Counting runners at the start.

[Lefty]

At the Clougha Pike race on Saturday, organised by Bowland Fell Runners at the start of the the race they did a physical body count into a taped off area so that they would know for sure exactly how many runners set off and how many to expect back. Good idea and maybe something which should be implemented universally ?

[markmc]

Counting runners before the start is usually done in the majority of races that i attend. Just recently i organised a fell race for junior runners and made sure that i counted the runners before they started there race, and good job i did as one runner who had entered had decided not to run and had not told us, so this stopped any confusion for the marshals on the course and at the finish regarding a missing runner.

[Stagger]

Good idea and maybe something which should be implemented universally ?

They do it at every BOFRA race:thumbup:

[markmc]

They do it at every BOFRA race:thumbup:

They even did it before BOFRA was formed when it was called The Northern Sports Promoters Association :wink:

[Tahr]

They have been doing it up here at SHR races this year, no worries good idea.

ATB

Tahr

[brett]

Flip, you want to try counting Juniors on a start line...

[IainR]

Good idea. It is done at most races though, strangely its much more common outside of North Wales than in though. They do it at Cader but otherwise I'm not sure how many do it. The Peris did a kit check which may have also been a count.. but many don't.

The Ben have a tag system, but the one year I was 'missing' I didn't start, and they'd not checked the tags.. so a physical check does seem a nice idea.

[Welsh Harrier]

Good idea. It is done at most races though, strangely its much more common outside of North Wales than in though. They do it at Cader but otherwise I'm not sure how many do it. The Peris did a kit check which may have also been a count.. but many don't.

The Ben have a tag system, but the one year I was 'missing' I didn't start, and they'd not checked the tags.. so a physical check does seem a nice idea.

I ran in the Black Combe race a few years ago in the clag and went wrong heading off to Bootle. When I eventually finished the organisers had not been aware that there was someone still out on the course. In long races it's important not just to count at the start and finish but also at key check points (which was done at the recent Berwyn race.).

[dominion]

I ran in the Black Combe race a few years ago in the clag and went wrong heading off to Bootle. When I eventually finished the organisers had not been aware that there was someone still out on the course. In long races it's important not just to count at the start and finish but also at key check points (which was done at the recent Berwyn race.).

For checkpoints it would be really, really useful if runners used FOUR safety pins, one on each corner and didn't fold their numbers. trying to pick a number off a curled up piece of paper as someone runs past ain't that easy. Some numbers are folded up so small that it makes it difficult to pick out the number - it's far easier to read the number off a large white background (I couldn't care less about hiding the sponsors name - that's another argument). Putting numbers on your leg is another problem as invariably they have been folded - see previous point and they also tend to be worn on the side of the leg, again making it more difficult for the check point marshalls as the runners go past. Maybe a sign warning of an impending checkpoint would warn people with jackets on that they need to undo their jackets / get ready to shout their numbers out?

Runners who put their numbers on THEIR BACKPACKS should simply be barred from every race ever! :w00t:

[nobbut a lad]

It is done at most races though

Strange. I've been running races for over 30 years and, other than the BOFRA races already mentioned, I am struggling to recall a single occasion on which runners have been counted on the start line in the way Lefty describes.