. “The OMM event has visited the Lake District many times over it’s history with then relatively well known fells being deceptively tricky to traverse. We look forward to seeing everyone next year”
For those interested in venturing into the fells but feel The Original Mountain Marathon is a little step to far OMM have created the Lake District Running Festival, held in Grasmere on 31st May, as an entry point for runners looking to venture into the fells.
Both events can be entered through the OMM website.
