Mountain Marathon series

[ba-ba]

Shane Ohly and his Ourea events team has launched a British Mountain Marathon series and Mountain Marathon championship: http://www.mountainmarathon.com/brit...onship-launch/

The series includes Dark Mountains, LAMM and ROC (previously RAB), with best 2 scores to count.
ROC will also be the 'British Mountain Marathon Championships'

Be interesting to see how the series goes, as competition at the sharp end/longer courses of MMs has decreased a bit in the last decade.

As for the Championship race, I'm not so sure. For me when it comes to MMs the KIMM/OMM will always be the one to win.

[BillJ]

Interesting, but I agree with you Ba-Ba: the KIMM/OMM is the pinnacle of the mountain marathons. The SLMM, especially Klets class, is also prestigious.
For me, a British MM series is incomplete without those two.

And the British Championship decided at a single event seems a bit redundant.

However despite sounding negative(!), I think the British MM Series is a good idea. :-)

PS: the picture for the LAMM on the 2017 British Series page is actually from the RAB in the Lakes - I recognise myself (in blue) being pursued down from High Stile

[ba-ba]

I did once think about the viability of a Trial/Solo MM/LongO series, linking together LDMT, Klets, Copeland and Allerdale chases and maybe a few others (were there any), as a 'Lakeland Classics' for solo long-distance Fell navigation events, but figured it would be too niche.

IMHO, OMM/KIMM is the pinnacle of pairs MM. Never done the LAMM but it's not too far behind and the pinnacle of Summer pairs MM, whilst Klets is the pinnacle of Solo MM.

As for a solo British Championships, it's the difference between a championship race (i.e. cycling World Championships) and a series price for best/most consistent throughout the season (e.g. cyclingWorldTour rankings).

[philbrynmaen]

This looks an exciting development, and it may help bring more youth into our sport - which is needed.

I have a concern about the apparent sidelining of Score classes.

Until this year the RAB MM was entirely score with a Long Score (equating to OMM Long Score) and Short Score (equating to OMM Medium Score). Line courses were introduced for the 2016 event with the message that a score only format may be off-putting to newcomers who perhaps feel less confident about their navigational skills.

In the new championship there appears to be a single score class together with four line classes. And no score class for Youth competitors? So are we saying youth are not up to the challenge of planning a route across mountainous terrain?

And does this mean the demise of the RAB MM Short Score category which was, I believe, the most popular class in previous years?

[Meanderthal]

Anyone know whats happening with this? Been a bit of silence from the organisers recently.

[matthew]

I did once think about the viability of a Trial/Solo MM/LongO series, linking together LDMT, Klets, Copeland and Allerdale chases and maybe a few others (were there any), as a 'Lakeland Classics' for solo long-distance Fell navigation events, but figured it would be too niche.

I love this idea you could include Kinder Trial for a more southern race. Any Scottish events to be included?

But you are right, it would be incredibly niche!

[GeoffB]

I know that Shane had been hoping to get the OMM on board with this, and it seems they are waiting to see how it goes this year with a view to being included next year.

However, myself and several others are a bit miffed (to say the least!!) that people taking part in these events as a Mixed Pair will not be eligible. This is what is says on the website "However, we will not award Championship points to individuals in ‘Mixed Pairs’ due to the potential for one strong partner, to carry the other partner to victory in the individual Championship." Clearly, in a single sex pair it isn't possible for one strong partner to carry the other... Really?

[ydt]

All that about mixed pairs is pure fantasy. Speaking from personal experience I would say that 'a strong partner carrying a weeker one' is more likely to happen in men's teams

[ba-ba]

The only time I've heard about stronger partners carrying the weaker in a mixed pair, it's been the lass double-bagging!

[Toreador]

I'd not seen that about mixed pairs, but wherever it is, they're not applying it - in the score classes at least most of the leaders (both male and female) have been competing in mixed teams.

This is the first year of the scheme so I'm expecting teething troubles, and no doubt they will adjust the format/classes/everything else next year.

The main thing I don't like about it is that it forces you to do the same class in every event. Normally we'd have done Long Score in the DM, A in the LAMM, and Short Score in the ROC, but to be eligible we've done Long Score in all three. Hopefully we'll finish so far down the rankings that we won;t care next year and can pick the classes we want