BG Route to be flagged?

[Duff]

Whan i fianlly decided to have a go at doing the BG i thought it didn't matter if i new the route but one of my club mates suggested otherwise. I took on board what he said and have put the time in - its been some of the most enjoyable running i've done. He was right IMO (Cheers Colin)

Bloody hell Dave, don't you know that you're not to take anything I say seriously. Look where it's got you!
Good luck on your round.
Colin.

[SpeedMaestro]

Maestro

I realised after it was already done Don't think you can change it either, considering correcting it and appearing under the username speedmaestro instead

[SpeedMaestro]

Sorry for being a smartarse.No offence meant

It's okay, I looked at it straight away and thought that doesnt look right. I think I'm going to have to create a new account, that will annoy me everytime i comment :angry:

[SpeedMaestro]

There we go, I can sleep easy tonight

[Bob]

"Junior" on these forms has nothing to do with age, it's the number of posts against your account. There are some rather "senior" people on here who are junior members and vice versa. I wouldn't have known your age if you yourself hadn't mentioned it, you could have been 47 for all I or anyone else knew.

Nothing wrong in expressing an opinion nor in changing your mind at a later date.

There are some things that just feel wrong, there's no rule stating it but you just know. An analogy would be chipping a hold on a rock climb to make it easier, climbing doesn't have any rules so in that sense it isn't "wrong" but it goes against the spirit or ethos of the sport, even if you filled in the hold afterwards.

The section between Skiddaw and Great Calva isn't even the most challenging part navigationally so what would that team do on those sections? What would happen if a different event also put out markers on a different line and they ended up following those? Rather than relying on such aids it would be better and simpler to know the route and any bearings.

[Mr1470]

"Junior" on these forms has nothing to do with age, it's the number of posts against your account. There are some rather "senior" people on here who are junior members and vice versa. I wouldn't have known your age if you yourself hadn't mentioned it, you could have been 47 for all I or anyone else knew.

Nothing wrong in expressing an opinion nor in changing your mind at a later date.

There are some things that just feel wrong, there's no rule stating it but you just know. An analogy would be chipping a hold on a rock climb to make it easier, climbing doesn't have any rules so in that sense it isn't "wrong" but it goes against the spirit or ethos of the sport, even if you filled in the hold afterwards.

The section between Skiddaw and Great Calva isn't even the most challenging part navigationally so what would that team do on those sections? What would happen if a different event also put out markers on a different line and they ended up following those? Rather than relying on such aids it would be better and simpler to know the route and any bearings.

Top post Bob, couldn't agree more.

And actually, the BG Sec has suggested that guidance will be put on the site and people involved in this sort of thing will find their rounds not accepted if they're caught....so what more does anyone need to know to understand it's not acceptable.

What the BG should never become is a "ticking" exercise for every Tom, Dick and Harry. Show the round and the tradition of it the respect it deserves by getting out their on reccies and helping others. That way you get to know the route.

[Stolly]

Marking the route in any way should not be allowed (and you have to say that anyone leaving markers might be foolhardy to rely on them, given that any Tom Dick or Harry in the hills could move or take them anyway). That said lets not lose sight of the fact that a complete nincompoop navigator could do a perfectly acceptable BGR because he had the right support team helping him.

[noel]

But having one of your support team running ahead and pointing a finger towards the correct route is OK?

As time passes it seems to me that the only BGR that matter are fully unsupported. Everything else is a shade of corruption from the quoted "traditions, spirit and ethos". And when clubs use the BGR as a club outing-come off it!

This is a good point. I think saying that people shouldn't use a GPS, for example, excludes people from small clubs who haven't got a band of 20 BG veterans showing them the way. It's worth remembering that when BG did it originally, it wasn't a navigational challenge, as he knew the fells already.

I think it would be a more impressive feat for someone to do a BG round with a GPS and no prior knowledge of those fells than someone who knew the route very well.

When we get into stuff like this, it really muddies the waters. To me the only challenge that matters is actually running it. But I don't condone the use the of flags - that's a step too far.

I should add that I haven't done a BG round, and am exceptionally unlikely to ever do one.

[JohnK]

Top post Bob, couldn't agree more.

And actually, the BG Sec has suggested that guidance will be put on the site and people involved in this sort of thing will find their rounds not accepted if they're caught....so what more does anyone need to know to understand it's not acceptable.

What the BG should never become is a "ticking" exercise for every Tom, Dick and Harry. Show the round and the tradition of it the respect it deserves by getting out their on reccies and helping others. That way you get to know the route.

I couldn`t Agree more, but iI fear it is to late, also given the Current Penchant for BGR runners to go in large partys rather than an individual with maybe a Sherpa/Pacer on the sections then waymarking will not be Necessary as the whole route will just become obvious due to (dare iI say it Errosion), in fact many parts of the route are already quite noticeable underfoot.

In fact when I speak to Non runners about Fellrunning it is suprising how often I am asked by them whether I have done the BGR, in much the same way as when speaking to non runners about marathons then the first question is Have you done London Marathon, so on that Basis it appears that the BGR is becoming the London Marathon of the fells which IMO is a shame.

[sore legs]

This is a good point. I think saying that people shouldn't use a GPS, for example, excludes people from small clubs who haven't got a band of 20 BG veterans showing them the way. It's worth remembering that when BG did it originally, it wasn't a navigational challenge, as he knew the fells already.

I think it would be a more impressive feat for someone to do a BG round with a GPS and no prior knowledge of those fells than someone who knew the route very well.

When we get into stuff like this, it really muddies the waters. To me the only challenge that matters is actually running it. But I don't condone the use the of flags - that's a step too far.

Noel - I like this post matey, not being a member of a club I would find it near impossible to collate enough pacers / veterans to assist me in my round. Also due to my geographical location there is no way I could afford the diesel or time to recce the route - should I get round to attempting the round it would be an unofficial round and it would have to be solo and supporting myself. That to me is the challenge as well as achieving a very enjoyable day out in the hills forgetting the worries of work and the world etc. Membership to the club is not important to myself as I would know that in my heart what I have achieved. Perhaps the club should look at a technology solution for anyone that attempts the round to ratify the route and times .... food for thought perhaps?