RO forum

[BillJ]

New question if I may - how is 'climb' actually calculated for a race? Is it as simple as adding up the low points to the high points throughout the course, ignoring the downhills? Or is there some cunning formula? I ask because I have been using Strava to try and work it out, based on races I have done many times, and can't get all that close. Now this may be that these races have been recording the 'climb' for years and years, and now modern technology allows us to measure more accurately...but I'm not so sure on that as actual distances are pretty much bang on. What am I missing? I ask because I am looking at some potential Junior Races, I have some nice courses but want to make sure I'm recording accurately from the start. Thanks.

Hi Jeff,
Like most ROs I'm sure, in the old days I used to either count contours, or just take the top height of a climb and subtract the bottom, then add them all up.
For a more recently created race (Castle Carr) I used mapping software (Tracklogs) and got it to tell me the climb, and went round with a GPS to confirm.
But for the existing races, the climb will just stay set as what it always was. Perhaps some ROs will remeasure digitally, but I wouldn't have thought many would.

Regarding distance being more accurate - its a lot easier to measure distance on a map than count contours, so I guess that might be the reason?

So all pretty much what you surmised. There's no cunning formula!

[Dreaded Jeff]

Thanks Bill,

Appreciate the advice - I'm looking at hosting some Junior races, so wanted to make sure I was getting it right from the start.

Thanks again,

Jeff

[Witton Park]

Thanks Bill,

Appreciate the advice - I'm looking at hosting some Junior races, so wanted to make sure I was getting it right from the start.

Thanks again,

Jeff

and I don't think you need to be as accurate as a surveyor might be. I think if you have a race borderline between categories, then maybe you be more careful, but for a short junior race, no one will harass you for being 10% out on ascent.

[Oracle]

Be careful of strava for calculating climb.

Position is used to calculate height, so position error and variation can translate to height error, and particularly on traverse paths that can add up to a lot of error height and illusory climb.

It is not so bad on straight up and down.

New question if I may - how is 'climb' actually calculated for a race? Is it as simple as adding up the low points to the high points throughout the course, ignoring the downhills? Or is there some cunning formula? I ask because I have been using Strava to try and work it out, based on races I have done many times, and can't get all that close. Now this may be that these races have been recording the 'climb' for years and years, and now modern technology allows us to measure more accurately...but I'm not so sure on that as actual distances are pretty much bang on. What am I missing? I ask because I am looking at some potential Junior Races, I have some nice courses but want to make sure I'm recording accurately from the start. Thanks.

[Derby Tup]

Wife and I did a lot of walking and running in June and it was very interesting to compare distance / climb recorded on Strava. Her distance was consistently shorter than mine; climb actually quite similar

[Llani Boy]

Not being a RO of a FRA registered race I was wondering whether or not, other than listing races in the FRA calendar and posting the results, they had any obligation as to where any updates or further information was posted.

I have noticed that over the last few years a lot of important information has been put on Facebook rather than on this Fellrunner Forum. This has included changes in race times, parking information and even route changes.

A regular example is turning up for a race to find that it was full or entry changed from EOD to pre entry only and when questions are asked to be told "it was on Facebook"!

With many FRA members not being on FB and others, like myself, having left I think that whilst FB can still be used to update information it should be posted on this forum in the first instance.

As for results there is always a clamour to have them instantly and often photographs of results boards appear on FB within minutes of a race finishing often posted by a third party.

Again I think the official results should appear here first, at the convenience of the RO.

I know that RO's have a thousand and one things to worry about and would not want to burden them with any more but I think it is important that this Forum should be the first port of call for information and, with racing about to restart, now could be a good time to ensure that it is.

Obviously, if a race has its own official website, then all information would also be found there.

[bigfella]

I agree totally and have commented similarly on other threads.

On that note, Calver will not be taking place this year as per http://www.calverpeak.co.uk/index.shtml. I can't promise its not on also on FB but not put there by me. A quick google shows historical results on FB and race details on twitter, perhaps we should copyright this information, would that help in any way?

[anthonykay]

ROs do normally upload their results to the official FRA website at https://fellrunner.org.uk/results.php . But I do agree that announcements about changes to arrangements should be made on this forum as well as anywhere else that the RO thinks appropriate.

[Travs]

I totally agree with the principle... this forum is linked to the FRA website (and the Fell Runners UK facebook page goes to some lengths to point out that it is not linked to the FRA - there is a separate Fell Runners Association facebook page for more formal announcements).

But the simple fact is the facebook page reaches a lot more people, and people are far more likely to post things on there... not saying that its right, but that's just how it is now, and only an increase in posts/members on here will see that change... no RO has any obligation to post info on here (nor on facebook for that matter)

I have to say the fellrunners UK facebook page has plunged to some new depths recently... "what shoe?" posts are at least daily now, and last weeks highlights included a heated discussion on "what colour tent?"... i had unfollowed it after getting fed up, but with race announcements/updates being quite regular at the moment, i'm just having to put up with it for now...!

[noel]

I totally agree with the principle... this forum is linked to the FRA website (and the Fell Runners UK facebook page goes to some lengths to point out that it is not linked to the FRA - there is a separate Fell Runners Association facebook page for more formal announcements).

But the simple fact is the facebook page reaches a lot more people, and people are far more likely to post things on there... not saying that its right, but that's just how it is now, and only an increase in posts/members on here will see that change... no RO has any obligation to post info on here (nor on facebook for that matter)

I have to say the fellrunners UK facebook page has plunged to some new depths recently... "what shoe?" posts are at least daily now, and last weeks highlights included a heated discussion on "what colour tent?"... i had unfollowed it after getting fed up, but with race announcements/updates being quite regular at the moment, i'm just having to put up with it for now...!

I completely agree - tents should always be yellow.