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The
organisers are Lloyd and Shirley (don’t even know a surname!) who exercised
their rights to cancel after heavy snow in the previous week with reasonable
concerns about course safety. However, their failure to ensure all competitors
knew about it, a total lack of response to desperate calls to find out what
was happening (I have never had any reply to voice messages to a mobile that
was permanently off!) by those of us who turned up unaware of the
cancellation, and not even properly liaising with the start and finish venues,
were all evidence that this is a very poor organisation. We had
doubts before the event started, with pre-race details being very sparse and
seeming objection to being asked for info. On transport and kit, given it was
a long place-to-place event in a quite remote area, almost no information was
provided. They even sent ‘sarcy’ internal emails (not being clever enough
to not also copy to the entrant who asked about water points!), about
‘whining competitors’. When we asked how you could get to the start from
the finish, a very curt email was sent referring us to a bus company and to
look at the timetable. The
finish point and start hotel were only told of the cancellation by email with
no contact point or instructions on what do to if any competitors turned up;
neither were at all impressed with the organisation, The hotel said they were
fortunate to know since the email was sent to a member of staff who could well
have been off over Easter. The hotel advised the organisers back by email that
the route was now clear and they could see no reason to cancel, but with no
response. Competitors were only advised on the website on the Thursday, so
travelling guys like us never saw it. As it
was, 11 people turned up, of whom only 2 knew it had been called off, but were
going to run it to get their sponsorship. The rest of us also did it anyway
and got the hotel manager to record our names and officially start us at the
planned time of 9pm. Some of us wore our race numbers and I finished in 25 hrs
28 mins. I rarely
criticise organisers, being grateful for an event - knowing what hard work it
is and often a thankless task. However, this is that rare occasion when severe
criticism is due. We were appalled and angered at their total apparent lack of
understanding of their full responsibilities when putting on an event of this
nature. They seem to have very little idea (or to care much!), of how they
should treat runners and communicate adequately, despite being so-called
runners themselves. They are very happy to keep our £61.00 entry fees though,
being at great pains to point out that no refunds are due in the event of
cancellation! |