OMM Elite reviewed for 2008
Posted in Running
Last years winners, Sean and Brendon Bolland have entered this year again and have to be up there as strong contenders to win it again. This year though there will be a lot of strong competition looking for the title.
Tim Higginbottom and Chris Near are looking to run away with the prize everyone wants this year. This inov8 sponsored pairing have won their last three mountain marathons together. They have entered the Mourne Mountain Marathon and I have heard they are really going for the full sweep, which would just be an incredible achievement.
Hot on their heels will be another team Inov8. In the shape of Steve Birkinshaw, with his partner Morgan Donnelly. Steve recently convincingly won the inaugural Lakeland 100 Ultra race by over 3 hours therefore is in good form and is used to winning the OMM having won it 5 times in the past.
Jethro Lennox, who at time of writing 2nd in British Fell running championship (also Inov8 sponsored), has teamed up with his friend, training partner and the runner up to Jethro Lennox at the 3 peaks world mountain running challenge, Tom Owens (currently 18th in the British champs). If their navigation is strong then they could really be a team to watch. The only worry is, can Jethro’s skinny slight frame cope with the rigours of a rucksack without him snapping in two? Is the OMM really for the racing whippets?
The other thing to note really is more to do with the absence of any Powells or Symonds? Neither Al or Ifor Powell or, Andy or Joe Symonds are mentioned but there seems to be a slot just waiting for them? Will either of them run or not?
Other races across the category is who will win out of the others (both mixed and female) This I think is between two teams. The pairing of Angela Mudge and Alec Keith will be strong and competative. Angela Mudge really needs no introduction, she has won everything she has wanted to win and has been in top 5 of the KIMM elite in an all female team with Helene Diamantes. Alec Keith is also a past mountain marathon winner.
One of the few teams that could compete is a very strong female pairing of Janet McKiver and Heather Dawes (Yet again another Inov8 sponsored athlete). The only female team in the elite category. Between them, they do rack up a very impressive list of wins, records etc and probably have more wins and records between them than any other team. This include Heathers 10 x winner of Polaris (Incredible!), Old County Tops record holder, reigning mixed OMM winner, Mountain-X adventure race champ, winning just about any adventure race she enters. Janet is reigning British and English fell champ, current record holder of all the Superlong Classics races etc etc. you get the picture. This is a strong team!
It would be an interesting race between Angela Mudge and Alec Keith and this pairing although I think despite the fact that Heather Dawes can keep going and going, I fear she will not be fast enough for the pair from North of the border.
So where will we come? Who knows? I am pretty sure we will not be with any of the teams mentioned here. All I am aiming for is not to set up camp in the dark and I will then be happy. I think first year in the Elite and a good quality finish is all I can expect. Especially as I am racing with a person I know is a similar speed from the few runs we have done but we have not done a mountain marathon together so it will be interesting to see how we gel and work together? I suspect we have different strengths that could work to our advantage to drag each other along. Saying that there are a few people there that I am secretly wanting to beat.
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