MTC KELPIE

What is the Mount to Coast End to End Challenge?

The MTC End to End Challenge consists of 6 epic End to End challenges:

Challenge 1

Take on the MTC CYMRUN - a six day end to end of Wales, covering 256 miles, averaging just over 42 miles per day.

The MTC CYMRUN also includes six unique ultras in their own right, one for each day, all with their own unique medals and trophies. These six ultra's form the Myths & Legends of Wales Series.

Day 1 - The MTC Angelystor
Day 2 - The MTC Cerridwen
Day 3 - The MTC Gelert
Day 4 - The MTC Pendragon
Day 5 - The MTC Afanc
Day 6 - The MTC Y Ddraig Goch

Challenge 2

Take on the MTC MizMal ®  - a thirteen day end to end of Ireland, covering 612 miles, averaging just over 47 miles per day. These thirteen ultra's form the Myths & Legends of Ireland Series.

Day 1 - The MTC Pooka
Day 2 - The MTC Leprechaun
Day 3 - The MTC Macha
Day 4 - The MTC Shamrock
Day 5 - The MTC Banshee
Day 6 - The MTC Dullahan
Day 7 - The MTC Enbarr
Day 8 - The MTC Oilliphéist
Day 9 - The MTC Gancanagh
Day 10 - The MTC Abhartach
Day 11 - The MTC Balor
Day 12 - The MTC Carman
Day 13 - The MTC Bodach

Challenge 3

Take on the MTC Scotia - a nine day end to end of Scotland, covering 366 miles, averaging just over 40 miles per day. These nine ultras form the Myths & Legends of Scotland Series.

Day 1 - The MTC Redcap
Day 2 - The MTC Glaistig
Day 3 - The MTC Nuckelavee
Day 4 - The MTC Grimalkin
Day 5 - The MTC Bertram de Shotts
Day 6 - The MTC Beithir
Day 7 - The MTC Morag
Day 8 - The MTC Selkie
Day 9 - The MTC Kelpie

Challenge 4

Take on the MTC Anglian - a thirteen day end to end of England, covering 486 miles, averaging just over 37 miles per day. These thirteen days form the Myths & Legends of England Series.

Day 1 - The MTC Boggart
Day 2 - The MTC Spring Heeled Jack
Day 3 - The MTC Black Anise
Day 4 - The MTC Blue Caps
Day 5 - The MTC Grindelo
Day 6 - The MTC Beowulf
Day 7 - The MTC Green Skin
Day 8 - The MTC Boggle
Day 9 - The MTC Vampire
Day 10 - The MTC Black Shuck
Day 11 - The MTC Hairy Hands
Day 12 - The MTC Will-o-the-Wisp
Day 13 - The MTC Merry Maidens

Challenge 5

Take on the ultimate - MTC JOGLE - a seventeen day end to end of Britain, covering 854 miles, averaging over 50 miles per day.

Challenge 6

Take on the ultimate - MTC LEJOG - same as the JOGLE but in reverse (south to north), 854 miles, 50+ miles per day.

What if I complete all 6 Challenges?

• Completing all six challenges is not time restricted.
• If you complete all six challenges you will be recorded in the Honourable Book of Endurance (HBoE).
• In recognition of achieving admition to HBoE you will receive a membership Scroll, unique to yourself, recording your full 6 challenge achievements. The Scroll is still in the design stage, but expect it to be wall mounted, and a well earned treasure to keep.

The Myths and Legends of Scotia

Day 1 - Redcap

The redcap (or powrie) is a type of malevolent, murderous goblin found in folklore of the Anglo Scottish Border region. The redcap is said to inhabit ruined castles along the Anglo-Scottish border, especially those that were the scenes of tyranny or wicked deeds, and is known for soaking his cap in the blood of his victims.

Redcap is depicted as "a short, thickset old elf with long prominent teeth, skinny fingers armed with talons like eagles, large eyes of a fiery red colour, grisly hair streaming down his shoulders, iron boots, a pikestaff in his left hand, and a red cap on his head".

When travellers take refuge in his lair, he flings huge stones at them and if he kills them, he soaks his cap in their blood, giving it a crimson hue. He is unaffected by human strength, but can be driven away by words of scripture or by the brandashing of a crucifix, which cause him to utter a dismal yell and vanish in flames, leaving behind a large tooth.

Day 2 – Glaistig

The Glaistig is a ghost from Scottish Mythology, a type of fauth. It is also known as maighdean uaine (Green Maiden), and may appear as a woman of beauty or monstrous mein, as a half-woman and half-goat similar to a faun or satyr, or in the shape of a goat. The lower goat half of her hybrid form is usually disguised by a long, flowing green robe or dress, and the woman often appears grey with long yellow hair.

The glaistig is an ambivalent ghost that appears in legend as both a malicious and benign creature. Some stories have her luring men to her lair via either song or dance, where she would then drink their blood. Other tales have her casting stones in the path of travellers or throwing them off course.

Day 3 – Nuckelavee

The Nuckelavee or nuckalavee is a horse-like demoof all the demons of Scotland'sn from Orcadian folklore that combines equine and human elements. British folklorist Katharine Briggs called it "the nastiest" of all the demons of Scotland's Northern Isles. The nuckelavee's breath was thought to wilt crops and sicken livestock, and the creature was held responsible for droughts and epidemics on land despite being predominantly a sea-dweller.

A graphic description of the nuckelavee as it appears on land was given by an islander who claimed to have had a confrontation with it, but accounts describing the details of the creature's appearance are inconsistent. In common with many other sea-monsters, it is unable to tolerate fresh water, therefore, those it is pursuing have only to cross a river or stream to be rid of it. The nuckelavee is kept in confinement during the summer months by the Mither o' the sea, an ancient Orcadian spirit, and the only one able to control it.

Day 4 – Grimalkin

A grimalkin, also known as a greymalkin, is an archaic term for a cat, often associated in witchcraft and the devil in folklore and fiction.

In the opening scene of William Shakespeare's Macbeth, one of the three witches planning to meet with Macbeth suddenly announces, "I come, Graymalkin." The witch is responding to the summons of her 'familiar', , or guardian spirit, which is embodied in the form of a cat. Shakespeare's graymalkin literally means "gray cat." The gray is of course the color; the malkin was a nickname for Matilda or Maud that came to be used in dialect as a general name for a cat—and sometimes a hare—and for an untidy woman as well. By the 1630s, graymalkin had been altered to the modern spelling grimalkin.

Day 5 – Bertram de Shotts

Around the 15th Century, local folklore tells the story of Bertram de Shotts. A legendary giant that terrorised the area around the Village of Shotts. Some versions of the tale place it in the time of Robert the Bruce, others King James.

Shotts was then, (as it is now) bleak, cold moorland and was situated on the Main travelling route through the Shire. Bertram de Shotts was, if legend is to be believed, a Highwayman, a robber, a scoundrel, and a Giant. He would lie in wait for Tradesmen and travellers, ambush them and steal their wares and livestock.

It was considered such a big problem that King James IV issued a bounty on the head of Bertram de Shotts, offering a "hawks flight" of land to the plucky Scot, brave enough to take on the legendary Giant.

Day 6 – Beithir

The beithir is described as "the largest and most deadly kind of serpent", or as a dragon (but without certain typical draconic features such as wings or fiery breath). It dwells in mountainous caves and corries (valleys) and is equipped with a venomous sting.

If a person is stung by the beithir then they must head for the nearest body of water such as a river or loch. If they can reach it before the beithir does then they are cured, but if the monster reaches it first then the victim is doomed. Another cure for the sting is water in which the head of another snake has been placed. The beithir is considered one of the fauth, a general term for various monsters and spirits associated with water.

Day 7 - Morag

Morag is the nickname given to a loch monster, believed by many to live in Loch Morar. After Nessie, it is among the most written about of Scotland's legendary monsters. "Morag", a Scottish female name, is a pun on the name of the loch. Reported sightings date back to 1887, and numbered 34 incidents by 1981. Sixteen of these involved multiple witnesses.

A widely reported claim involved two local men, Duncan McDonell and William Simpson, and their boat, with which they claimed to have accidentally struck the creature, prompting it to attack them. McDonell defended with an oar, and Simpson opened fire with his rifle, whereupon it sank slowly out of sight. They described it as being brown, 25–30 feet (7.6–9.1 m) long, with rough skin, three dorsal humps rising 18 inches (46 cm) above the loch's surface, and a head a foot wide, held 18 inches (46 cm) out of the water.

Day 8 - Selkie

Selkies are mythological creatures that can shape shift between seal and human forms by removing or putting on their seal skin. They feature prominently in the oral traditions and mythology of various cultures, especially those of Celtic and Norse origin.

The term “selkie” derives from the Scots word for seal, and is also spelled as silkies, sylkies, or selchies. Selkies are sometimes referred to as selkie folk, meaning Seal Folk. Selkies are mainly associated with the Northern Isles of Scotland, where they are said to live as seals in the sea but shed their skin to become human on land.

Selkies have a dual nature: they can be friendly and helpful to humans, but they can also be dangerous and vengeful. Selkies are often depicted as attractive and seductive in human form, and many stories involve selkies having romantic or sexual relationships with humans, sometimes resulting in children. Selkies can also be coerced or tricked into marrying humans, usually by someone who steals and hides their seal skin, preventing them from returning to the sea. Such marriages are often unhappy, as the selkie always longs for the sea and may eventually escape if they find their skin.

Day 9 - Kelpie

A kelpie, or water kelpie, is a shape-shifting spirit inhabiting lochs in Scottish Folklore. It is usually described as a grey or white horse-like creature, able to adopt human form. Some accounts state that the kelpie retains its hooves when appearing as a human, leading to its association with the Christian idea of Satan, as alluded to by Robert Burns in the 1786 poem 'Address to the Devil'.

Almost every sizeable body of water in Scotland has an associated kelpie story, but the most extensively reported is that of Loch Ness. The origins of narratives about the creature are unclear, but the practical purposes of keeping children away from dangerous stretches of water and warning young women to be wary of handsome strangers has been noted in secondary literature.

The kelpie is the most common water spirit in Scottish folklore, and the name is attributed to several different forms in narratives recorded throughout the country.

Race Overview:

The MTC KELPIE is a 38 mile race.

It is also day 9 (the final day) of the MTC SCOTIA, which is a nine day multi race. So competitors entering the MTC KELPIE will also be running alongside MTC SCOTIA competitors.

The Route:

Starting from the Inver Caravan Park, Dunbeath, concluding at John O'Groats.

It is important that competitors bring along other suitable clothing and equipment to counteract all types of weather conditions.

If URL consider any competitor not fit to continue we will remove them from the race. In addition, there is a minimum 4 mph requirement - falling below the 4 mph you will be withdrawn without debate.

Competitor numbers are limited to 20. There is an additional allowance of 20 for SCOTIA competitors, so a maximum race number of 40.

Time restraints:

Ultra Running has preset cut-off times along the MTC KELPIE route, based on a minimum average of 4 mph. If you fall below this minimum requirement you will be advised and given a warning. If the consecutive day is also below 4 mph you will be withdrawn without debate.

The MTC KELPIE is a Cup-Free event, so please bring your own re-useable cup (available in our store).

MTC KELPIE entry options:

All deposits and payments are on a non refundable basis. However, during the check-out stage you will have an option to upgrade and include your own personal protection insurance.

Entry Fees:

MTC KELPIE – £90.00
MTC KELPIE Plus Race Package - £155.00 (this includes an embroidered MTC KELPIE race shirt and lightweight hi-viz race jacket). In order to guarantee clothing supply, this entry option needs to be completed at least four weeks before the event.

 

The Bling!

All finishers get:

• KELPIE Medal

Male & Female Champions will also receive a bespoke race Trophy

Trophies are still in the design stage, so watch this space. But you can be assured they will be unique and worthy of the challenges that you complete.

 

 

MTC KELPIE Maps and gpx files:

URL are continually adapting their routes and it is a work in progress that has, and continues to, cost us a not insignificant amount of money and time.

It is for this reason that we only provide race mapping and gpx information to our own competitors. This information is emailed directly to competitors four weeks before the event.

MTC KELPIE start & finish locations:

Start Location:
Inver Caravan Park, KW6 6EJ. What3words - ///clay.marble.headlines

CP1, 8 miles:
Lybster, KW3 6AU. What3words - ///modifies.squirts.sing

CP2, 8.9 miles, (16.9 miles):
Wick, KW1 5UQ. What3words - ///propose.shortens.master

CP3, 9.2 miles, (26.1 miles):
Wick, KW1 4UE. What3words - ///mainly.clearing.mango

Finish Location, 11.9 miles, (38 miles):
John O'Groats, KW1 4YR. What3words - ///rooster.hardening.puff

Total distance – 38 miles

Navigation and Tracking:

Maps and GPX downloads will be available to entrants only – (don’t forget to bring a waterproof map case). Tracking of competitors can be viewed at real-time by logging into the map link available off this web-page (only available during the race).

Competitors must carry the following items:

Backpack or equivalent
Head Torch with spare batteries
Maps will be provided prior to the days race
Compass or GPS device
Whistle
Mobile phone
Basic First Aid Kit, blister treatment, pain relief etc
Waterproof map case

URL will provide each competitor with a tracking devise which will enable individuals progress to be monitored and recorded. The tracking devices also have inbuilt SOS buttons in case of an emergency or required assistance.

Please visit our shop to see a wide range of race related products;

• Personalised Hoodies
• Personalised Shirts
• Personalised Caps
• Personalised Race mugs with your name and finishing time
• Reusable race Cups

 

MTC KELPIE Time Restrictions:

The MTC KELPIE has preset cut-off times along the route, based on a minimum average of 4 mph.

Start Location:
Inver Caravan Park, KW6 6EJ. What3words - ///clay.marble.headlines

CP1, 8 miles:
Lybster, KW3 6AU. What3words - ///modifies.squirts.sing
Closes 2hr after race start

CP2, 8.9 miles, (16.9 miles):
Wick, KW1 5UQ. What3words - ///propose.shortens.master
Closes 4hr 15min after race start

CP3, 9.2 miles, (26.1 miles):
Wick, KW1 4UE. What3words - ///mainly.clearing.mango
Closes 6hr 30min after race start

Finish Location, 11.9 miles, (38 miles):
John O'Groats, KW1 4YR. What3words - ///rooster.hardening.puff

Total distance – 38 miles

 

Check-point food:

Remember - The MTC KELPIE is a cup-free race, so you need to bring your own reuseable cup.

Check-points are at pre-determined locations.

Example CP food items (which may change) are:

Malt loaf, cake, jam, peanut butter, cheese or marmite sandwiches, sweets, squash, cola and water.

 

 

You are now able to add a Personal Cancellation Insurance Policy at the time of your booking.

Please review what is covered under the policy HERE.

If you choose not to take out the Personal Cancellation Insurance Policy:

Defer Option: You can defer until the following year for a fee of just £15.00, this must be done through the booking system, just choose the defer option. The opportunity to defer will close four weeks before the event date.

By signing up to one of Ultra Running Ltd events you agree to abide by our general race rules;

The following are the race rules that apply to all Ultra Running Ltd events and should be adhered to by all race participants.

Each participant must make sure he/she is carrying all items detailed in the mandatory kit list

Competitors must follow the designated route and go through all check points and it is their sole responsibility to ensure that the check point attendant has recorded their race number and entry/exit time along with any injuries; failure to do so at any check point will mean the competitor has failed to complete the race and may be disqualified.

All entrants must be 20 years or over on the start day of the race.

Mandatory Kit List

Competitors must carry the following items. Anyone found not to have the correct kit may not be allowed to start the race

Backpack or equivalent
Head Torch with spare batteries
Route maps as provided by URL
Compass or GPS device
Whistle
Mobile phone
Emergency food pack consisting of a two chocolate bars,
Basic first Aid Kit

Competitor Retirement

If any competitor has to retire from the race for whatever reason they must tell the race organisers immediately. URL will then transport the competitor to the nearest train station, where, under their own steam they make there way back home.

Time Constraints

The organisers want to give every competitor the opportunity of completing the race and will, where reasonable practicable, allow generous opening times of CP Stations; the allowance should be within an average of 4.0 miles per hour. If you fall below the 4.0 miles per hour you will be pulled from the race without concession.

Cancellation

In the event of Ultra Running Ltd. having to cancel the event, an alternative date will be provided. If re-scheduling of the event isn’t possible, or a competitor cannot make the revised date. URL undertakes to refund payments received, less any out of pocket expenses which are determined at 25%.

For all other circumstances, including Competitor cancellations due to personal reasons, refunds are not allowed. But at the discretion of the organisers an entry may be transferred to the following years race providing the request is within four weeks of the event date.

Any ‘transferred races’ or ‘reduced rate races’ are not refundable or transferable in any respect.

Race Photography

Ultra Running Ltd. reserve all exclusive rights relating to photographic coverage of their races. By entering an event, participants agree that Ultra Running Ltd may exclusively use any photographic or textual content captured during the event for advertisement purposes.

Ultra Running Limited (URL) Terms & Conditions

The Agreement

This document constitutes an agreement between you (the Entrant) and URL (the Organiser). Entry into any of the URL races (the Events) is strictly conditional upon the entrant agreeing to all of the terms and conditions contained within this document (the Agreement). It is all entrants responsibility to have read and accepted this agreement before entering/registering for one or more of URL events. All entrants must be aged 18 and over.

Registration Process

Entrants are responsible for ensuring the accuracy of their personal records within the event database. Should any information change between registration and participation, it is the individual entrants’ responsibility to ensure that they contact URL to update their records accordingly.

Entry Fees must be paid in full before entry to the event will be confirmed.

All event fees are NON REFUNDABLE under any circumstance.

By entering one of URL events, all entrants have acknowledged that they have read and agree to the event terms and conditions prior to their entry in to the event being confirmed. By doing so, the entrant is unreservedly accepting all of the terms and conditions of this agreement.

Use of Personal Data

The organiser or their agents will maintain a registration database for all entrants and their chosen emergency contact. All information will be collected, stored and processed in accordance with the Data Protection Act 2018.

The organiser may use the entrants contact information to keep them informed of the event or to notify them of other events organised or promoted by URL.

Entrants give permission for the organisers, their agents, or any other associated organisations to use any photographs, video tapes, motion pictures, website images, recordings, or any other record of the event. Such articles may be used or included on websites, social media publications, advertising, promotional information, or other publicly accessible sources.

Personal Ability to Participate

It is the entrants’ responsibility to ensure they train appropriately and have the requisite level of fitness to be able to complete safely.

Entrants must ensure their personal health is suitable for participating in the event. If in any doubt the entrant should consult their doctor.

It is the responsibility of the entrant to ensure the organisers are informed at the point of entry of any medical conditions that could be relevant for any first-aid treatment.

If a participant believes that it is unsafe for them to continue in the event, it is their duty to notify an event official as soon as practicable.

Participants must be competent runners & confident in their ability to complete the course safely.

Participation in the Event

The event is a race.

Participants must act in accordance with the law and adhere to both the Highway Code and the Country Code, where applicable.

Participants are responsible for competing safely and with due respect for others.

Participants must comply with the instructions of the organisers and other course officials.

The majority of URL event routes are NOT signed, the onus of remaining on course rests with the athlete. Marshall’s are placed in appropriate places, according to the individual event and are there for your safety.

Should circumstances dictate, or in the interest of safety, the organisers reserve the right to make such changes to the published event routes as may be deemed necessary at their absolute discretion. In the event of the landowner e.g. the Forestry Commission or National Trust deeming it necessary to close access to the public, we the organisers reserve the right to a) reschedule or if this is not possible b) cancel the event. This will, in all cases be a last resort.

The organiser reserves the right to require a participant to retire from the race where their conduct is considered to be inappropriate. If required to retire the participant must surrender their race number to an event official and take no further part in the event.

Participants have a duty to report to an event official as soon as practicable, anything that they see or hear which they reasonably believe may impact on the safety or welfare of themselves or others, connected to the event or otherwise.

Whilst appropriate risk assessments will be carried out before the event, competitors assume full and complete responsibility for any injury or accident which may occur whilst travelling to or from the event, during the event, or whilst on any premises related to the event.

Racing in public places can be dangerous, all participants in this event must agree to waive, release and forever discharge the event organisers, sponsors, promoters, and each of their agents, representatives, successors and assigns, and all other persons associated with the event, from any liabilities, claims, actions, or damages that they may have against them arising out of or in any way connected with participation in this event. This includes any claims, whether caused by negligence, the action or inaction of any of the above parties, or otherwise.

Cancellation & Refunds

Entry fees for all URL events are NON REFUNDABLE under any circumstance.

Should circumstances dictate, or in the interest of safety, the organisers reserve the right to make such changes to the published event routes as may be deemed necessary at their absolute discretion. In the event of a force majeure, we the organisers reserve the right to a) reschedule or if this is not possible b) cancel the event. This will, in all cases be a last resort.

Defer Option: Available through the booking system up to 4 weeks before the event date for a fee of £15.

Entrants must exercise their own experience and judgement regarding their ability, equipment and preparedness to cope with the prevailing elements before they commence.

General Provisions

This agreement constitutes the whole agreement between the parties and any prior agreement, oral or written, are excluded.

Any failure by any party to enforce or to exercise at any time any term or any right under this agreement shall not be deemed to be a waiver of that term or right and shall not affect that party’s right to later enforce or to exercise it.

If any term of this agreement is found to be illegal or unenforceable it shall be deemed to be omitted from the agreement and shall not affect the validity of the remainder of the agreement.

Nothing in this agreement confers any right on third parties to enforce the provisions of this agreement under the Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999.