No Ageism Here!

[Alan]

What a great Olympics! It's good to see sport of all kinds being celebrated and encouraged on a national level - and all the athletes were, of course, so very young!

A visitor from another planet would probably think that athletes retire (or even drop dead) at 35 - but in fell running we know that this is not the case. While many other sports have "Masters" and "Vets" clubs and divisions for their "more senior" competitors, fell running quite rightly keeps its family of runners in the mainstream of the sport from the very earliest ages until well into the eighties.

But none of us were surprised to find that, when UK Athletics recently learned that it had been supplying (heaven forbid) veteran medals for the British Championship, the immediate reaction from UKA was to ensure that 2012 would be the last year when this would happen.

You will be pleased to know that the FRA is proposing to foot the bill for future British Championship medals, but that's not the point, is it? UKA really should learn from fell running and re-examine its entrenched attitudes towards age in other athletics disciplines.

Not only would this kind of segregation be illegal in other walks of life, but splitting off a major section of the sport denies its existence, removes a very beneficial level of experience from the younger end of the sport and acts as a disincentive to older people who would otherwise benefit from having a much more active life.

This is the 21st Century, for heavens sake. Just because Lord Coe's slowed down doesn't mean that everybody else has to!

Yours in Sport,
Grumpy Old Man

[Dynamo Dan]

That's shamefull. Why do we even bother with them? I know FRA subs aren't much, but I'm assuming a percentage goes to UKA. If they're going to pull stunts like this I'd rather none of my money goes to them.

[Alan]

That's shamefull. Why do we even bother with them? I know FRA subs aren't much, but I'm assuming a percentage goes to UKA. If they're going to pull stunts like this I'd rather none of my money goes to them.

Just to be clear, none of your FRA subscription goes to UKA either directly or indirectly.

Nor was my post intended as a precursor to any split from UKA.

Fell running is (and will always be) managed by fell runners for fell runners. We benefit from our association with UKA, but the wider spectrum of athletics would surely benefit from adopting some of the practices and attitudes prevalent in fellrunning - particularly those concerning the older age groups.

[Dynamo Dan]

Just to be clear, none of your FRA subscription goes to UKA either directly or indirectly.

That's good to know.

[IainR]

Pretty minor cost isn't it?

TBH I'd much rather UKA money went to developing youth sports than pay for medals for seniors, vets or not. And in a time of austerity measures its fair enough. Good that the FRA are funding it though. Welsh masters are self funded aren't they, and I think they should be.

Would it be illegal? They are just saying no segregation, just prizes to the first 3 regardless of age... so not ageist at all..

What about the U23 category?

And everyone slows down.. sarcopenia a ubiquitous symptom of ageing.. as the famous paper said 'of worms and women'..

[XRunner]

Not only would this kind of segregation be illegal in other walks of life..

Why should the failure to give medals to anybody who claims to have won an event based on their age be considered illegal?

I am not aware that there are any paraplegic fell race competitions and medals! Is this also illegal?

[Hanneke]

I can make that one step worse... I converted to mountain bike racing, because I can no longer run... Although there is a male vets category, obviously, women aren't allowed to keep racing once beyond 40... so there is no women's vets category. I have therefore resorted to just winning the women's overall... from girls half my age or less... and rapidly moving up in the men's field as well Well, you need to do something to ward off midlife crisis, right

Last year I raced on the road and enquired with the Dutch cycling union about the national champiosnhips. Being Dutch, I obviously cannot do the Welsh or British... They simply said: no-one your age has ever been selected for the Nationals, so I would not entertain the thought. WTF??? And a commissaire last year at the National Women's Team Series: you cannot race with that licence! He was looking at my vets licence that I have in the same waterproof pouch as my BC licence. I said, ah, BC licence on the back. No, he answered, you aren't old enough for vets... I said, yes, I am look at the date of birth on the BC licence. He then retorted in shock: you are way too old to be racing at this level then, what are you doing here? WTF???? I proved my point by finishing 6th in a field of 60 girls aged between 16 and 25.... He had to hand me my rpize, you should have seen his face LOL

But... I am rather cheesed off about the ageism I keep encountering!

[Hanneke]

Yup! I am proving my point by talking with my legs and winning stuff anyway. I don't think age is that much of a handicap. However, what I do think is unfair is that there is a men's vets class in my races, but not a women's. To their credit, a mate pointed this out to the organisers of Brighton Big Dog MTB enduro the other day and they had me on the top step and created a women's vets category... I was the only woman vet in the race mind... and also came 3rd overall. It was quite funny and very nice to be acknowledged for a change!

I have also once been awared a bottle of wine in a fell race for being first Dutch person. That was funny! And much appreciated

Why should the failure to give medals to anybody who claims to have won an event based on their age be considered illegal?

I am not aware that there are any paraplegic fell race competitions and medals! Is this also illegal?

[older but no wiser]

Hanneke, I am sure that you must be an inspiration to many younger women and only resolves your determination to do well. For my own part, at 67, I'm happy to finish in the first third of races these days ahead of them whippersnappers in the v40/50 age groups. Just wish I could get closer to them racing snakes in the lower 60s age group.

[Mark L]

I watched the Olympics mens MTB race. Apparently Bury Stander who is 24 had a "brilliant race" and came fifth. The 35 year old Spaniard who was "punching above his weight at this age" and apparently looked tired and beaten throughout, came fourth. You could almost feel the commentators, one of whom was the lardy Chris Boardman, willing the Spaniard to fail. The commentary was not only biased and ignorant, it bordered on the vindictive.

I don't suppose it's too much of an issue in Fell Running as yet as the top of the results tables are crammed with vets anyway.