Changes to British champs

[Dux de lux]

I was just reading in the Fellrunner about the suggestions for changes to the British Championship format for next year (UKA news page 9). Personally I quite like the current format of 4 from 6 at different distances around the country - I think it does find the best overall fell runner over the course of the season and over varying distances. It does require a bit of commitment and travel but what's wrong with that?

The main (only?) reason for change seems to be its lack of popularity. But does that mean it has to be changed? I'm not sure it does. One off races might attract bigger fields but is that really what we want?

The article says they are asking for comments and suggestions but I cant think of any that would be an improvement. So my suggestion would be leave it as it is. Perhaps UKA are responding to the modern sporting mantra of more convenience = more participation. Or are the proposed changes just a reflection of a shift in the nature of the rapidly expanding FRA membership? Perhaps proportionally less 'hardcore' fell runners willing to travel, recce, commit to the currecnt series.

What do you think?

[Yorkshire Thug]

I thought that the point of the changes was to try and get the non-English bits of the UK to take part. Let's face it, what's the point of having two English Championships - which is what we've got at the moment.

[Dux de lux]

I would be interested to hear what Welsh, Irish and Scottish runners felt about this. Do they not participate because of the travelling? I would think it would not be so much more difficult to travel to 4 races from Scotland or N Wales. Ireland of course is a different kettle of fish.

Come on Celts... why do you not compete in the champs, and would you if it was changed to one off races?

Would you like to see it change to one off races YT?

[jmacewan]

A possible reason for the lack of Scottish runners participating is perhaps how many of us view the quality of the running environment on offer as opposed to what you have on your 'doorstep'.

Why traipse down to Englandshire for the weekend when you could go off somewhere a bit more appealing?

I'm not saying that this feeling is correct or even widespread amongst Scottish hillrunners but its there.

[Deek]

I feel that fellrunners should develop a championship that doesn't include lots of travelling round in cars on an enviromental ticket. Most of us know that current lifestyles can't continue. Why not change before we have to and in the meantime, set an example.

[Stolly]

I feel that fellrunners should develop a championship that doesn't include lots of travelling round in cars on an enviromental ticket. Most of us know that current lifestyles can't continue. Why not change before we have to and in the meantime, set an example.

Presumably on the same note they should relegate either Portsmouth or Newcastle from the Premiership, stop the 6 nations rugby immediately, ban the Olympics (the BBC alone are flying out 450 journalists), ban the European Championships........ in fact lets ban everything apart from local village bog snorkelling and cheese rolling and be done with it!

[wharfeego]

Presumably on the same note they should relegate either Portsmouth or Newcastle from the Premiership, stop the 6 nations rugby immediately, ban the Olympics (the BBC alone are flying out 450 journalists), ban the European Championships........ in fact lets ban everything apart from local village bog snorkelling and cheese rolling and be done with it!

Aye...just get on wi' it!

Wiv already fekked up th'environment t'point o' no return so just enjoy theesens while tha can (within reason...of course!).

If one thinks that buying the latest hybrid car is the answer to the worlds environmental problems then think aggen!

It's a simple matter o'fact that we're all going t'hell in a handbacket.

ps
don't forgeet yer risk assessments when carryin out yer local village sports...
tha might get a dose o'weil's disease if tha snorkells in a bog and tha'll render t'cheese inedible when it's contaminated with dog defacation from rollin it down th'ill in t'local park!

[Deek]

If the FA or significant football managers and argued that they need to become part of the solution not the problem then this would be a far more potent action in the face of climate change than Gordon Brown turning up at an EU meeting talking about lightbulbs. Playing semi finals of FA cups between London clubs at the Millenium stadium for example show the level of commitment from these people. I could give lots of detail about how football could become more local. There wouldn't be any need for draconian steps as you suggest........yet. It just makes me smile that there is supposed to be a fell running community out there who supposedly have environmental concerns, and yet design a championship that includes a great amount of travelling. If we aren't going to set an example, who is? We are continuing with our head in the sand thinking that it isn't us that needs to change its somebody else. Personally, I'd give it a few more years before things get out of our control. Lots of little signs like when you go to fill up your family saloon next time your making your way to a fell championship event. Sorry to hijack your thread Dux. I'll pull out quick!

[Deek]

[quote=wharfeego;116289]Aye...just get on wi' it!

Ok, but don't give us the 'fell running community are an environmental lot' crap then.

[Witton Park]

Deek - please don't mix up 2 issues of Global Warning and Caring for the Environment.

I care for the environment, as I feel does every fell runner I know. However, I do this out of respect for what is around me.

Global warning is I fear another fad cooked up by an environmental industry that's making an absolute fortune out of it.
If you've seen the film Fahrenheit 911, you will probably see something similar about global warming in a few years.

Back to the thread now. I'm not that familiar as I'm fairly new to running and extremely new to Fell Running, but the system in place seems to give the best over a series of races of different types. A Championship series has to cover it's territory. A local XC league does this, and the International Mountain Race series races do. Numbers should not really come in to it - the object is to find the best.