Pennine Bridleway Relay

100% support for whatever decision you make, Lefty, from Darwen Dashers (especially as one of our runners broke an ankle on the event a few years ago on ice).

Unfortunately the 2012 Pennine Bridleway Relay is cancelled. There is still a considerable amount of treacherous hard ice on the route which is not going to shift before Sunday. We will not be reorganising the event at a later date and despite having spent several hundred pounds on organsing the event we will be refunding entry fees.
My thanks to all of the club/team captains for all of the hard work they have put in by entering and organising the teams. I hope that word gets around although I fancy I will still need to go to Fearns School at 7.00 am on Sunday just in case.

That was a tough call to make Lefty but fully understand why you made it. Thanks for keeping us regularly updated. Have notified all our runners so hopefully we won't have any randoms turning up at the start of their legs on Sunday!

Bring on next year!

Hmmm.....good call Lefty and nice to see nobody is slating it....I think I will still have a little run rou nd my leg

Quote:

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Originally Posted by alfa_scud

.... I cant help feeling that whatever decision you make, you're going to get moaned at; it's either "decision made too late, ...... or "why decide Friday? ....... or "why not just run it anyhow & let people take responsibility"....... ....the third unfortunately is something that's beyond race organisers nowadays, you can't just just "let people take responsibility" anymore (much as I personally am happy to); should anything happen (& in the pics shown in race conditions, it could well do!), then you're in the poo, big time.

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First of all, don't take this as an attack on the organiser (it's not) but everyone assumes the above. Why are you "in the poo"? The organiser is organising an adventurous event over difficult terrain in winter conditions. All he needs to do is demonstrate he's taken all reasonable steps to make the event as safe as it can be, given it's nature. I the case of ice, the organiser only needs to make all runners aware of the conditions and the risk and perhaps recommend some precautions (eg orienteering shoes with metal dobs would massively reduce the risk). Don't have any? Well then, the decision on whether YOU should run or not is YOURS as an individual.

All off-road events have hazards; hidden holes, rocks to trip over, slippery grass and mud. It's part of the game.

If the current trend towards nannying and over-cautiousness continues it will be the death of organised fell-races and then all we'll have left will be unofficial 'underground' events...... actually that might not be a bad thing.

PS - I work as a Safety Advisor....

Good decision Lefty. It's the only one you could have made. I saw it coming a while back. I remember what it was like on sheet ice on Rombald's Stride a few years back on the approach to Menston. It was absolutely lethal and I only ever mince even when I'm racing. Therefore this would have been a no-no.

Good decision making.

Assess - review - assess - review . Decision made.

Disappointed, but understandable. My coccyx is mightily relieved. It's still not forgiven me from a few years back when I ran/luged Leg 5.

I,ve just done one of my fave routes, from Cowpe up leg 5 on to Waughs, whittle and Cowpe Lowe. it's very hard packed ice on the Bridleways. It would be bad enough for the experienced runners running on that sort of surface. I managed to stay upright. It's a shame the route doesn't go over open moorland as there's good running off the bridleway,

Sounds like the right decision, disappointing as it is. Many thanks for the updates and full support for the final decision; Howgill Harriers will be burning off the carbs elsewhere this weekend, and at least we don't have to get up early on Sunday..!