AV News 178 - November 2009
By the time the competitors
reach these obstacles the
field has spread out, which
is great for photography.
The
more
speedy
competitors didn't prove
photogenic (little sign of
pain or mud), but by the
time a thousand had gone
through everyone was
more muddy and showing
more obvious signs of
distress. What surprised
me was the range of
people taking part, I expected to see the fit blokes of 25, but was surprised
to see men in their 60s and many women, again of all ages (Sorry, that's
ageist and sexist, but I don't expect to see this level of lunacy amongst those
groups of people).
Another good photographic
opportunity was a pool of brown
sludge that the competitors
made their way across, dipping
under the surface to clear poles
across the water and to be
finally met by underwater
tunnels which they negotiated.
Surprisingly most competitors
had made it this far, though I
did see one or two chicken out
of the water filled tunnels.
There was also a wonderful
camaraderie, some were competing as teams, but most people were helping
each other. For most, it wasn't a matter of winning, but a matter of completing
the course and if you could help others to do the same, then so much the
better.
The photographic opportunities
are great, though I think that
organisers are trying to clamp
down a bit on all spectators. Mud is
a problem, but plastic bags help. I
did see the aforementioned Peter
Gennard, totally covered in a pink
plastic bag with his lens poking
out, sensible but hardly haut
couture.
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