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Thread: Metric categories

  1. #1
    Master Rob Furness's Avatar
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    Metric categories

    I've recently been wondering why the Ilkley Moor fell race has been categorized as a BS this year when it's normally an AS, and it seems that the new metric system has changed the categories a bit. Looks like the new Cat A needs 262ft of climb per mile now, instead of the previous 250ft. Has anyone else mentioned this before?

    I'm assuming that the decision was taken to round the figure up from 47.5m to 50m for some reason. The same is true of the Cat B which has been rounded up to 25m instead of 23.75m, and cat C which has been rounded up to 20m instead of 19m.

    Is there any particular reason for this other than making the figures look neater? I'm just curious, it confused me a little when trying to work out what race falls under what category. Surely the figures could just have been converted exactly, I don't understand the need to change the category of potentially quite a few races for no particular reason.
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  2. #2
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    Re: Metric categories

    People like round numbers. It is a shame races have to change categories as a consequence. Instead of becoming BS, such races could have changed to AS(H) for AS - historical basis, so that people understood their provenance.

  3. #3
    Master Rob Furness's Avatar
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    Re: Metric categories

    Otley Chevin race has also dropped from an A to a B, bit irritating (although it looks like the measurements of the Chevin may have been out a bit which would have classed it as a B anyway)
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    Senior Member fozzy's Avatar
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    Re: Metric categories

    Quote Originally Posted by Rob Furness View Post
    I've recently been wondering why the Ilkley Moor fell race has been categorized as a BS this year when it's normally an AS, and it seems that the new metric system has changed the categories a bit. Looks like the new Cat A needs 262ft of climb per mile now, instead of the previous 250ft. Has anyone else mentioned this before?

    I'm assuming that the decision was taken to round the figure up from 47.5m to 50m for some reason. The same is true of the Cat B which has been rounded up to 25m instead of 23.75m, and cat C which has been rounded up to 20m instead of 19m.

    Is there any particular reason for this other than making the figures look neater? I'm just curious, it confused me a little when trying to work out what race falls under what category. Surely the figures could just have been converted exactly, I don't understand the need to change the category of potentially quite a few races for no particular reason.
    It's a conspiracy to ensure that all Cat A races are confined to Snowdonia, The Lakes and Scotland :wink:
    Richard Foster, North Leeds Fell Runners, Airienteers Orienteering Club & Leeds Adel Hockey Club

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    Re: Metric categories

    Quote Originally Posted by Rob Furness View Post
    Otley Chevin race has also dropped from an A to a B, bit irritating (although it looks like the measurements of the Chevin may have been out a bit which would have classed it as a B anyway)
    Chevin, as far as i can work out, is 3.9k/202m which makes it a cat A. There are other stipulations for a cat A, including the requirement for genuine fell terrain, which the Chevin doesn't meet. For me it's a trail race, albeit a steep one.
    Luke Appleyard (Wharfedale)- quick on the dissent

  6. #6
    Master Rob Furness's Avatar
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    Re: Metric categories

    Quote Originally Posted by mr brightside View Post
    Chevin, as far as i can work out, is 3.9k/202m which makes it a cat A. There are other stipulations for a cat A, including the requirement for genuine fell terrain, which the Chevin doesn't meet. For me it's a trail race, albeit a steep one.
    Fair play, but it was Cat A last year.
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    Re: Metric categories

    Quote Originally Posted by mr brightside View Post
    Chevin, as far as i can work out, is 3.9k/202m which makes it a cat A. There are other stipulations for a cat A, including the requirement for genuine fell terrain, which the Chevin doesn't meet. For me it's a trail race, albeit a steep one.
    For the 2012 race http://www.fellrunner.org.uk/races.php?id=1855 the organiser gave the distance as 4.5km and the total climb as 210m, giving an average climb of 46.7 m per km. Hence the BS category.

    Margaret

  8. #8
    Master Rob Furness's Avatar
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    Re: Metric categories

    Quote Originally Posted by FRAFixtures View Post
    For the 2012 race http://www.fellrunner.org.uk/races.php?id=1855 the organiser gave the distance as 4.5km and the total climb as 210m, giving an average climb of 46.7 m per km. Hence the BS category.

    Margaret
    I did mention in the original post that the new measurements seem quite different to previous. I was just wondering if there was a particular reason behind the category figures.
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  9. #9
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    Re: Metric categories

    Quote Originally Posted by Rob Furness View Post
    I've recently been wondering why the Ilkley Moor fell race has been categorized as a BS this year when it's normally an AS, and it seems that the new metric system has changed the categories a bit. Looks like the new Cat A needs 262ft of climb per mile now, instead of the previous 250ft. Has anyone else mentioned this before?

    I'm assuming that the decision was taken to round the figure up from 47.5m to 50m for some reason. The same is true of the Cat B which has been rounded up to 25m instead of 23.75m, and cat C which has been rounded up to 20m instead of 19m.

    Is there any particular reason for this other than making the figures look neater? I'm just curious, it confused me a little when trying to work out what race falls under what category. Surely the figures could just have been converted exactly, I don't understand the need to change the category of potentially quite a few races for no particular reason.
    The FRA committee together with the governing bodies for fell/hill/mountain running in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales decided to go with "rounded" figures at the time of metrication - the definitions of Cat. A, B and C races are incorporated into both FRA and UKA rules.

    You ask why not use a direct conversion of 250ft/mile to the metric equivalent ie 47.5m/km. The new metric rules are expected to be in use for many years to come. An organiser of a new race at some future date could equally well think it strange to have an unmemorable requirement of 47.5m/km!

    We then had to decide whether to "round up" or "round down". In the case of Cat. A races, in particular, it was felt more appropriate to raise the bar than to lower it. Hence a relatively small proportion of races have changed category this year.

  10. #10
    Senior Member Big Compass's Avatar
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    Re: Metric categories

    Otley race down to me Rob, we did a club run last year with the Garmin and came up with that result, if I went and jumped up and down a bit, might have got it to an "A", sorry
    Stephen Batley Skyrac AC,
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