London - All competitors were finally accounted for Sunday afternoon following anxious hours of searching after torrential rain and floods caused a hill race in northern England to be abandoned the previous day, officials said.

An air force helicopter had been deployed to search tough terrain in the Lake District area where at one point earlier Sunday some 1,700 people taking part in the Original Mountain Marathon (OMM) had still not been accounted for.

Many had found makeshift shelter overnight after the 41st edition of the event had been stopped at noon Saturday as conditions worsened amid flooding and lashing rain that produced treacherous conditions. Almost the entire average monthly rain fell Saturday in the region.

Organizers earlier expressed their belief that not all of the listed 3,050 competitors started, owing to the adverse weather.

Suitable equipment is mandatory in the the OMM, a two-day event which attracts mountain runners, orienteers, fell walkers and mountaineers who compete in pairs. Race distances are up to 80 kilometres, with an experienced staff of around 100 on hand. dpa