Marathon runners missing in flooded Lake District

Scores more stranded on hills, hundreds marooned in remote farmhouses, and a dozen taken to hospital

Mountain rescue teams were scouring the Lake District last night searching for runners stranded by high winds and floods.

They were trying to account for hundreds of fell runners taking part in the Original Mountain Marathon, an annual race in which participants deliberately take on testing, hilly terrains. It was feared that some may have been stuck in the torrential rain, battling the elements on their own through the night.

The marathon was cancelled yesterday lunchtime due to the adverse conditions but only after several hundreds had already set off. Up to 2,000 may have been on the course.

Even though the race was abandoned, runners were thought to be still scattered across hillsides near Keswick. Many had taken refuge in remote farmhouses, with some reportedly suffering from hypothermia after spending a day in soaking clothes. Around 700 were holed up in Gatesgarth Farm in Borrowdale, while 100 more spent the night in Cockermouth School. The whereabouts of others were unknown.

Mark Weir, owner of Honister Slate Mine, which is situated at the top of a steep mountain pass and became another emergency shelter, said: "We have had people coming in throughout the day in pretty bad states. They were dripping wet and very cold. I advised the organisers not to go ahead with the event. Emergency services are overwhelmed. The mountain rescue teams are out trying to find people on the side of the mountain in the dark. It's just been a bizarre day." Some of the runners argued that tackling harsh conditions like heavy rain was part of the challenge and the reason the marathon was held later in the year and not in the summer.

Adrian Hall, one of the competitors, said: "The OMM is not any old charity run. It is a serious race for experience fell runners. The organisers do a very good job sorting out the safety issues. More importantly, all the competitors know the risks."

Another runner, Lewis Peattie, said: "My mate and I were in the race but quickly realised everything was going pear-shaped and made the difficult decision to come back. We had difficulty due to streams becoming fast torrents of water and waterfalls springing out of nowhere."

Cumbrian police said the wind made it too dangerous for RAF helicopters to help the search teams. They appealed to runners to call home when they could.

The Ambulance Service said 13 people had been taken to hospital with either minor injuries or hypothermia. Poor mobile reception on the hillsides meant some relatives of runners struggled to contact them and left messages on the event's website appealing for help. Other messages called for runners to chip into a fund to go to the rescue services and apologise for going ahead with the event.

The 40-year-old endurance test sees teams made up of two people run with tents, sleeping bags and basic supplies strapped to their backs so they can camp out overnight. The event's website insists teams are "totally self-supporting", with "no GPS or outside support allowed". The organisers posted a statement on the website saying: "Race director Jen Longbottom made the decision [to cancel] just before midday after several hours of torrential rain had resulted in extreme conditions on the mountain and severe flooding."