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Pictures: Lake District marathon floods

All 2,500 marathon competitors stranded overnight in mountains by floods were accounted for by organisers, police said today.

The majority of the entrants camped overnight in the Lake District when the Original Mountain Marathon two-day race was abandoned yesterday after nearly a month’s rain fell in the area in 24 hours.

The event was called off at midday for the first time in its 41-year history as heavy rains flooded the various routes the runners were taking from Seathwaite to Gatesgarth, near Borrowdale.

A Cumbria Police spokesman said this morning that a total of 14 people - two seven-person teams - were still unaccounted for, but a further statement issued later said that all had been found.

A total of 743 of the 2,500 race competitors were known to have stayed overnight in hastily arranged official shelters. They stayed at the Lakeland Sheep and Wool Centre in Cockermouth, Cockermouth School, Honister Slate Mine and Glaramara Outdoor Activity Centre in Borrowdale.

The competitors were said to be in good spirits after being fed and sheltered and many backed the decision to start the event - but some said they regretted it was called off.

None of the competitors, who took part in pairs, carried mobile phones as signal coverage is poor in the area but all wore electronic tags.

Thirteen people were taken to Mary Hewetson Cottage Hospital in Keswick suffering from the effects of hypothermia and various minor injuries. They were later transferred to Cumberland Infirmary and West Cumberland Hospital.

Parts of Keswick near to the race venue received 65mm of rain in 24 hours up to 6am today, while the town of Shap near Penrith had 79mm of rainfall.

The average monthly rainfall for the North West of England in October is about 80mm. The weather showed a marked improvement overnight with scattered showers predicted in Cumbria over the next 48 hours.

Police said the search and rescue operation had largely been stood down as the attention turned to monitoring flooded roads in the area.

A spokesman said: “The priority for police today will be to respond to specific calls for service if they come in and check local roads to ascertain whether they are open and passable and whether competitors can return to their vehicles.

“Local roads remain treacherous. Police would advise motorists only to travel if absolutely necessary. Competitors should not attempt to reunite themselves with their vehicles until the roads have been confirmed open and passable.”

Eight flood warnings were in place throughout the region yesterday but the number was today downgraded to four as the weather eased, according to the Environment Agency.

Concerns remained over Keswick Campsite, the River Cocker at Cockermouth and Southwaite Bridge and the River Eden at Carlisle.

Rachel Vince, forecaster for the Press Association news agency's MeteoGroup weather centre, said: “There was an extraordinary amount of rainfall yesterday in parts of Cumbria as it received nearly the average monthly rainfall in 24 hours.

“Thankfully we have seen a marked improvement but we still expect scattered showers in the region in the next 48 hours.”

The OMM has been held in different locations each year since 1968 when the inaugural event took place in Muker in the North Pennines. The race is billed as the “original mountain marathon and forerunner of all adventure racing”.

Many of the entrants who camped out overnight were experienced fell runners and seasoned mountaineers who carried suitable equipment to cope with adverse weather.

Free overnight camping had been arranged for the arduous race which spans over days with event distances ranging from 40km to 80km. All entrants, ranging from elite and beginner mountain runners to orienteers, fell walkers and mountaineers, had to bring suitable kit.

A 100-strong team of organisers, many with more than 20 years of experience in staging such contests, were on hand to assist the runners.

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