Originally Posted by
alwaysinjured
There is another misconception.
"The FRA dictate what you wear and carry, I am happy with that."
And he is wrong in principle - as are the committee.
First because safety is subjective not objective.What are safe conditions for Alan Hinkes, are not safe for me. Far too much kit for one person, may not be nearly enough for another because bodies react differently to conditions. So the FRA cannot say what is the "right equipment"
Second because FRA must not dictate what you carry. If they want safety to be runners responsibility, the runner has to be made responsible, so therefore has to determine what he needs to stay safe, in expectation of no support, and to withdraw unless he has sufficient experience of conditions terrain and distance to decide that. Every time FRA decide things for runners, they also erode the runners responsibility. So minimum kit has to be stated as a rule for competition ,not safety, and kit checks there to prevent cheating - and the runner has to assess conditions on day, and decide.