Search in Lake District Continues for Runners.
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Sunday, October 26, 2008
An RAF helicopter has been called out to help search for hundreds of athletes left stranded after bad weather in the Lake District.
About 2,500 runners were taking part in a two-day mountain marathon near Keswick when they were overcome by high winds, torrential rain and flooding.
Many sheltered in farms and mines and some camped out overnight but police say 1,700 remain unaccounted for. Organisers say participants will have been well-equipped with tents and food. Original Mountain Marathon (OMM) emergency planner Chris Briggs told media those still on the hills should be coping.
"What we've got here are some very, very experienced fell-runners who are very, very well-equipped, which is gratifying," he said. "If they've gone up as they should have been equipped then they should be OK."
Organisers, meanwhile, are appealing for runners who have left the area to get in touch as there are still numbers of teams unaccounted for. As the search resumed on Sunday morning, Cumbria police called in an helicopter from RAF Kinloss.
Insp Ian Clark said mountain rescue teams are still combing the area searching for runners. The OMM was abandoned at about midday on Saturday as the event hit by some of the worst weather in its 40-year history.
It has taken place every year since 1968 at various locations across northern England, north Wales and Scotland.
According to the race website, the end of October is chosen to "to allow weather to enhance the challenge". There are various courses ranging between 40 km (24.8 miles) and 80 km in length, with an ascent of up to 3000m.
Extreme conditions on the mountains and severe flooding made it difficult to get the message to competitors scattered across the hills, often with no means of communication.Mountain rescue teams searched the hills until after dark, dealing with 11 casualties, and the Northwest Ambulance Service took about 12 people to hospital with hypothermia and minor injuries.
Eight flood warnings are in place across Cumbria, the Environment Agency says. But weather across the region is expected to improve throughout the day, making the search for others easier. Overnight, 300 runners sheltered in Honister slate mine, which has seen 1ft (40cm) of rain fall since Thursday, according to the Environment Agency.
Mine manager Mark Weir was critical of organisers who had allowed the race to go ahead.
Speaking on Saturday night, he said: "We've overwhelmed the emergency services - the poor mountain rescue are out trying to find people on the side of the mountain, in the dark."
Organisers defended their decision to stage the event, saying many people did not understand the nature of mountain marathons.
An article on the organisers' website said: "The idea of self-reliance isn't a popular one in this day and age, so the fact that 900 people are said to be unaccounted for is being presented with the implication they are lost and in trouble - which is not the case.It went on to say they were all well equipped and the vast majority would have made their way down off the hills and found shelter, while those who did not, still had a tent and food.
It advised any worried friends or relatives to look on the OMM website for the latest updates. Many other local facilities also opened their doors overnight to runners.
About 400 stayed at Gatesgarth farm, while Glaramara Centre and Cockermouth Sheep and Wool Centre gave refuge to dozens of runners. By early Sunday morning, 750 competitors had been accounted for, said Cumbria Police.
Competitor Adrian Netherwood, who took shelter at Cockermouth School, said he was still quite concerned about friends and colleagues who had not been heard from. "They are all experience fell runners...they have their tents so they will have gone to low ground..so I'm sure they are all ok."
It is understood casualties were admitted to the Mary Hewetson Cottage Hospital, in Keswick, and later moved to Cumberland Infirmary, in Carlisle, and West Cumberland Hospital, in Whitehaven, for treatment.