Runners relive race nightmare

They braved gale force winds that knocked them off their feet, torrential rain and watched fellow competitors carried off with hypothermia.

Leicestershire runners taking part in this weekend's ill-fated Original Mountain Marathon said they would do it all again.

A rescue operation was launched after the Lake District race was abandoned at noon on Saturday, because of extreme weather conditions which made national headlines.

Hundreds of runners took shelter in tents, barns or hastily-arranged official centres after being stranded out on the course as a month's rain fell in just one day.

However, competitor Zoe Fleming said she was disappointed when the race was cancelled.

The 31-year-old, who lives off Narborough Road, near Aylestone Meadows, Leicester, was competing for the fifth year, along with friend Emily Brooks, from Keswick.

Miss Fleming said: "The weather was not good to start with, but got progressively worse. At one point, the wind picked us off our feet and dropped us a few feet from the path. My friend had terrible bruises.

"But we linked arms and just ran on.

"The main issue was with the streams. They became huge. That was quite scary.

"We had to change our route because some parts were too difficult. We worked as a team. It was quite exhilarating.

"It was an anti-climax when we got to the final checkpoint and someone told us it had been cancelled."

They had covered nearly 15 miles on Saturday, and, as Miss Brooks lived in nearby Keswick, they were able to get a bus to her house that night. However, Miss Fleming said they would have been prepared to camp out overnight.

She said: "We were all ready to put up our tent and cook our dinner when we were told it was cancelled.

"You have to expect the unexpected in this race – that's part of the challenge. I would be very disappointed if problems were made for the organisers after this, if they made it more expensive or stopped it. I would definitely do it again."

The two-day race sees teams of two carry their own clothing, equipment, tent, sleeping bag and 36-hour food supply as they are expected to navigate their own route.

There are seven race classes, with the longest being two consecutive marathons over two days, coupled with a 2,500metre ascent.

It was the third time experienced runner Peter Gold, from Normanton le Heath, near Ashby, had taken part in the event.

Mr Gold set off from the starting point with race partner and fellow Ivanhoe Runners member Bart Reid, from Castle Donington, at 8.10am.

Within several hours, the conditions had deteriorated.

The 44-year-old said: "By the third checkpoint, the conditions were very bad. Fords had become streams, streams had become rivers. It was pretty horrendous. By noon, it was so bad we had to make some decisions. We saw one guy being carried off the mountain with hypothermia, he was in a bad way."

When the race was cancelled, the pair made their way back to the event centre by 2pm, and as they had a 4x4, got through the flooded roads to drive back to Leicestershire that night, in time to celebrate his 44th birthday at home the next day.

Mr Gold said: "There were people all over the place and vehicles stranded.

"That hasn't put me off at all."