UKA Relays

Yes Mercias NAV time was 59 and a bit minutes. I thought we had run quite well and I'm usually about 135% of winners time at the moment but we were 150% of that time. We did make a slight detour just after CP3 but other than that we were pretty spot on but we did stop quite a few times to check the map closely and it obviously all adds up. More practice needed!

[quote=RichT;263487]

And Iain, I don't really think that the fact that someone from Dark Peak thought that the event was proper fellrunning was really rubbish and condescending clap trap.quote]

Personally I think it was a dig that only the true fell runners could cope..

I thought the courses were great, similar to last years, fun running non technical.

We benefited from the missed CP's, almost got 3rd, but deep down we know we were 7th.

It seems to me that on legs 1 2 and 4 local knowledge should not be an advantage, and it clearly was. The route through the forest on leg 4 would only be obvious to someone who has done a recce. Maybe not doing a recce shows a lack of dedication on my part, but its much easier to be that dedicated when it doesn't involve a 5 hour round trip.

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Originally Posted by freakazoid

It seems to me that on legs 1 2 and 4 local knowledge should not be an advantage, and it clearly was..

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That's basically my view on this.

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Originally Posted by Kent

.... when the first three can't find a checkpoint at the FRAs (which was in thick clag, not where it said on the map and all three runners had a good go at finding it) the ENTIRE TEAM is DQ'd!?!?!? Can someone please explain this to me because I think it stinks.

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The checkpoint was in exactly the correct place, in fact there were 3 dibbing boxes there!
It was at the fence junction and, as such, was very easy to find.
I was right at the back of the field behind the mass start as I waited for our leg 3 runners
who came in a couple of minutes after the mass start.
The clag was down but even I managed to find it on my own.
Those that missed it were obviously looking in the wrong place.

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Originally Posted by freakazoid

It seems to me that on legs 1 2 and 4 local knowledge should not be an advantage, and it clearly was. The route through the forest on leg 4 would only be obvious to someone who has done a recce. Maybe not doing a recce shows a lack of dedication on my part, but its much easier to be that dedicated when it doesn't involve a 5 hour round trip.

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As a leg 4 runner you've no excuse - both our A & B team runners went up and checked it out on the day - plenty of time to do that.

Local knowledge has to be an advantage - even on a cross country course or road race, but I think in a Champs like this every effort should be made to make it less so.

Mercia's Fell Leg is unbelievable - I cannot imagine how they covered that terrain so quick - having gone around it - if you'd asked me to guess the quickest time, I would have said 65-70 minutes.

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Originally Posted by morning glory

I did leg 4. Apologies to any of the leg three navigation runners I may have 'bumped into' when coming face-to-face with on that narrow path traversing Blake Fell. Sorry, I was on a mission!!!

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Yes, you were indeed, you nearly had me down into the 'abyss' :eek: as I wanted to step away and you came thundering past...

Loved the nav leg, firts time for me and no problems at all finding the CP's and to be honest, the clag made it infinitely more interesting as a nav leg. If we had had visibility, it would have been so much easier... but: NEVER follow the leader on the nav... we did not follow anybody, just followed our bearings and stuck with our route choices and suddenly found a bunch of people that were ahead of us coming towards us on our return from CP 4 :D

Tough terrain to 'run' accross though!!!

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Originally Posted by Fellrunner

I was doing the 3rd leg until my partner turned his ankle badly between CP's 4 & 5......about as far away from HQ's as we could get :( .

Many thanks to all who offered us help, extra clothing etc. We got by with our own kit, but were very appreciative of all offers on what was a bit of a grim day on the hills.

Enjoyed the day & thought organisation was great. Felt sorry for the leading 3 teams who were DQ'd.

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Such a pitty... we bumped into you/you into us as well when we were heading to CP4. Hope your partner is not too badly crocked? It was good to see you safe and sound and smiling when we finished!

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Originally Posted by Witton Park

As a leg 4 runner you've no excuse - both our A & B team runners went up and checked it out on the day - plenty of time to do that.

Local knowledge has to be an advantage - even on a cross country course or road race, but I think in a Champs like this every effort should be made to make it less so.

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Maybe, but i decided to save my energy rather than doing a recce a couple of hours before a race. A personal choice, but surely again an advantage to a local who doesn't need to do this.

Would more flagging not make local knowledge less so?

This stuff like 'Dark Peak true fell running' is just rubbish and condescending clap trap.

I hope you can read a map better than this forum.
I refered to the course as proper fell running not the club