Mountains Trails and remote places can be beautiful places, but also very dangerous places. Each year, inexperienced runners are credited to a race for which they lack experience, and not all survive. Countless unprecedented news every year when runners are considered injured or even dead, participating in what they think should be a fun day.
Some key learning can be gleaned from some of these failures. One fatal episode occurred in the UK in 1987 during the first edition of the racing race called “Dead Sheep 100”. Even the name of the race should have caused some caution to those who entered. The organizer of the race, apparently, called the event as such because of the remote location, and, having seen numerous expired animals, decided that this should be the place where the sheep go to die.
Twenty runners were not put off by name and entered the race. One such participant was a 22-year-old man from Powys named Mark Montrail. Mark participated in several road marathons and recorded the ending time around 2 hours 45, so it was obviously very suitable. He took a walk on the hill, although not in the race zone. He read the map well and used a compass, so those elements of his training were solid. Because of his suitability and speed, he had a penchant for under-building, and this may have been his undoing.
The format of Dead Sheep 100 is 5 laps in a 20-mile course with nine remote unmanned checkpoints (CP) on a loop. Most of the course was at a moderate height of 500-600 meters, in an open swamp, where the conditions under our feet were described as extremely difficult. The ride height was about 8,000 feet on the knees. On the day of the event, the weather began to be relatively bright and sunny, although the ground was wet from rain and rain earlier this month. The initial sections of the course were safe with roads that could be used in an emergency, but after the 4th “Rain” point, then long, faceless passes in the swamps between remote checkpoints without any paths.
Mark wore only a vest and shorts and wore this map and compass. He had a backpack with a waterproof jacket, trousers and several items of food, as well as water. The race began, and twenty people hit the road. Mark set off very quickly, almost at a marathon pace, and the only time he was noticed by other participants was later at the headquarters of the race, or in some cases when he attacked them. Due to the demanding nature of the race, almost all runners came out after two laps (20 miles). Mark was the only runner left in the race to go to the fifth round. Mark appreciated the medical volunteer of the organizers before leaving for the fifth round and was considered suitable, although he was clearly tired of his efforts.
He set off shortly before midnight. After 12 hours, he did not return from his knees, and the organizers decided to contact the local rescue team. Within an hour, 12 volunteer volunteers combed the course, following their own search patterns for maximum coverage. It was not yet 14 hours (26 hours after departure) that Mark was found. It was located a dog guide 3 km from the 5th CP ("Standing Stone"), collapsed in a sheep fold. He went seriously, and the dog was able to pick up his smell and find him.
He was alive and suffered from hypothermia. The shelter provided to him from the sheep fold most likely left him alive. She was not aware of the sheep, but Mark had enough sense to use her when he saw her. Because of his condition and remote location, a helicopter was called. It is impossible for a helicopter to land on a gutter on the top of a hill, and he was put on a plane and taken to hospital. He continued to recover, left the game and did not discuss this event with anyone else.
Only by collecting evidence from a lifeguard, we can understand what went wrong, and learn from it. Since the day was reliably warm, and Mark moved with such a fast pace, his body temperature remained normal, if not time exceeding the normal time to time. However, overnight in heaven it was clear that the temperature dropped below 7 ° C, although it fell to almost 0 ° C with the wind on the hill. It is believed that Mark began to feel the effects of the cold when the night was worn, but he pressed for too long before putting on his waterproof jacket. He had no middle layer, only a thin vest. By the time he left for CP6 (Wynn & Trig), the effects of the cold were getting worse because he ran out of food. His bag was deprived or all food and water when it was found. Probably as a result of reverse hypothermia, he picked up the wrong compass from the CP5, possibly after he took 210 instead of 110 degrees. At some point, he realized that he had serious problems, and luck was that daylight illuminates the sheep fold, which he hunched, hiding from the most severe effects of the wind.
Mark will succumb to the effects of cold and be found unconscious, but, of course, fortunately alive. His failure was inadequate clothing and inadequate nutrition. Also the inability to recognize when he is tired in a less remote area, perhaps on the road where he could return to safety. Thus, the main lessons are to provide adequate clothing; in particular, enough layers. Ensure an adequate supply of food and water. Also find out when you are tired and make a reasonable decision to retire. Planned "evacuation routes" from the most remote sections of the course are also very wise. I hope this advice will help you stay safe for the next race in the mountains.
