I would like to list the interesting challenges (I nearly called them problems, but I don’t want to be accused of negativity) faced by our committee under our re-affirmed state of affiliation:I wish the committee all the best. I presume they are well on with the solutions. A progress report before the AGM would be very helpful to all the negativists.
- The challenge of fragmented calendar coverage if you’re interested in races through out the UK.
- The UKA Rules Appendix E Graded Officials challenge – needing a solution acceptable to race organisers which doesn’t lead to loss of most of our organisers.
- The challenge of UKA “unattached” levies (race tax) coming to English races soon.
- The challenge of “governing” body per-capita club members’ registration fees being used to help the clubs and FRA rather than helping the Olympics or other UKA priorities that have nothing to do with fell racing.
- The challenge of UKA risk assessments compared to our well established best practice of using the FRA Safety Requirements.
- The challenge faced by a race organiser in country A organising a race in country B (e.g. Yetholm) – the organiser cannot insure through his home “governing” body, nor through the “foreign” governing body without major administrative hassle and extra cost.
- The challenge whereby a race on non-English soil cannot be insured through registration and inclusion in the FRA Calendar.
- The challenge of solving all these challenges without alienating the other athletic disciplines because they see our required solution being sops to “awkward fell runners”.
Keith Burns