Women's record smashed

[cyclops]

Absolutely astounding running, and an honour to witness the start, Honister road crossing (no stopping!) and Jasmin finishing in Keswick. There's a couple of videos on our facebook page, one of the start and one of her running up to Moot Hall.
https://www.facebook.com/Global-Ther...9607635107023/

[ydt]

For top performance in all distances, Jasmin Paris stands next to Billy Bland.

[saz]

and in doing so put the women's record where it should be comparable to the men's record - 10- 12% slower

[Graham Breeze]

and in doing so put the women's record where it should be comparable to the men's record - 10- 12% slower

Echoing my thoughts; although I suggest Sarah's 10-12% slower is more aspirational than accurate for fell racing.

In June 2006 The Fellrunner published an article, which Sarah had prompted me to research, which compared male/female record times for 20 Long "A" races.

The % range was from 113% Angela Mudge (Two Breweries ) to 128% Andrea Priestley (Holme Moss) with the focus of the article being Menna Angharad's "unbeatable?" 1996 record for Peris Horseshoe at 114% of Gavin Bland's 1994 record time. Neither Gavin's nor Menna's record have been beaten.

Since the article was written there have been some good female performances (eg Anna Pichtrova broke Sarah's record for the PPP) and I would expect that the range of male/female % differences has narrowed over the last decade.

[Bobster]

I was recently wondering who would be the three female "Legends of Fell Running", equivalent to Kenny Stuart, Billy Bland and Joss Naylor. I had thought of Carol Greenwood, whose race results and records are at least as good as Kenny's. It has now become obvious who another of the female legends must be . . .

It's so good it almost makes gender irrelevant. How many people are able to beat that BG time?

[anthonykay]

The 10-12% quoted by Sarah applies to data from road and track races for distances 20km to marathon. For middle distances (1500 - 10000m), male/female world record ratios vary between 10% and 14%. But for 100km the ratio is less than 6% (which is consistent with what women like Helene Diamantides and Jasmin Paris have shown themselves capable of in mountain ultra events like the Dragon's back).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_o...s_in_athletics

I see no reason why the male/female ratio should be significantly different between fell races and road races of similar durations. There is some tenuous evidence that women are less daredevil descenders on really difficult, steep downhills, but in general I don't see why women should be less good at either climbing or descending than men, relative to their speed on the flat.

[Graham Breeze]

[QUOTE

I see no reason why the male/female ratio should be significantly different between fell races and road races of similar durations. There is some tenuous evidence that women are less daredevil descenders on really difficult, steep downhills, but in general I don't see why women should be less good at either climbing or descending than men, relative to their speed on the flat.[/QUOTE]

I accept your point in theory; but my analysis was based on the hard data for fell running which recognized the "real world" of the numbers/ ages/ aspirations/ competiveness,... etc. of women who actually run in fell races.

[anthonykay]

I accept your point in theory; but my analysis was based on the hard data for fell running which recognized the "real world" of the numbers/ ages/ aspirations/ competiveness,... etc. of women who actually run in fell races.

Yes, that's the whole point: there is a discrepancy between theoretical expectations of what women should be capable of, and what they have actually been achieving on the fells in the "real world". Maybe the most surprising thing about Jasmin Paris's performances (in races as well as on the BGR) is that there are so few women out there producing comparable results.

[Graham Breeze]

Yes, that's the whole point: there is a discrepancy between theoretical expectations of what women should be capable of, and what they have actually been achieving on the fells in the "real world". Maybe the most surprising thing about Jasmin Paris's performances (in races as well as on the BGR) is that there are so few women out there producing comparable results.

Well I am not sure that I am.

One of the more interesting fell runners I have talked with over the years was Janet McIver (King) whom I profiled for the Spring 2009 Fellrunner. Janet had won the British/English Champs and then didn't bother to defend it, she had won the Lakeland Classic Trophy in outstanding fashion in 2008 and I asked if she would compete in it again in 2009; but she didn't.

Her attitude was that she liked doing different things eg long distance bike riding. l interviewed the wonderful Angela Mudge and she wanted to do more than keep winning the British Champs year after year.

IOW I suggest many young women have more imagination than men and have better things to do with their time than go fell racing!

[anthonykay]

. . . and at the risk of embarrassing one forumite, I should also mention that the male/female record ratio is less than 3% in the hilly, off-road Beachy Head Marathon. http://www.robin-web.co.uk/beachyhead/History.html