Original Mountain Marathon


The Original Mountain Marathon, formerly known as the Karrimor International Mountain Marathon, and initially simply The Karrimor, is a two-day Mountain event, held in a different region across the UK every year. It was first held in 1968 and continues today. Gerry Charnley, a skilled mountaineer and orienteer, designed the KIMM to test orienteering skills in extreme circumstances; the full-length KIMM course is a double-marathon length race. Each team must carry all their gear, including equipment for an overnight camp. Moreover, the course is not disclosed until the race begins, so each team must have good navigation skills. Some have called the KIMM the forerunner of modern adventure racing.

History

For its first 8 years, the event was known as 'The Karrimor'. In addition to the 'Elite category' double marathon, other course lengths have been added over the years to suit a greater variety of competitors. The core elements remain, however: there is always an overnight camp and the teams of two must be self-sufficient.
The KIMM name was adopted in 1976.
After Galloway in 1976 which experienced exceptionally bad weather with only 30% completing, Gerry Charnley spoke in a TV interview with the BBC: "Don't you think this event is too tough?" asked the interviewer, and Charnley responded: "Everybody knows this is the KIMM, the toughest event on the calendar and it's not a Sunday afternoon picnic." This attitude has remained throughout the events history and places it as one of the most challenging mountain marathons in the world.
In 1977, a special map from Harvey Maps was commissioned.
In 2004 the event became known as the OMM after Karrimor's sponsorship was withdrawn.
The 2008 OMM was abandoned, for the first time in the race's history, due to ill-informed media coverage which suggested that the very challenging weather conditions placed competitors and potential rescuers in danger. Reference was made to '1,700 people unaccounted for in the hills' though in fact all of these were still competing and unaware that anyone was concerned for them; as usual a significant number of competitors were current or former Mountain Rescue Team members. In fact only one competitor needed to be rescued after being swept away in a torrent, slightly injured and stranded on an island, though there were other unconnected rescues in the Lake District at the time which were widely assumed to be connected to the OMM. Flooding did cause considerable disruption and damage at the base camps and the high winds resulted in the abandonment of some of the manned radio checkpoints; this and the genuine risk at river crossings were the principal reasons for cancelling the second day's competition.
In January 2010 the ownership of OMM, the event and the products was bought by Ark Consultants UK Ltd.
In 2013, the organisers of the Original Mountain Marathon revealed plans for a summer version of the event, along with a mountain biking marathon.

List of event locations

YearLocationRegionElite Winners
2019Clyde Muirshiel Regional ParkScotlandGraham Gristwood & Hector Haines
2018Black MountainsSouth WalesJonathan Albon & Gudmund Viljo Arponen Snilstveit
2017Great LangdaleCumbriaDuncan Archer & Shane Ohly
2016GlentroolSouth West ScotlandDuncan Archer & Shane Ohly
2015TweedsmuirScottish BordersKim Collison & Adam Perry
2014NorthumberlandNorth East EnglandSander Vaher & Timo Sild
2013Brecon BeaconsSouth WalesNick Barrable & Gustav Bergman
2012Howgill FellsNorth West EnglandBjörn Rydvall & Aaron Prince
2011ComrieScotlandDuncan Archer & Shane Ohly
2010DartmoorSouth West EnglandAndy Symonds & Joe Symonds
2009Elan ValleyWalesSteve Birkinshaw & Jethro Lennox
2008BorrowdaleCumbriaRace Abandoned
2007Lowther HillsScotlandBrendon Bolland & Sean Bolland
2006Galloway Forest ParkScotlandIfor Powell & Alun Powell
2005UllswaterCumbriaSteve Birkinshaw & Morgan Donnelly
2004Brecon BeaconsSouth WalesMark Seddon & John Hunt
2003LangholmeScottish BordersSteve Birkinshaw & Morgan Donnelly
2002CheviotNorthumberlandSteve Birkinshaw & Morgan Donnelly
2001Clyde Muirsheil Regional ParkScotlandMark Seddon & Andrew Trigg
2000Lake DistrictCumbriaMark Rigby & Rob Jebb tied with Mark Seddon & Andrew Trigg
1999Cowal Peninsula ArgyllScotlandMark Seddon & Steve Birkinshaw
1998Howgill FellsNorth PenninesMark Seddon & Steve Birkinshaw
1997Kielder ForestNorth East EnglandMark Seddon & Steve Birkinshaw
1996Galloway Forest Park and HillsScotlandMark Seddon & Pete James
1995Brecon BeaconsSouth WalesMark Seddon & John Kewley
1994St Mary's Loch and ManorScotlandMark Seddon & Paul Hague
1993Upper Nithsdale & Queensberry HillsScotlandMark Seddon & Paul Hague
1992Northern Lake DistrictCumbriaOlivier Buholzer & Matthias Ramsauer
1991Arrochar AlpsScotlandMark McDermott & Adrian Belton
1990Glen LyonScotlandPhil Clark and Graham Huddleston
1989Howgill FellsNorth PenninesDerek Ratcliffe & Pete Irwin
1988CheviotsNorthumberlandAonghus O'Cleirigh & Robin Bryson
1987Ffestiniog SnowdoniaNorth WalesDerek Ratcliffe & Pete Irwin
1986Galloway HillsScotlandDerek Ratcliffe & Pete Irwin
1985Langdale CumbriaKen Taylor & Robin Bryson
1984Peak DistrictPenninesDerek Ratcliffe & Pete Irwin
1983StrathyreScotlandDerek Ratcliffe & Pete Irwin
1982DartmoorSouth West EnglandJack Maitland & John Baston
1981LangdaleCumbriaJoss Naylor & Mike Walford
1980Isle of ArranScotlandDieter Wolf & Leonhard Suter
1979RhinogsNorth WalesDieter Wolf & Leonhard Suter
1978PeeblesScotlandRoger Baumeister & Martin Hudson
1977Howgill FellsNorth PenninesAndy Philipson & Howard Forrest
1976Galloway HighlandsScotlandStig Berge & Sigurd Dæhli
1975EnnerdaleCumbriaJoss Naylor & Pete Walkington
1974College Valley, CheviotNorthumberlandStig Berge & Harry Walker
1973Plas GwynantNorth WalesStig Berge & Carl Martin Larsen
1972Tibbie Shiels Scottish BordersStig Berge & Carl Martin Larsen
1971Plas-y-BreninNorth WalesJoss Naylor & Allan Walker
1970EskdaleWest CumbriaJoss Naylor & Allan Walker
1969Troutbeck CumbriaTed Dance & Bob Astles
1968MukerNorth PenninesTed Dance & Bob Astles

Classes of competition

OMM currently comprises seven competition classes which vary in length and severity, approximately as follows:
  1. Elite 80 km 12 hrs
  2. A class 65 km 11 hrs
  3. B class 50 km 10 hrs
  4. C class 45 km 9 hrs
  5. D class 40 km 8 hrs
  6. Long Score 7+6 hrs
  7. Medium Score 6+5hrs
  8. Short Score 5+4hrs

    Compulsory kit list

OMM have also started producing their own branded outdoor clothing and equipment. Items required on the event, such as waterproof jackets and trousers, backpacks and sleeping bags, have been produced, specially adapted for the event.
The Kamleika range of jackets, smocks and trousers have become famous amongst mountain marathon runners and hikers alike. They are unique in that they are specially developed to be stretchy and produce minimal noise when running. OMM have a larger range of clothing and equipment, also specially created for mountain marathons.

Swiss KIMM

1976 Swiss Orienteer Dieter Wolf brought the Karrimor International Mountain Marathon idea from England to Switzerland: 47 teams were at the start of the first Swiss Karrimor 2-day Mountain Marathon in Muothatal in 1976. Over the years several thousand lovers of the mountains, nature, orienteering and adventure sports from more than twenty countries have been able to participate in many different regions of the Swiss Alps.
After some structural and personal changes at Karrimor ltd. in England and Salewa Sport ltd. in Switzerland a new partner had to be found for the event in 1997 so as to achieve a balanced account. Arova-Mammut, a Swiss firm manufacturing mountain sport equipment, stepped in spontaneously, so that the event had to be changed only little; under a new name its organisation would be secure for the next few years. The long cooperation with Arova-Mammut ltd. came to an end in 2002.
R’adys Outdoor & Snowwear in Lachen became a new sponsor in 2004. 2013 R'adys sponsorship ended and the Event is now called SIMM.
This Mountain Marathon is unique in Switzerland.