Quote Originally Posted by Eleanor View Post
A different but related question.

Rule 10 also states 6 years as the lower age limit for races. Why are some FRA race organisers allowing children under 6 to enter junior races?

This must be happening, because I was berated by a parent at the Wansfell Junior Races the other day for not allowing her 4-year old daughter to enter, when apparently her daughter has run many fell races this year already. I don't want to fall out with parents, but I'm not prepared to break the age limit rule and I'm shocked that other race organisers are doing so. When I started organising races I was told very clearly this rule is very important and that breaking it would break the race insurance.
It happens in all disciplines Eleanor and I would say that the ROs are not usually culpable as it is often false info on entry slips by parents or connections.

We had a track meeting last year at Witton and a coach from a club was asked if a particular girl was old enough to run in a the U13 Girls 200 and he said yes. I found out a few days later that she was only 9 and so clearly not old enough.
That same coach ran a U15 Girl in a U17 Womens team recently as they were 1 short. Again, not allowed and he knows it.

It's ironic really how our Governing bodies can lack consistency.

UKA Rules for Road have maximum distances so if a club puts on a permitted 5K road race the athletes have to be 14.

If that same club organises a 5K Park Run, still permitted through UKA/EA, U13s can run as there is no age limit.