Highlander Mountain Marathon Rules

It is up to the entrants to assess their own ability and experience against information on this site. All entrants must agree to abide by the following rules and regulations.

Participants must compete in teams of two: entries must be made in pairs who must maintain contact with each other throughout the entire competition. Each participant will have a sportident timing chip and all participants must check in at each checkpoint.

Minimum age in all classes is 18 years on the day of the competition.

GOLDEN RULE: Competitors unable to finish their chosen course MUST report their retirement to the finish or other race official. In no circumstances will a team member be allowed to continue along the course either alone or with any person other than the team member with whom they started the course.

For each class there will be a staggered start on Day 1, with starts between 8-10am on Day 1 and 7-9am on Day 2. There will be chasing starts for the first 10 pairs in each class on Sunday.

Competitors must be prepared to permit the examination of their equipment by race officials on the way to the start.

Mountain areas in the British Isles can have very unpredictable and severe weather and the terrain can be very difficult. Competitors are responsible for ensuring they are fit and experienced enough for an event of this nature and to take responsibility for their own safety and actions throughout.

For all courses apart from the Score class, cut-off times at certain locations throughout the two days of competition will be imposed; competitors will be notified of these at the start of each day's course.

All teams must check in at the overnight campsite on Saturday night; teams arriving later than 2200 hours may not be allowed to start on the following day.

On arrival at the finish competitors will be 'timed-in'. The winning team in the A, B, C and D classes will be the team with the lowest aggregate time for the two days. The winning team in the Score class will be the team with the highest points total. Any team which fails to visit any control marker on its chosen course will be retired from the competition and deemed not to have completed their course. The Access Code must be observed at all times.

All litter must be removed - anyone observed breaking this rule will be requested to leave the event and risks being blacklisted from this and similar events in the future. No dogs; no open fires. Any areas marked on the map as out of bounds are to be respected and failure to do so will mean disqualification.

Individual Clothing & Equipment

Each individual and team is responsible for being properly prepared, and given the variable nature of the weather at this time of year the kit list should be seen as a minimum requirement only. Do not skimp on equipment as there may be lying or falling snow during the event.

Every competitor must carry or wear the following:

Wet weather gear including good quality wind and waterproof jacket and trousers. Given the possible weather conditions at the time of year, no lightweight gear (eg Pertex) will be allowed.
Sleeping bag
Torch capable of giving operational light for eleven hours
Whistle
Pencil and paper
Compass
Survival bag (foil OK but a bag not blanket)
Hat
Gloves
Thermal bottoms (tracksters or similar), thermal vest, warm thicker top. Minimum of three upper layers.
Hill food for each day with some for emergencies
Footwear must be lightweight hiking boots or hill running shoes. No flat soled running shoes

Every team must carry the following equipment: Tent with sewn-in groundsheet: it must be manufactured as a tent and not as a bivvy or something else
Cooking equipment.

First aid equipment consisting of a minimum of adhesive dressings and one full roll of two inch bandage, and a triangular bandage.

Forbidden Equipment:

GPS and any Satellite Navigation device - altimeter watches are allowed.

Teams should be prepared for random kit checks at mid camp and at the end of day two

Mid Camp Meal.

As part of your entry fee we will provide all competitors with one meal on arrival at the mid camp. There will be a heated marquee to keep you dry and warmish. There will be traditional music and dancing. Hopefully there will also be a bar, so bring some money for that!

However, we still require all teams to carry sufficient food for two days on the hill and the means to cook it. There are 2 reasons for this, Firstly we recommend a far higher calorie intake at the midway camp than can be provided by one meal and secondly for your own safety you need to be self sufficient in case you are forced to camp before reaching the mid camp location. If you have any questions please email the organising team.

Safety

Safety is of paramount importance in this event. The Rules of the Event have been drawn up to minimise the risks to both competitors and organisers. Before taking part in the event you must read these and acknowledge this on the entry form.

The Highlander Mountain Marathon is a 2 day mountain navigation race. Competitors work in teams of 2 and have to be completely self-sufficient for the 2 days in all aspects of hill walking including food, camping gear, navigation and safety. Only fresh water and toilets and rubbish disposal are provided at the overnight camp.

The main safety features of the event are:

Courses are carefully planned with distances and heights typical of this type of event and such as not to lead competitors into hazards.
All teams are required to carry basic safety kit.
Some manned checkpoints, may be in place with radio or telephone communication to ensure competitors stay in their teams and to provide a reporting point should someone get into difficulty.

Cut-off times at some checkpoints to ensure that teams which are struggling are retired before they get into difficulty.

Reporting procedure combined with SportIdent ™ timing system giving information on competitors' progress through the courses.

All organisers are experienced in mountain skills and/or this type of event or will be supervised by someone who is.
A comprehensive Health & Safety Plan prepared by the organisers.

Important Contact Info

Due to the remoteness of the area people are advised that mobile coverage may not be available at all times.
Mountain Rescue : 999 or 192 and ask for Mountain Rescue
Mountain Rescue will not be called out by the organisers unless an accident or incident is reported.

Entry Fees

Cost will be £90 per team or £86 if both team members own a SportIdent card. This price is inclusive of meals (Saturday night and Sunday post race) and maps. Two laminated OS 1:40000 maps per team will be available at the start of the event. Confirmation of entry will be the inclusion of the team on the event entry list. Withdrawal is possible up to and including 22 March 2010 subject to a deduction of £20 administration fee.