dibber or die !!

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Originally Posted by Hanneke

In bad weather conditions, I rather have a dibber on a summit than expose a volunteer marshall to getting hypothermic!!!

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I think that's the best thing about them really. I honestly don't understand why people are moaning about this. The FRA could buy a few sets and lend them out to ROs who need them like Iain suggested.

This sort proactive approach could actually safe guard the sport in the future, if heaven forbid something tragic happens to a runner. If I was organising a race like The Great Lakes I would want to use the system and as a runner I'd rather carry a dibber than a big bangle of tags like you do at the Full Tour of Pendle.

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Originally Posted by L.F.F.

Blimey:) Are you on commission?

As I said, I'm not an RO, but I imagine it's a lot easier to run a race with a couple of friends on mountain tops than to arrange a dibber system with all that entails. Is that ok? I thought that was a pretty simple statement.

I also said I have no complaints if a RO decides to use the dibber system. No complaints at all.

The unfortunate thing, in my opinion, would be if this system was imposed, a result of regulations. One of the best things about fell running, for me, and I imagine a good few who actually do it, is the simplicity of it.

Some people seem to be inviting regulation.

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No, I'm not on commission, but I've used SI in races and orienteering and I can see that it would make things a lot easier for some races.

Also, since you're not an RO, you've no idea how hard it can be to get "a couple of friends" to marshal. I was RO race for the XC our club organised this winter and it was difficult enough to get 15 volunteers out to marshal in a local park, never mind on top a hill in the rain! And this is from a reasonably sized running club.

Also no-one mentioned regulation except you - Iain and I both suggested that SI is a viable alternative to using marshals for race monitoring, which might make life easier for a RO.

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Originally Posted by Dynamo Dan

I think that's the best thing about them really. I honestly don't understand why people are moaning about this. The FRA could buy a few sets and lend them out to ROs who need them like Iain suggested.

This sort proactive approach could actually safe guard the sport in the future, if heaven forbid something tragic happens to a runner. If I was organising a race like The Great Lakes I would want to use the system and as a runner I'd rather carry a dibber than a big bangle of tags like you do at the Full Tour of Pendle.

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Exactly

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... but as an additional safety measure which you posted and L.F.F and I are questioning then no I don't want it.

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What you want doesn't matter here - it is entirely the race organiser's call how to track runners - if he/she want additional safety measures they can impose them!
If you are worried about race organisers being forced to use dibbers when they don't think they need them, then there'd be a debate

I like the idea mentioned previously of the FRA having sets of dibbers available for RO's to use, obviously with the SI system...

I also race bikes and the LVRC (veteran league) has a set of timing chips etc to lend to race organisers. It works well, apart from when more than one organiser wants it for the same weekend...

I would certainly rather go and put a dibbing point up on the summit in bad weather than send my lovely summit marshall up to get cold, wet and potentially hypothermic! All right to keep moving in the cold and wet, but standing still for hours isn't much fun! I have been there and done that myself...

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Originally Posted by Britta

What you want doesn't matter here - it is entirely the race organiser's call how to track runners - if he/she want additional safety measures they can impose them!
If you are worried about race organisers being forced to use dibbers when they don't think they need them, then there'd be a debate

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Well put!
I'm 100% for simplicity and purity in fell running.
As a previous RO, I think I would embrace dibbers for any long event. Worrying about marshals and the safety of runners would be very much eased by their presence. I've only raced once with dibbers, in an OMM. Seem great to me. If they get cheaper, I'm sure we'd all get one.
How about including a Dibber in the membership/membership renewal package? Would show the FRA to be proactive in simple but effective measures to maximising safety on the fells?

I like having dibbers in a race, it makes results more interesting, although being petty I'd like to use my own instead of having to hire one but that would be more awkward for race organisers so no problem there.

However, there seems to be some confusion around the safety aspect of using dibbers, unless the units are linked to some form of radio equipment then they tell the RO nothing about the progress of competitors. You can "interrogate" the boxes to find out who has been through but that would involve linking it physically to a laptop. The system does give you good confirmation of finishers and where they've been but only after they've finished. In their basic form they are no safer than conventional systems of checkpoint marshalling but much better for post race pub chats and split comparisons.

I'm sure Martin Stone could give much more detail about the system.

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Originally Posted by Britta

What you want doesn't matter here - it is entirely the race organiser's call how to track runners - if he/she want additional safety measures they can impose them!
If you are worried about race organisers being forced to use dibbers when they don't think they need them, then there'd be a debate

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That's the debate I thought we were having! I don't think anyone's moaning about using them if the RO decides they want to. I think the concern is that ROs might be forced to in the future, or feel that they ought to, and around the extra burden/expense this creates for them on top of all the other work they put into putting on a race.

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Originally Posted by boghobbit

I'd like to use my own instead of having to hire one but that would be more awkward for race organisers so no problem there.

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Most Orienteers have their own and it doesn't cause any problems for ROs there. When you buy the dibber, you can submit information, such as FRA membership number, running club, name etc, and use submit your SI card number when you enter any particular race (inc EOD races) and the information is matched up on the computer at Download.

If Fell Running was invented today, do you think dibbers would automatically be included as the best way of helping the event go better?