ROC 2-Day Mountain Marathon
23rd-24th September 2017

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Official Results
  Long score class
Richard Beard 12hr 39min Tracking indicated 33 miles with 1900 metres of climb 730 points

This year’s race (previously sponsored by RAB) was held in the south west corner of the Lake District, an area new to me. I again opted for the Long Score class (7hr day 1, 6hr day 2 to collect as many points from visiting checkpoints (CP) as possible). Day 1 started from the foot of Black Combe, and we were quickly into the low cloud giving ‘interesting’ navigation. My luck held out for most of the day but I quickly aborted one CP ‘in the middle of nowhere’ when it didn’t appear out of the fog where/when I’d hoped. Next day that CP was on offer again and the cloud having lifted was visible from the previous control nearly 1k away! Post race downloaded tracker data revealed how tantalisingly close I’d been the day before. After a comfortable overnight camp at Woodend farm near Devoke Water the cloud had lifted and Sunday was much less challenging from a navigational standpoint. For much of the time there were processions of competitors to follow from one CP to the next. The big plus was the stunning views of hills and coast that had been hidden the day before. All too soon the 6 hr was up and following the traditional post race vegetable chilli it was onto the motorway for the drag back south.