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Thread: Commercialisation

  1. #1
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    Commercialisation

    The FRA facebook page seems to be awash with with people selling Shoes ect ,as fell running becomes more main stream will the commercialisation of the sport be it's downfall ?
    More and more races are becoming oversubscribed and difficult to gain late entry especially when managing injury ,the effect of our sports impact on small local communities will be ever greater,
    as will the effect on the environment ,as the sport continues to grow will we see more race routes changed to trail runs ...

  2. #2
    You may have a point about the current series of posts being 'commercial'. However most fell races aren't going up in price to the commercial level seen in Trail and other events, even though I've increased Whittle Pike to £4 next year. Whilst some races have always been oversubscribed I'm not sure if numbers in races are going up everywhere; the number of fell races in England has leveled off and the number of FRA members ditto. However you are right that there is a commercialisation of off road running. Whilst some of us were running Cilcain the other week there was a non WFRA event on the same hill at three times the entry fee and less challenging terrain.

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    Nick Harris Do these "other events" pay a levy/fee to the land owner in the same way as I believe the Windgather Race was charged by the Forestry commission to use their land ?
    Did the recent Hell of a Hill marathon - Bolton Hill Marathon on Winterhill take place after paying a fee?
    Will these big commercial events affect the staging of our less Commercially lucrative (to land owners)races, after all there is only so much pressure these environments can tolerate...

  4. #4
    Master Dave_Mole's Avatar
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    don't get him started on allowing vegans to run over farmland......
    ....it's all downhill from here.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Dave_Mole View Post
    don't get him started on allowing vegans to run over farmland......
    Dave_Mole To my knowledge there are not as yet any races/rules that deter/disallow "vegans" from entering/racing or running across any farmers land ...on the other hand there is a race that ONLY allows vegans...in Wales of all places...
    If you know of any race strictly for meat eaters please share as I would be well up for it

  6. #6
    Master IainR's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by nickharris View Post
    Whilst some of us were running Cilcain the other week there was a non WFRA event on the same hill at three times the entry fee and less challenging terrain.
    isnt this a good thing?

    Provide marked trail racers for people who want to race off road and not on the fells?

    However the general increase in people wanting to be outside and active SHOULD only be a good thing. Yes it will bring challenges but we will have a more aware active fit population. A population more sensitive to the environment, a population having less of a reliance on healthcare...

    I think trail races are the future, they shouldnt threaten fell racing, they should be seen as a welcome additional sport. The issue comes when those suitable to marked trails try to race fell races.

  7. #7
    Master IainR's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by B.Bill. View Post
    Nick Harris Do these "other events" pay a levy/fee to the land owner in the same way as I believe the Windgather Race was charged by the Forestry commission to use their land ?
    Do you want to publicize this? Most fell races do not pay.

    This will be the norm.. probably understandably.. and will drive races to be commercial.

    Its the way in the US, small low key races struggle for this reason.

    But as farmers are hit by grazing limits they will look to use their land for other uses, be it wind farms, solar farms, mass events.. free events using their land will get hit.

    It will hit the people who guide. You can understand it in many ways but it will squeeze a few areas which will struggle.

  8. #8
    Hi, All FRA members will have seen in the FR articles on Access and issues around gaining landowner permission. Chris Jones the FRA Access lead is in active discussions with a number of agencies on this. There are a number of reasons for this. The big Commercial agencies have money, big money, compared with fell races; landowners, both business and not for profit, need/want cash; Natural England are busy protecting bird nesting and other areas which has led to the loss of some races. This is not new. The British orienteering federation have an agreement with the Forestry Commission going back to 2012. We have an agreement with UU, which all race organisers will know about, from about the same time. However we still have the same number of FRA races as last year and, as Iain says, most do not pay. This is a tricky issue and worthy of debate.

  9. #9
    Master Wheeze's Avatar
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    Ross Powell has also done much work on this for Wales.
    We've had this out before and it does polarise opinion.
    My own stance is that wilderness is precious in this country and should be protected from the inevitable predations of commercialism.
    Does that mean that fell racing as we know it (low cost, low impact, low regulation) is doomed?

    It might!
    Simon Blease
    Monmouth

  10. #10
    Master Bob's Avatar
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    My brother owns the land used by one of the Kendal Winter league races. The organiser rang him up last week and the only concern my brother had was that they had insurance cover. Since it wasn't commercial he wasn't particularly bothered about charging.
    Bob

    http://bobwightman.co.uk/run/bob_graham.php

    Without me you'd be one place nearer the back

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