They needed to carry enough food and clothing for safety in the forecast bad weather, but at the same time everyone wanted to carry a little weight as possible. Lightweight tents and clothing, and dried food, were packed in rucksacks specially designed for running. Although red circles marked the checkpoints the teams still had no idea where their course would go. Only after the start would they be issued with a list of map references for their course. There are 6 courses ranging from Elite, an 80km course for hardened mountain navigators, to the C at 45km.
Teams then choose their own route, collecting as many points as possible.
The short score have 5 hours each day and the Long Score have 7, but points are deducted for every minute they are late arriving at the overnight camp. After registering, pairs dispersed to a campsite down the road, or to guest houses for many miles around, to try and rest for the weekend ahead. For those camping out it was a clear and chilly night, but the forecast was still for heavy rain and gales over the weekend. Saturday From early morning teams continued to arrive and register, as the clouds gathered over the hills. The start was on open hillside a few miles down the road and and teams set off at minute intervals.