MANY teams competing in Sunday's Ian Hodgson Mountain Relay learnt to their cost that course knowledge and experience were just as important as athletic ability when it came to getting around the Lake District's mist-shrouded peaks, writes Mike Addison.

Teams expected to do well at this year's event came unstuck in the search for checkpoints in the fog that blanketed the tops over the four legs and this allowed less fancied clubs to make their mark with the veterans from Horwich proving to be the surprise package coming in third. It was the first time ever that a veterans team has finished in the first three.

But there were no surprises at the front with pre-race favourites Borrowdale not putting a foot wrong and storming to victory over 16 minutes ahead of Dark Peak.

Borrowdale clocked 3-38-24 and the team was made up of Jim Davies and Gavin Bland (Brotherswater to Patterdale via St Sunday Crag), 1-15-30; Lee Siemasko and Andrew Schofield (Patterdale to Hartsop), 36-09; Phil and Andrew Davies (Hartsop to Kirkstone Pass via High Street) 1-06-09; and Mark Roberts and Simon Booth (Kirkstone to Brotherswater via Red Screes and Dove Crag) 49-18. Such was Borrowdale's dominance that each of the pairs set the fastest leg times.

Race organiser Dave Hodgson said that several of the fancied teams came unstuck at the tarn checkpoint on leg three with runners homing in on it from all directions. The Brittleton brothers, Paul and Peter, who run for Helm Hill were prime examples. They had moved Helm Hill into fourth place at the summit of High Street but all their good work was undone when they were forced to spend over 20 minutes searching for the tarn check point.

Ambleside placed a very creditable fourth with their team comprising of Nick Fish and Graham Patten, 1-15-41; Tony Smith and Paul Singleton, 37-42; 3 Simon Stainer and Nick Sharp, 1-14-31; John Deegan and Dan Golding, 1-01-16.

Kendal were second V40 team behind Horwich and gave Bingley's open team a good run for their money. The team was made up of Craig Roberts and Phil Whiting, 1-13-29; Steve Varney and Ken Dacre, 43-11; Allan Miller and Mike Walsh, 1-17-58; Phil Clark and Neil Wharton, 1-01-30.

Weather conditions were not conducive to breaking records although Dark Peak's Karen Davidson and Helen Winskill set a new ladies' record of 1-24-56 chipping 15 seconds off the previous best time set by Louise Sharp and Hilde Krynan.

Race organiser Dave Hodgson said: "Considering the weather everything went very well and we had fewer injuries than we have ever had. It was a day when experience counted."

Results: 1 Borrowdale, 3-38-24; 2 Dark Peak, 3-54-32; 3 Horwich Vets, 4-08-22; 4 Ambleside, 4-09-10; 5 Bowland, 4-11-07; 6 Bingley, 4-15-38; 7 Kendal Vets, 4-16-08; 8 Pudsey & Bramley, 4-16-34; 9 Mercia, 4-16-51; 10 Clayton Vets, 4-18-54; 15 Helm Hill, 4-28-02; 26 Eden, 4-51-03; 28 Settle, 4-55-31; 29 Howgill, 4-55-41; 33 Settle Mixed, 4-58-35; 38 Kendal Open, 5-08-54; 36 Ambleside Mixed, 5-05-23; 44 Helm Hill Mixed 5-15-02; 50 Kendal B 5-32-22; 55 Eden Runners Mixed, 5-41-32; 56 Dallam, 5-44-13; 61 Black Combe, 6-01-58.