Mourne Seven Sevens Report 2003

Mourne Seven Sevens

Report 2003

The Mourne Seven Sevens is a challenge event organised by the Spartan Red Sox Walking Club where seven peaks of 700 metres or more are covered in the course of 17.5 miles (28k) and is popular both with hill-runners and walkers alike.
Taking place in the beautiful Mourne Mountains during the month of August each year it offers a particularly pleasant day out for those who wish to satisfy their eyes as well as their legs.
The seven peaks can be covered in any sequence desired and there's a checkpoint at each of one them, except at Meelmore where there's a punch for the route card.

This year it took place on the morning of the 9th of August. Starting from 7am onwards at Donard car park in Newcastle, Co. Down, the view up to Slieve Donard, Ulster's highest peak (850m) looked very misty indeed. Over the course of the next hour or so 170 walkers made their way up the Glen river and into a great day's walking and running.
Four hours later the mist cleared and the sun began to beat down relentlessly from a clear blue sky. The heat, however, allied with a lack of wind, soon became oppressive and some had to withdraw due to its effects. It appeared, though, to have no visible effect on the first runner who completed the route in 4hrs 25mins, with the final walker coming in at 13hrs 44mins.

The Club does not advertise the event very extensively so as to keep the number of entries down to about 200, but if you would like to experience one of the better and more enjoyable challenge walks then watch out for this one in the first or second week of August 2004. You'll be glad that you did.

Tom Milligan.