Two newbie questions

[southernsoftie]

All look like trail running to me.

[Spyros76]

Can you post some photos of fell running so i can see the difference?

[Ady In Accy]

Can you post some photos of fell running so i can see the difference?

Good example of a 'fell running' pic (by Pete Hartley)

[southernsoftie]

Just Google image fell running and you get some good ones. Inevitably there are pics of runners on trails, as most fell runs will hit a path or trail at some point.

I suppose bystanders taking photos will mostly use trails/paths to get into position for a photo, hence the number of pix of fell runners on trails. However, I did pick a few 'typical' fell running scenes out of the first couple of pages of results

[emmilou]

some fell running shots here on the Duddon album... http://picasaweb.google.com/emma.aindow73/DuddonMay2009#

[southernsoftie]

Spyros - given your first post was in October, and you're obviously fit enough if you've done the Olympus marathon, I reckon you'd probably do best to try a fell race. Find a local short race and just get stuck in, see for yourself.

I did my first in trail shoes. This was good enough to get by, whilst at the same time it illustrated the need for specialist shoes too. Though if it's nice and dry, and it ain't too steep or rough, you might be lucky and find these are perfect for it.

[Spyros76]

Thanks for the photos! I think now i unestand the difference. I post some more, i am sure now that these 4 are from fell races . I am not skilled enough yet to run a race such as Olympus marathon. There are 2 races taking place in Olympus, one in June and one in Sepember. You can check the web sites here:
http://www.olympus-marathon.com/inde...ewlang=english
http://www.olympos-marathon.gr/el/default.asp
I think the second site is only in Greek.

[Tussockface]

The Olympus races do look good, and some of the terrain certainly looks like what you might find on the fells (albeit with better weather ). Thanks for drawing it to my attention. (THINKS: Perhaps one day a holiday in Greece might be nice....)

A good way of envisaging the difference between a fell race and a trail race is to look at the FRA categories. Basically, any fell race has to be longer than a mile and run on fell, hill, or mountain. There has to be sufficient climb per mile for it to qualify, and there is a maximum amount of road running allowable within it. If you know the ascent stats for the Olympus marathon and what proportion of it is run on road it would be straightforward to say whether it would be more like a fell race or a trail race.
What is a bit harder to define is the 'ethos' element. A trail race is more likely to have a samba band at the start and a bouncy castle for the kids. It probably has water stations with plastic cups. It has a higher proportion of slightly chunky club runners in brightly coloured technical fabrics.
A fell race, by contrast, has more grizzled old men who look like driftwood that's been pummeled to the point of further indestructibility. If they wear tops, these are often scarcely more than bleached rags. The runners are sent on their way with no more ceremony than someone muttering "OK lads, off you go then." Instead of showers, there might be a bucket of brown water, or - luxury! - a hosepipe. The race I did on Sunday DID have a water station though; a couple of flags 20 yards off the race route marked a spring, so runners could crouch down amongst animal tracks and use their hands to scoop water from a small puddle.
I love fell running. I must be mad.

[Tussockface]

BTW, the thumbnail above is the 22k marker on the Olympus course. Looks pretty fell-like to me.

[Tussockface]

...except that a fell race wouldn't have a 22k marker!