The inhospitable conditions, however, posed a challenge not only to the men and women taking part but also to the loudspeakers and amplifiers deployed by the Surrey-based public address and communication hire specialists,. Show Hire. Although the company has been active in the pro audio business for some 30 years, overcoming many production challenges in the process, those posed by the HellRunner series are particularly severe.
"The area to be covered is very, very extensive," explains managing director Nick Chubb, "and the weather here in November is anything but equipment friendly." The Show Hire team this year opted once again for Electro-Voice systems in the Runners' Village where the start and finish lines, commentary booths, and refreshment tents are situated, with weatherproofed compact ZX1i loudspeakers being the weapons of choice. "I love these systems," affirms Chubb. "They deliver very high quality sound over long distances, weigh very little, and are completely weatherproof." The speakers were driven by Electro-Voice P2400T amplifiers.
"When the weather's lousy and the athletes are slogging through freezing mud one moment and being assailed by fire and smoke the next, plying them with up-beat music and rousing commentary is extremely important. Our motivation is completely aligned with the competitors': we set out to carry them from gun to tape - not bodily, of course, but in spirit - and I'm pleased to say we were successful in doing so."
(Jim Evans)
