Fell-running is a sport that requires great effort, both mental and physical. Running for hours over harsh terrain while navigating to well-hidden checkpoints, carrying everything you need on your back and then getting up at sunrise the next day to do it all over again – all of this requires high levels of fitness, patience and mental endurance. However, it is also important to remember that Mountain Marathons are not the sort of thing that can be done on a whim. They require a great deal of training and preparation.
Mountain Marathons – Training
When preparing for a Mountain Marathon, the quality of the training is often more important than the quantity. While it would be undeniably beneficial to make sure you have trained enough to be in peak physical condition for the event, it is crucial to make sure that you are getting the right kind of training. Going on four long runs a week is all very well and good, but you also need to get used to running in mountainous terrain, off the path and with a pack on.
The course planners for the event will often go out of their way to make sure you are faced with difficult navigational decisions, where taking a footpath will be out of the question. This means that more often than not you will find yourself running through bogs and fields of tussocks; this type of terrain is much more mentally and physically draining than running along a track, and it is therefore important to condition yourself to it. Fell-running is so unlike any other form of running, that someone preparing for a Mountain Marathon would benefit hugely from training in a style and setting that is as close as possible to that of the upcoming event.
Mountain Marathons – Equipment
Mountain Marathons often have a variety of rules and regulations regarding kit – most events will have a checklist of items that teams must carry with them during the event, and it is important to make sure that you meet these minimum requirements by having the necessary equipment in your possession. Fell-runners will benefit from being as light on their feet as possible. This means that in terms of equipment, you should aim for items that are light and do not use up too much space. It is often the case that competitors will not carry much more than the minimum, and any luxury items that are not strictly necessary will be abandoned. Remember, packing things like a larger tent for extra comfort may seem like a good idea back at base camp, but when you’re 10 k into your first day and the tent is weighing you down, you’ll wish you had opted for something smaller.
Mountain Marathons – Food
Having the right food rations can make or break a Mountain Marathon. The majority of these races place an emphasis on self-sufficiency, meaning competitors must carry enough food to sustain themselves for the whole weekend, including the mid-way camp at the end of the first day. This means that as well as one or two hot meals to cook at the campsite you will also need a range of high-energy, lightweight bars to see you through two days of running.
As with the equipment you carry, the food you decide to take must be enough to sustain you for two days whilst also allowing you to be as light on your feet as possible. There are a range of food items that suit this purpose, a lot of which will often be available to buy at base camp before the start of the race. While it is important to minimise the weight of your pack, it is crucial that you take enough food to last you for the event; fell-running burns a tremendous amount of energy and everyone has different food requirements, so make sure you plan ahead so that you know exactly how much food you yourself will require. There would be nothing worse than getting halfway through the second day only to run out of rations, so erring on the side of caution can be a good idea; competitors who pack too lightly will find they quickly run out of steam, negating the effects of having a slightly lighter pack.
For a description of some of the most popular fell-running events across Great Britain, see Mountain Marathons in the UK.
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