Paying for races Online

[IainR]

I think the idea of people making money out of fell running is a concern for people. I think its fair enough personally.

[Rudolph Hooker]

I think the idea of people making money out of fell running is a concern for people. I think its fair enough personally.

Fairy Nuffski - so long as it's the people who actually do the bloody work, like the organisers and helpers who actually put on the race, and not simply some bloke who's running friends'R'us for fell races.

[IainR]

Why? Constructing a website that can deliver online payments services is a technical issue, which is a lot of work. Anyone can build a simple website/blogsite now promoting a race, but providing on line entry methods is more technical.

I don't understand 'like the organisers and helpers'? wouldn't that include the people providing the web service?

[Deek]

I can see where your coming from. But as with the Trailrunning series in my opinion in is another sign of excess which is getting us into deeper and deeper trouble. The internet is one big reason why more people travel silly mileage to do a race travelling by car, there and back in a day. Online systems make the process of attracting fields of 500 simple. In my opinion technology can be seen to work against us. British airways flying to Newquay daily, headline in paper today and all the ramifications that has. It makes them money, its supremely clever, why not? To argue simply against online entries I would agree may be splitting hairs, but I see it as another sign of the times. Fell running has a chance to make a stand against creeping commercialism, and large carbon footprints and has the characters within it and history behind it do so.
I guess we are allowed to have different opinions.

[IainR]

I totally agree with you in many ways.

I don't like races with hundreds of runners, but we are in a running boom and especially an off road running boom.

It's a hard balance, we want a more active population, but at the same time our own peace in the hills. More local, limitedly advertised races may be the way to go, but I don't really see on line registration and payment being a factor in this.

But then that's Ok for people like me who live in Snowdonia, or others in the lakes.

[Deek]

Its nice to find some common ground.
I feel lots of decisions about the way we need to live are going to be very hard to accept. As you say, online registration in theory is great, yet its the very thing that gives a race universal advertising. I think when we bite the bullet and 'live' locally there are enough benefits for it to make sense even if you live in Slough however. The running boom shouldn't be fueling car travel. Fellrunning has in the past been good at not doing so. I would like to see an item on the FRA agenda about what we can do to reduce our carbon footprint. Sounds corny I know!
Best wishes from the Lakes.

[Harry H Howgill]

We have up to 200-plus seniors and kids at our races. All we use for entries is a pen, piece of paper and an ice cream tub for the money. For us, there is no need to do anything more sophisticated. And it works well. This system may be useful for some, but just because we can computerise something doesn't mean that we should. Lets keep fell running straight forward. I'm off to eat some more ice cream.