Three Peaks Fell Race

[Witton Park]

I doubt it - there's gates all over the show and people don't just head for them. Walkers tend to follow the paths on the map and so they'll stick to the main drag. More adventurous types may try the old track that runs up Whernside about 400m west of the race route.
Fell Runners will be the main ones that use the race route and they will use it whatever.

[helix]

That really is an excellent idea.

[Hes]

Well said! I also like the gate idea. It could be padlocked for the rest of the year and unlocked for race day, that would put off most opportunists. I can't imagine many people other than fellrunners wanting to take that route up Whernside.

These comments rather miss the point. All runners at that end of the field run the 3 Peaks with the 3.30 Hill Inn cut off time very much at the forefront of their minds. They aim to pace themselves to make sure they get through it (even if, for some, this will always be a close call) leaving enough energy to get over Ingleborough. What these entrants could not have anticipated was the entirely unexpected problem of being held up for 5 minutes or more at the pallet blockade below Whernside.
In the spirit of fell running, all these competitors (bar one it seems) politely queued up to clamber one-by-one over the blockade. So, having trained for months and months and properly paced themselves to get through the 3.30 cut off, they found themselves timed out through no fault of their own. If I had been in their shoes, I would have been bitterly disappointed to find myself in that situation. That is why they deserve our sympathy rather than being patronised about their level of fitness.

[Ilkley Swimmer]

I too like the gate idea. And it can be left unpadlocked all year giving access to the fells for everyone. Like others I suspect it will be only the fell runners who head that way. And the odd sadomasochist...

[eardstapa]

Does anyone know who the film crew were and why they were filming? Aside from them, there seemed to be more people with cameras than ever.

[stringman]

Does anyone know who the film crew were and why they were filming? Aside from them, there seemed to be more people with cameras than ever.

DSC_0165.jpgDSC_0105.jpg

I was gutted not to be running this year after 26 consecutive completions (and twenty 3 Peaks cyclo-cross races)

There was a film crew on the route this year, making a documentary for a programme called "Helicopter Heroes". One of their pilots was running in the race.

I got chatting to one of the camera men on my way back down Pen y Ghent. Here are a couple of my pics.
I will put them on-line when i've a minute.

[wjb]

As entries open on Saturday I'll kick off this year's discussion. Which shoes should I wear and how fast should I set off up Pen-y-ghent?!!

[anthonykay]

Which shoes should I wear and how fast should I set off up Pen-y-ghent?!!

Flat-soled road-running shoes, and you go off up Pen-y-Ghent like you're being chased by a cheetah - after all, you don't want to have to wait behind the crowds at every gate and stile.

Simples!

[wjb]

Is pallet-gate going to be an issue this year?

[ba-ba]

you mean pallet-gate-gate?