Old County Tops

[whome]

Just in case you haven't looked at other thread Ive posted this here as well!

Congratulations to everyone who completed the Old County Tops yesterday in conditions that couldn't have been any more different from last year. A big thanks from me to all the marshalls and helpers from Achille Ratti and Raynet - without you we have no race. It is fantastic to see runners still smiling at the finish - makes it all worth while as far as I am concerned. Next year's race is on May 19th. Hope to see you there.
PS One negative - the runner who left his partner after Cockley Beck and span a yarn to the marshalls on Coniston Old Man and Three Shires Stone - this is breaking one of the golden safety rules of the event - you are not welcome at next year's race.

I'm the guy who got left by his partner. It was pre arranged as he had to be in Manchester by eight to see a Roger Waters concert.(If you're old enough you'll know who he is). At £80 a ticket it was leave me or get a divorce. I'd had a groin injury since Wythburn and we'd slipped behind our planned schedule. As I was with a team from P & B who I knew there wasn't a safety problem. So before you chunter about spinning yarns get your facts right. I've known the guy for donkeys years and we've helped each other on the B.G. We've both got bags of experience and neither of us would consider running with someone who would deliberately leave us behind.

[Marvin]

just like to echo all the above comments, great race, great people, and fantastic organisation by the Achille Ratti.
Oh and a special mention for the egg sarnies at cockley beck!

Ditto, and great to catch up with you again Martin.

[studmarks]

I'm the guy who got left by his partner. It was pre arranged as he had to be in Manchester by eight to see a Roger Waters concert.(If you're old enough you'll know who he is). At £80 a ticket it was leave me or get a divorce. I'd had a groin injury since Wythburn and we'd slipped behind our planned schedule. As I was with a team from P & B who I knew there wasn't a safety problem. So before you chunter about spinning yarns get your facts right. I've known the guy for donkeys years and we've helped each other on the B.G. We've both got bags of experience and neither of us would consider running with someone who would deliberately leave us behind.

:thunbdown:I disagree the rules state quite clearly. Quote: Rule 3 The race is run in pairs who must stay together throughout the race. If a competitor has to retire his/her partner is expected to remain with the retiree. All retiring pairs MUST report to the finish. And if you were the lone runner flaundering about around Great Carrs, and waiting for me and my partner to guide the way, then your experience must have deserted you along with common sense, but then you were along way off piste if the BG route is your forte. Not only were you putting yourself in jeapardy but possibly the future of the O.C.T. if something had gone wrong.

[Chips]

I'm the guy who got left by his partner. It was pre arranged as he had to be in Manchester by eight to see a Roger Waters concert.(If you're old enough you'll know who he is). At £80 a ticket it was leave me or get a divorce. I'd had a groin injury since Wythburn and we'd slipped behind our planned schedule. As I was with a team from P & B who I knew there wasn't a safety problem. So before you chunter about spinning yarns get your facts right. I've known the guy for donkeys years and we've helped each other on the B.G. We've both got bags of experience and neither of us would consider running with someone who would deliberately leave us behind.

Sorry, but the marshal at COM was told by your partner that you were a couple of minutes behind, you turned up twenty minutes later. The marshal believed that a deliberate attempt had been made to decieve him so that your partner could continue on his own. The marshall then reluctantly had to make the decision to let your partner proceed on his own because if he'd held him any longer he would likely have got exposure. The correct thing to do under the circumstances you were in would have been to pull out at Cockley Beck. Having a deadline to get home by, when anything can go wrong, is far from ideal.
We keep rules to an absolute minimum in this event, but this one we do stick to, for the safety of all competitors and the future of the event (as stated above).

[paul4stones]

I wouldn't apologise Chips. It's absolutely clear this is a team event and this year (unlike last year) individual team members were at much greater risk on the later stages of the race. Yes, you might go out for a run on your own in those conditions, and why not - I would, but this was part of a race . . .

[alf.t]

CaLM DOWN FOLKS!
Clearly a case of oxygen shortage and lactic acid overload affecting the decision-making process and that was just the Roger Waters choice. And £80!, cor! that takes my breath away. So I guess dropping out at Cockley Beck might have been a harder choice than some would think. Most would presume that Cockley Beck is closer to Langdale but when your knackered and the 'keep going' button is fully pressed making the right decision is more difficult but mistakes are always forgiveable, even when you're on the higher ground. Nobody died and maybe a lesson will be learned.

[Gypsy'sDog]

Well said Alf. Great day. Big thanks and a hats off to AR and all the marshalls. Especially the lady hanging out of the car window,clapping us and egging us on down Wrynose pass when we were hanging out!
Well done to all who ran.

[Corniceman]

Anybody know when results will be out?

[IanDarkpeak]

Fell running is not a dangerous sport, although Amex has taken race injuries to a new level. However, situations can rapidly escalate into something very serious.

Last month marked the 27th anniversary of the death of a genuinely experienced international runner in atrocious weather conditions during a race. The body was eventually found huddled in rocks properly clothed in full body cover. The location was on an escape route pre-marked on the map the runner was carrying. (How many of us do that?). The family did not seek to blame anyone for the tragic loss.

However, the coroner's court, unfamiliar with the world of fell running, initially took a very different view. Anyone who was present, read the transcript of proceedings or the newspaper reports found the cross examination/grilling of the race organiser a chilling, sobering, disturbing episode. In the end, he was exonerated, although the race was subsequently moved to a later date. Imagine the legal consequences, if he had been found responsible.
Is it any wonder that those of us who are aware of this and regrettably other extreme situations get frustrated with posts about carrying kit, maps, compasses, following rules etc. When it goes wrong it can go tragically wrong.

My point is, in light of the above and other cases:

WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY AS COMPETITORS TO ENSURE THAT OUR ACTIONS OR LACK OF THEM, NEVER CAUSE A RACE ORGANISER TO BE SUBJECTED TO SUCH A SITUATION EVER AGAIN.

Totally Agree Grump but unfortuanately there's too much Social niceities in our sport with regard to rules and enforcing them.

If some one breaks a rule they should be disq! end off! If it's a serious breech that could put others at risk they should be banned!

I'm all for freedom of the hills and thats how it should be but if you run a race, you run by the the RO/FRA rules.

[DazTheSlug]

Have the "team" in question had their names listed in the results as DQ'd (rather than DNF'd or Retired)?
Do we know whether they're banned from future OCT's?