How many competitors have small slips/trips on a normal event? I'll bet there are a few "minor injuries" every year.
Of course there are. My KIMM record is 4 entered, 2 finished, one retired with an injured partner (twisted ankle) and one retired with an injured me (sprained ankle). The last one I did I decided would probably be my last as my left knee stopped bending, but close enough to the end to hobble in rather than retire injured.
OK, folks, that was helpful on the eco front. As I said, I wasn't sure how far across the hills racers would spread. I just hate it when I see folks running along paths, dislodging stones, making erosion much worse and the like. I was on Jock's Road on Friday---in very challenging conditions, I should add, which as others have said on this thread, is surely the best time to be out on the hills!---and some idiot had been cycling through the muddy parts diggin' a rut 3 inches deep. But if Paddy says he couldn't see a trace of the event, I'm happy to be reassured that OMM is a responsible organisation, even on that front.
As for sensationalist reporting, it's all part and parcel of what passes for journalism these days, innit...
Some people are saying that because the BBC was wrong on the WMDs, then they are wrong on this. That doesn't make any sense. If you extend that logic, then anybody who has ever made a mistake is judged to be wrong for the rest of their lives.
"The idea of self-reliance isn't a popular one in this day and age, so the fact that 900 people are said to be unaccounted for is being presented with the implication they are lost and in trouble - which is not the case."
People are so mollycoddled that they have no comprehension that these are mostly skilled, competent and prepared people who can cope with these conditions.
It would appear that several competitors have required treatment for hypothermia and needed to be rescued/assisted of the mountain. If this correct then undoubtedly these people were underprepared for the conditions. Whether that is inexperience or bloody mindedness stemming from a feeling of infalibiility is not for me to decide. Hence they are no different to any other hill users. Accidents and mistakes happen, but generally there is little sympathy for the underprepared and foolish...
On the eco point.. Events like the 3 peaks get slagged rotten and amongst that is the eco impact. There appears not to be the same outcry for events like these! Is that because only dedicated mountain people do the OMM?
edited to add.. more knowledgeable souls have perhaps answered the eco question just before I posted my comments..
You cant compare this with the Three Peaks because the three Peaks causes so much disruption that the residents of Wasdale dont get to sleep for 3 months of the year.
This only happens over one weekend.
If Wasdale got disrupted only one weekend a year they would probebly cope quite happily.
Lots of us have been out in these sort of conditions and coped happily.
Stu got so wet when he wild camped half way up carrantoutil while they were being battered by the tail end of huricane Katrina that they had to ring their gear out at the airport to get back under the weight limit to fly home.
I quite fancied doing this event next year - I hope my mate who I'm trying to convince to do it with me isn't watching the news!
The latest is that there are now three people still unaccounted for. Let's all hope they are ok, and celebrate the fact that that means about 2497 (if 2500 competitors is a correct figure) have made it through.
As far as I'm aware, even though the event wasn't actually called off, didn't the courses get switched to a 'bad weather' alternative? I'm not exactly sure what that is, although I'm sure someone here can enlighten me, but it does sound like a responsible move from the organisers. I think they are getting a bit of unfair criticism at the moment - after all, people have come from all over for this event, people are mentally and physically prepared for it, so it's up to the individual to assess the risk, surely? They can always pull out if they feel the need, which many obviously did, and credit to them for being aware of their own skill level.
I suspect the truth's somewhere in the middle. Yes, a lot of the competitors will be hardened outdoor folk and well capable of looking after themselves, but equally some of them are going to be relative novices.
I'm not saying the event should have been cancelled or owt like that, but equally it's not really the case that everyone on the startline of a mountain marathon event is massively experienced - there's a mix of people of varying levels of fitness, experience and general ability - everyone has to start somewhere.
I think there's a bit of understandable over-compensation going on here as a reaction to some of the early press exageration in the other direction.
This will bang on for a while, as for the fallout from this,it will just close more doors to outdoor adventure races,the event must fall in to line with current UK events Health and safety rules to include county council safe guards ie insurance etc ? or is it a case of be it on your own head attitude,hope no fatalities come out of this,because just watch the crap hit the fan,and the organisers hit the fallout shelters, not withstanding the costs of local rescue services to add in to the fudge factor.Waite till some OM members get back with their war stories to add to this, as for a picture of a guy in shorts setting off into the yonnder and the shot on u tube of h pass like a grade 4 canoe course, say no more?
As always, the voice of reason Jon One of the competitors interviewed by the BBC said much the same, that it's the novices who are most at risk. Personally I think it's a bit daft to ignore extreme weather forecasts and go out and play anyhow, regardless of how experienced you are, but maybe that's because I'm obviously not hard core enough. I like a challenge as much as the next person, but not at the risk of putting myself or others in harms way as the mountains can be treacherous enough even in fine conditions. Then again I do want a pair of pink flowery wellies for mucking out the stables, nuff said I hope to goodness that they find the remaining few safe and well.
I'm not remotely convinced that the weekend will have any long term impact whatsoever apart from raising the profile of mountain marathon events for a while. The Ten Tors things seems to be called off every other year with lots of media coverage around it, but carries on regardless. By this time next week, everyone will have forgotten about it.
The meeja love a good disaster story with some 'nutters' thrown in for good measure, but it's generally a transient thing. As long as it's seen to be dealt with with no serious repercussions, I don't think it'll make much odds.
If the state were concerned about people's safety in the outdoors in a draconian, big brother sort of way, climbing would have been made illegal years ago. In reality the outdoors is a sleepy, low profile cu-de-sac, compared with, say, managing road safety issues.
That's my take anyway. For most people, including politicians, it's just a 'nutters up mountains in bad weather' eyebrow raiser, no more, no less.
And don't forget the fallout from the Cairngorms tragedy in the 70s!
As expected, looks like this will end up a non story with most competitors now accounted for.
Question is: if these people should not have gone out, does that mean you and I and everyone else should cancel all forthcoming hill trips if the weather looks like being bad?
But at least the economic downturn has been pushed off the front page
btw yes, bad weather, shorter, alternative routes were in place. Someone complained to me that that'd mean having to spend an extra hour in the tent in the rain ....
i didnt realise that front page news arround the world plus the costs of the emergency services and treatment for those with injuries would just go away next week,as for the alps paddy check out the costs for a rescue?
"Question is: if these people should not have gone out, does that mean you and I and everyone else should cancel all forthcoming hill trips if the weather looks like being bad? "
But that isn't the question, imo anyway. The question is surely whether the parameters for decisions relating to commercially organised, mass-participation events are different to those for an individual undertaking their own private activity?
I'm not sure of the answer, but at the moment I can't help thinking that maybe they are....
Not a bad result then; all competitors accounted for, only 13 minor injuries. Considering the conditions, that's a big 'well done' for all concerned! It also looks like a few people did actually complete the event, as well. Balls of steel.
One of the competitors interviewed by the BBC said much the same, that it's the novices who are most at risk. Personally I think it's a bit daft to ignore extreme weather forecasts and go out and play anyhow, regardless of how experienced you are, but maybe that's because I'm obviously not hard core enough. I like a challenge as much as the next person, but not at the risk of putting myself or others in harms way as the mountains can be treacherous enough even in fine conditions. Then again I do want a pair of pink flowery wellies for mucking out the stables, nuff said 
