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Secrets of a Knoll Bagger
(or how did an overweight unfit M65 win?)

The annual Solway Knoll Bagging, or to give it its correct title, The Mabie Knoll Bagging Competition which was held for the 17th time on 2nd January 2008, is a Speciality Score Event. A normal Score event involves amassing as many points as possible within a fixed time where points are based on the number and value of controls visited. Each control has a value of ten to fifty points, its value depending on the distance to reach it and/or the technical difficulty of the control site. Normal control kites are used. Return to the finish outwith the time limit incurs a penalty. What makes the MKBC special is that all the control sites are the tops of knolls or hills within a designated area, or areas, of the map. Only canes with a number and punch are used to mark the site. There are no kites. Every control site is worth ten points and the start is kept secret right till the off.

Here are my 10 tips for Success. (Some of these tips may apply to any Score event.)

1. Get there in plenty of time.
   
   

2. Copy the limits of the competition area on to your map and then use dots of orange highlighter to mark all the knolls and hilltops within the area. It is very easy to miss some so careful examination is necessary. (I overlooked two this year and ran past one. I ran close to the other but I found later that the planner had missed it too!)
   
   

3. Study the area(s) and identify the higher hills (lots of climb) and groups of knolls (lots of points in a short distance). Look for the best escape route(s) to the finish. By 'escape route' I mean how can I best get back to the finish in time and have the possibility of picking up extra points on the way if time permits.
   
   

4. Know, or have a pretty good idea of your running and navigational ability. This will determine how many of the controls you dare to tackle.
   
   

5. Try to visualise an economic route to maximise your score within your ability. Overestimate your ability slightly. Adrenalin works like a turbocharger. I visualise my route as a wiggly worm picking off control sites in small groups then moving logically to the next group. I deliberately miss out odd controls that cannot economically be fitted to my 'line'. Dog-legs are wasteful. Running at 10 min/km pace a 100 metre out and back to a single knoll takes two minutes, which could translate into a twenty point penalty.
   
   

6. Plan your route to take in the more remote controls first and work back towards the finish. By the time you get there the big groups of nearer controls will have been visited by many other runners and, with luck, they will have cleared a way in and out of any undergrowth.
   
   

7. Use a watch with a countdown alarm and check it from time to time. Mine helpfully bleeps every ten minutes to remind me.
   
   

8. Keep in touch with the map at all times. Try to memorise the next small group of knolls to save having to look at the map after every control.
   
   

9. Stick to your plan.
   
   

10. Run hard.
    
    

11. Enjoy!

Dave McQuillen
Jan/Feb 2008