English Junior Champs 2014

[Corniceman]

The FRA Junior Series would have a much better feel for it (in my opinion) if we left Pendle alone this year and picked a race later in the year.
eg. Darwen in August would be perfect and could also be the trial race for the Home Internationals.

It would also be better if Holmfirth could be moved a week later then we avoid the clash with County AA Champs.
I expect this date will actually create problems within Holmfirth as athletes have to pick as well as officials / marshalls because without a doubt Holmfirth will have a sizeable presence at the Yorkshire T&F Champs on the same weekend.

I agree with many points here and I am definitely outside of the traditional fell club community with Notts AC. I do also run in the English champs myself. My concern is not only the clash with T and F events but also the scheduling at key holiday times too. last year UKA moved the AAA county champs to the weekend of May Spring B/H which led to low attendances due to people being away on holiday. Whether Holmfirth is on its present weekend or the week after many people will be away on holiday. The Pendle event, I did not know until reading this is planned as a senior English champs event too! This means for us who have juniors and also compete in seniors having to take up a whole weekend and in my view it would be much better either to have both juniors and seniors on the same day (as currently occurs at Pendle) or not to have the one event as both a senior and junior champs event. I don't know how many others clash, as the senior calendar is not published as yet?

[Witton Park]

to have both juniors and seniors on the same day (as currently occurs at Pendle) or not to have the one event as both a senior and junior champs event. I don't know how many others clash, as the senior calendar is not published as yet?

Having both same day is not an option - too big a job. So stick to just seniors and have juniors somewhere else would seem a good idea and leave Pendle for another year.

[LissaJous]

You trying to p**s more people of WP? Pendle is under threat for the juniors due to your intervention; it will only stay in the series if the U18 race is on Saturday as originally agreed, so there is no clash. Anything we do to try and please you results in yet another diatribe. Why do you think some people aren't interested any more? Unless any more changes are forced on us, the series is any 4 from 7, with the uphill included in the series again. If Pendle goes we will likely have 4 from 6. On top of which you have now taken it upon yourself to reveal rumoured senior champs races.

The dates issues arose since you walked away from the role of advising us on dates. With zero notice I might add.

[Witton Park]

You trying to p**s more people of WP? Pendle is under threat for the juniors due to your intervention; it will only stay in the series if the U18 race is on Saturday as originally agreed, so there is no clash. Anything we do to try and please you results in yet another diatribe. Why do you think some people aren't interested any more? Unless any more changes are forced on us, the series is any 4 from 7, with the uphill included in the series again. If Pendle goes we will likely have 4 from 6. On top of which you have now taken it upon yourself to reveal rumoured senior champs races.

The dates issues arose since you walked away from the role of advising us on dates. With zero notice I might add.

I'm not aware I'm giving any secrets away LJ. I have no involvement with the Senior Champs - I thought it was already common knowledge.
When's the press conference?

LJ - walked away from what? I was advised by the Chair of the FRA that the Junior Committee was not constituted and that the main FRA committee was the constituted body.
So I walked away from nothing - a "non-committee" that never had a meeting, wasn't accepted as providing valuable input and was largely ignored.
So when I did advise Duncan that I wasn't going to be part of this unofficial talking shop that exchanged the odd email every now and again I wasn't leaving anything of substance.

I also advised Duncan that I would always be there to offer any advise if he felt I could be of help. That was on my email to him. My final paragraph.
Duncan has done that since then so clearly he didn't see me as an unhelpful closed door.

Ref the 2013 series. It was circulated with Sedbergh in July initially, so it looked like 2013 was OK. But that later became TBC and then in Feb/march 2013 the date was announced as June.
I am pretty sure I helpfully alerted Duncan and you to this on 27th feb and I left it until 6 weeks later before I posted on the forum to test opinion - again in a very polite manner.

Ref Pendle 2014 - David does a top job at Pendle. I like to think I've been a source of support over the last few years where I have been involved.
I know what it's like to organise a Champs race - do you?
I wouldn't want to have to arrange 2 English Champs events in 2 days.
I also wonder how it sits with our Access and Environmental Guidelines - perhaps 1000 athletes on the same corner of Pendle over 2 days.
What of the impact on the locals?
Of course there will be 2 days races there regardless because that was the plan several months ago, but the presence of FRA Junior will certainly add significantly to the weekends visitors to Barley.

I think it's clear why you want the U18s on the Saturday Lauren. As Lancs Champs secretary who agreed back in June that U18s and below would be Sunday do you not think I have a right to discuss when LJ-come-lately wants to not only piggy back the race at the last minute, but wants to juggle about with the schedule to try and inflate the U20 figures.

Finally, I haven't kept count, but FRA Juniors has changed shape 3 or 4 times in the last few weeks. It sounds like it might change again.
I'm flattered to take the credit for the back-of-fag-packet way of working.

[Lecky]

Didn't take long for the diatribe!

[Witton Park]

Didn't take long for the diatribe!

I'm glad you acknowledge LJ's post for what it is.

[FellJunior]

Clarification for those wondering about junior 'committees':
The committee referred to by WP is an informal practical working group set up to share the workload and support the Junior Co-ordinator. Its existence is acknowledged by the FRA Committee, but it is not responsible for policy or decision making. That task lies with the elected members of the FRA Committee.

[withaY]

As a parent of a competive junior runner the issue of clashes simply doesnt exist.

we re deliberately members of a fell focussed club and track and field forms no part in her season ( once this year my daughter ran at a track events and that soley to compare times to previous attempts)

The FRA series is a good fit in the year starting early and finishing by the time the summer holidays start with English Champions crowned and hundreds of kids running around in thier distinctive hoodies and t shirts.. just in time for the county show/ country fair /BOFRA fest during the holidays.

mountain bikers dont get hung up on when road races are and vice versa, swimming clubs equally dont review triathlon or aquathon dates when schedulling galas

the number of kids/ parents having to make a choice between one format or another because of one of the percieved clashes i suspect will be very very small, possibly less than fingers on one hand. The one thing kids do better than adults is make choices..

[Lefty]

Clarification for those wondering about junior 'committees':
The committee referred to by WP is an informal practical working group set up to share the workload and support the Junior Co-ordinator. Its existence is acknowledged by the FRA Committee, but it is not responsible for policy or decision making. That task lies with the elected members of the FRA Committee.

Yes and we have a lot to thank those people for.

[Corniceman]

I am sure that what you say withay is very true. It sometimes fee quite comforting that fell is trying to encourage wider participation and encourage non fell clubs to take up the sport. The simple fact is that if you belong to a T and F club plus live away from the fells the effort involved in joining in is immense. Anything that avoids clashes venues such as The Peak or Shropshire all make life a little easier.