Doing The KIMM - Morgan Donnelly

Picture by kind permission of All Terrain Events.

The KIMM is one of those races that you finish and say “never again”. So, it was only because it was so close to home this year that I found myself running after Steve again, with the bare minimum of kit to survive two days in the Cheviots.

The weather on day one was fantastic, and hence so was the scenery, as you could actually see things! You really can’t train for the discomfort of the KIMM overnight camp, and because we were trying to be competitive we had borrowed a ridiculously lightweight tent. Well, thats what everybody else does, so if you can’t beat them you have to join them!.

We only had a four minute lead overnight, and it was not long on day two before Angela and Brendon caught us. The pressure was on now, but at least we now Knew what we were up against. We ran together intermittently, taking slight variations between check points and meeting up again as we got to them. Then there was a long spell where we did not see them for ages and thought, “well, we’ve either blown it or we are ahead!!” Trying to keep going in this unknown mode is quite difficult, and it was only when we saw them as we ran away that we realised we were ahead. And what’s more they looked more tired than we did!

Great, all we need to do now is to keep going. Easier said than done, the hours were starting to take their toll and it was proving difficult to save some of the food for the the mandatory emergency rations. But, it felt great to finally finish, especially as we were first, and what’s more our wives were at the finish to meet us. We were really the only competitors to have run day two in our shorts!

Contrary to what I said at the beginning of this article, this is the first KIMM I have finished and have thought “yes, I would do this again!”

Go well,
Morgan

Morgan Donnelly runs for Northumberland Fell Runners and , apart from winning this year’s KIMM with Steve Birkenshaw [four times winner of the KIMM], was seventh in the British Fell Championships and the overall winner of the Wild Races series.