The dark arts...

[Mossdog]

Initially I think the main thing that needs to be maintained is full support/backing for race organisers were there to be a fatality and the coroner said 'but they could have had GPS'. I think everything else, whilst some bits may be important, is secondary to this.

But then again they could equally argue 'but the course could have been properly marked by being fully flagged'. Certainly, that would assist hugely in the opening of the sport to many, many more participants (but what a horrendous thought - removing an important wider skill element that provides fell racing with it's unique acharacter!).

[anthonykay]

Initially I think the main thing that needs to be maintained is full support/backing for race organisers were there to be a fatality and the coroner said 'but they could have had GPS'.

And then the coroner could take this to its logical conclusion and recommend that the sport of orienteering be banned, at least in areas of exposed moorland and fell.

[Mossdog]

And then the coroner could take this to its logical conclusion and recommend that the sport of orienteering be banned, at least in areas of exposed moorland and fell.

Exactly. There are also some similarities here with the debate in the world of rock climbing regarding the ethics of bolting of routes.

[Graham Breeze]

Initially I think the main thing that needs to be maintained is full support/backing for race organisers were there to be a fatality and the coroner said 'but they could have had GPS'. I think everything else, whilst some bits may be important, is secondary to this.

Well of course... but having said that one cannot sensibly second guess what a Coroner might say in the particular circumstances of a death that has not happened and adopt preventative measures for this theoretical situation. Brian Belfield died because he decided to take a short cut, in a race he had completed several times before, over ground that was described by MR as unrunnable.

More importantly the Coroner said, in response to requests to make fell running safer that, whilst he would not go fell running himself, it was an important freedom that people should be allowed to engage in activities that most people would consider madness and it was not his role to curtain those freedoms.

Of course RO should not be negligent or endanger competitors but neither should they cocoon responsible adults in cotton wool in their chosen activities. In Scotland (less so in England) there is a legal defence that amounts to "if someone puts themself in jeopardy they have only themselves to blame".

(Volenti non fit iniuria : "to a willing person, injury is not done" ie if someone willingly places themselves in a position where harm might result, knowing that some degree of harm might result, they are not able to bring a claim against the other party in tort or delict.)

[brett]

Very nicely put

Well of course... but having said that one cannot sensibly second guess what a Coroner might say in the particular circumstances of a death that has not happened and adopt preventative measures for this theoretical situation. Brian Belfield died because he decided to take a short cut, in a race he had completed several times before, over ground that was described by MR as unrunnable.

More importantly the Coroner said, in response to requests to make fell running safer that, whilst he would not go fell running himself, it was an important freedom that people should be allowed to engage in activities that most people would consider madness and it was not his role to curtain those freedoms.

Of course RO should not be negligent or endanger competitors but neither should they cocoon responsible adults in cotton wool in their chosen activities. In Scotland (less so in England) there is a legal defence that amounts to "if someone puts themself in jeopardy they have only themselves to blame".