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Mourne Seven Sevens Race 2019 – Final Instructions

Phone Number – 07845 659503
Give your Name and Entry Number in all messages
In an emergency dial 999 ask for Police then Mountain Rescue

BARF welcomes you to the Mourne Seven Sevens Race. This event is run under FRA and NIMRA rules for fell races and is a NIMRA Championship event categorised as A-Long – Minimum age 18 years old. To compete in the race you must be an experienced fell runner and be fit enough for the distance, climb and terrain involved. The exact route is not fixed and is not way-marked at any stage. Navigational skills will be required, especially if weather conditions are poor so participants must have the ability and experience to use both map and compass. (Navigation using only a smartphone app is not allowed).

Registration opens on Saturday morning at 08:45 and closes at 09:40 at the north end of the playing field beside Donard car park in Newcastle. The car park is free but parking may be limited due to other events. Please car share if possible and allow time to find parking nearby. 

You will need to fill out a FRA Race Registration form with details of your car registration and emergency contact info etc.

You will be given a set of green plastic tabs and one small white tab with your entry number on each of them. For convenience they will be held together on a string. You will also receive an electronic timing chip (aka dibber) which will be fastened to your wrist. Please look after this as you will be charged £30 if you lose it.

Timing Chip (dibber)

The Start  – of the race is in the playing field at 10:00am sharp.

There will be a funnel into the Start Pen and ALL RUNNERS WILL BE GEAR CHECKED. We will also activate your Dibber at this point.

At each summit you will find an electronic SI Control Box on a post with an orange and white flag. Insert your dibber into the hole in the SI box and wait till you hear a beep. The dibber will now have recorded the time you arrived at the top. (Click here for more info on the timing system). There are five marshalled positions along the route in the cols between summits and at Ben Crom dam. Remove one green plastic tab from the string and hand it to the marshal at each of these positions.

At the Finish, hand in your dibber and the last (white) plastic tab. You will receive a print out of your progress around the route with split times for each summit. The white plastic tab is our way of checking that you are off the hills, so even if you fail to complete the walk please make sure that you come to see us at the finish and hand in any remaining tabs and the dibber.

Light refreshments and showers will be available from 12:00. Please bring a cup so we can reduce waste.

Finishers’ times will be streamed live to http://lvo.org.uk/liveresults throughout the day. We will also have live data from several checkpoints around the course which we will publish snapshots of onto Facebook page through the day so your friends and family can monitor your progress.
Route: The route is anti-clockwise around each of the seven summits which must be visited in the order stipulated below plus the marshalled checkpoints (denoted MCP below). N.B. The Controls on Commedagh and Meelmore are now at the Summit Cairns and not at the Shelter Towers on the wall.

Cut-off time: There are cut-off times of 12.00 at Donard-Commedagh Col and of 2:30pm at Ben Crom Dam. This is to ensure runners complete the route before dark. Runners missing either cut-off will be retired from the race and should return directly to Donard Park. N.B. Retirements are marked RTD on the results with no times.  

In the event of extreme weather conditions the route may be altered on the day. Marshalled Check Points may have to be moved for their safety but Control Boxes will remain in place.

Retirees at any stage of the event must report as soon as possible to a marshal or via text to base and return directly to Donard Park to register that they are safely off the mountains and to return their dibber and tags.

The Mourne Rambler Bus (Service 405) does a loop of the eastern Mournes every couple of hours. See https://www.translink.co.uk/timetables for info.  

Equipment, food and water: The event is not supported along the route. Participants must carry minimum MANDATORY kit listed below:

  • Trail shoes or fell shoes (no trainers)
  • Waterproof coat with hood  &  waterproof trousers
  • Hat & gloves
  • Foil space blanket (a foil bag better)
  • Map of the course, compass & whistle
  • Emergency rations

Please be aware that for long sections of the course there is no water so plan accordingly

These items are required regardless of the weather forecast as mountain conditions can change dramatically with very little warning. 

Leave No Trace – This event subscribes to the LNT ethos and the NI Countryside Code: – Use stiles to cross fences and walls, leave gates as you find them and please bring ALL your rubbish home.

Route Changes for the 2019 Annalong Horseshoe!

This year’s Annalong Horseshoe Fell Race will forsake its base for the last 37 years at Dunnywater and will now start and finish at Silent Valley Reservoir, within the NI Water complex.

The number of entrants last year put severe pressure on the existing facilities at Dunnywater and it’s felt that rather than limit the number of entrants, a move to a new location would solve the current issues with the Dunnywater venue. Last year we had a record entry of 100 runners, which meant that we struggled to accommodate parking for the number of competitors vehicles along the Dunnywater avenue, causing complaints from the residents on the avenue regarding access. With an increase in competitors, the lack of toilet facilities and the health and safety risks associated with the road section also raising concerns, therefore it’s a logical move to Silent Valley, which will address all of these issues for this year and years to come. Continue reading →

Turkey Trot 2018 – Report & Results

View the full race results here > http://bit.ly/barfturkeytrot2018

Mild Weather, Hot pace.

Seamus Lynch

This must have been the mildest weather ever for the annual Turkey Trot race, in total contrast to the pace at the front end of the race which was seriously hot. Five runners broke away, almost from the starting gun and were already well clear by the time they reached Parnell’s Bridge. After racing to the Trassey Track and climbing to the high point of the course at the style on Slievenaglogh it was Edinburgh based, Carnethy Hill Runner Eoin Lennon who had developed a 30m lead over last year’s winner Seamus Lynch with the other three runners just a short distance behind. The descent from the Hares gap turned out to be the decisive moment of the race where Seamus local knowledge provided him with the better line back down onto the Trassey Track to gain the lead which he held all the way back to the Mountain Centre finish line. East Downs Aaron Mc Grady was just two minutes shy of the winning time with former winner Paul Pruzina and Mark Stephens just a handful of seconds further behind. Continue reading →

Seven Sevens Report 2018

Heaven for Hell – and Hicks as well.

I had thought that the weather was going to be good for the runners this year with light winds forecast, no rain and mild temperatures, but in the event it was the humidity which sapped the competitors strength. Many a challenge floundered on the slopes of the Meels, as cramp set into legs fatigued by the long slog up from the dam over rough ground, without hardly a breath of wind to disturb the stifling air. It was a long day for many but for me it was actually a short day, as there was no associated walking event to provide late finishing weary walkers, stumbling  through the Donard woods as darkness descended.
Continue reading →

Turkey Trot 2017

Once again Christmas is nearly upon us and the annual Boxing day migration of mountain runners to the Trassey Track car park for the Turkey Trot race will be occurring. It would be a big help if as many competitors as possible could share lifts as car parking space is restricted. The race start time is 12.00am.

The Turkey Trot may be regarded as a bit of a fun event, and indeed we want to keep it as light
hearted as possible, but please remember that the mountains in winter can be a dangerous place so please heed the rules and come prepared. You should choose your running clothing to suit the expected conditions and footwear which will give you grip in the potentially icy conditions which often occurs on the high sections of the course. Full waterproof body cover must be carried along with a hat and gloves. The other mandatory items of kit are a map, whistle, and compass and although not mandatory, I would recommend runners carry a foil space blanket or bag which can be a lifesaver if you become immobilised in the wilds. There will be a kit check before the race. Unfortunately, you cannot enter this race if you are under the age of 18 years. Also, dogs are not allowed. If the weather forecast turns bad please check this site in the days preceding the event for more information.

Following the race, there will be mince pies, mulled wine and other goodies at the Northern Ireland Mountain Centre and a selection of prizes of dubious nature supplied by members of BARF.

Turkey Trot 2016 – Race Report

Normally Christmas trees are cut and extracted from the forest well before the big day but this year one of our first tasks was to remove one which had fallen across the Trassey track, near the start line. The icy gales of the preceding night had brought it down and though the sky was cobalt blue, those Baltic winds were still blowing hard as the runners set off. They would also have to deal with ice and slippery conditions on the high sections of the course.

Top 3 men (r-l Jack, Paul, Zak)

 
Continue reading →

The Castle to Castles Challenge

As part of the ongoing BARF Social calendar, the June event would see 12 Barfers make a 20 mile run from Dundrum Castle to The Castles on the Southside of Commedagh in the Mournes and return, taking in the stunning scenery of Murlough, hence ‘The Castle to Castles Challenge’.

13497672_1147445278626840_8455961586963811368_o Continue reading →