SOME of the world's leading adventure racers and mountain athletes will be competing in the Original Mountain Marathon, being staged on Dartmoor at the end of this month for only the second time in its 42-year history.

The two-day double marathon event is considered the forerunner of modern adventure racing and is designed to test orienteering skills in extreme circumstances.

It is held in a different region of the UK every year and 3,000 participants from more than 12 different countries will be taking part. The event headquarters will be at Okehampton Camp.

Teams of two carry all clothing, equipment, tent, sleeping bag and food for 36 hours and they have to have good navigational skills, as the course is not disclosed until the race begins. All competitors have to show experience of this type of event before they enter.

The marathon on October 30 and 31 is organised and run by volunteers who have been working with Dartmoor National Park and the military at Okehampton Camp.

A spokesperson for the national park said: 'The authority has been working closely with the organisers of the event, and with Natural England and relevant land owners to minimise any impact on the landscape and to avoid disruption to residents and visitors.

'There will be additional visitors to Dartmoor because of this event and we expect there to be a tangible boost to local businesses as a result — the organisers are also encouraged to use local businesses and producers wherever possible.

'This is an important event for Dartmoor and hopefully it will be a real bonus for the local economy.'

Lt Col Tony Clark at Okehampton Camp said he was delighted that the military was able to offer its facilities to the organisers of the race, and looked forward to welcoming everyone involved in the gruelling two-day race.

He said: 'We share Dartmoor with lots of other people and while the original mountain marathon event is slightly different, it's about enjoyment of Dartmoor, the wide open spaces, its environmental qualities and its challenges, and that's exactly why we are here ourselves.'

One of the measures to reduce the impact of cars on the area is a free bus service to and from the event headquarters in Okehampton from local railway stations and Exeter Airport.

Original mountain marathon events director Andrew Denton said: 'We are very pleased to be able to use Dartmoor National Park, one of Britain's 'breathing spaces'.

'It's cultural heritage and ever changing landscape provides a rich environment for our local and international mountain athlete's to test their outdoor skills to the full. For those for whom this is their first visit, I am sure they will return again. We are also grateful for the support from Lt Col Clark and his staff at Okehampton Camp.'