FRA Members ratio in races

[Witton Park]

I've personally got nothing against it, but i'm not so deeply involved in organising races etc as some on here.

Without wanting to anger anybody on here, i personally support the idea in principle...

I'll not comment further as this is the organisers section so i don't feel sufficiently qualified...!

From an athletes perspective there are anomalies.

I don't know the NI system as I've never run there and there's not clear info out there, but in Wales and Scotland if you are with a club, you register with Welsh Athletics and Scottish Athletics and can run in all disciplines as an affiliated registered runner.

In England, you pay your EA fee but you will still have to pay an additional amount to run on the Fells either via the FRA membership or as an unaffiliated fell runner.

The cover, rules, safety... are uniform as they flow from UKA.

From a Race Organisers perspective, if you are a member of a club, in Scotland and Wales you can register your race with either Welsh Athletics or Scottish Athletics.

In Wales the option to register through WFRA is an option for WFRA members.

In Scotland you also have the option to register through SHR and I think also the SHGA is an option.

In England, only the FRA can register fell races as things stand.

I know some on here with FRA connections will think I have an ulterior motive as I was involved with issues 7 years ago, but those issues I had were around Safety Regs and the FRA actually moved towards the position I and others were advocating so I came back in to the FRA fold as a member and with my race.

My concern is as one of a multi-discipline club, as a member of that club who has done as much as anyone in the club to promote fell running within the club and county for 15 years and have concerns that this will create schisms in the sport.

This was initially flagged up as a safety issue and I doubted that based on the content of some of the communications sent out.

It's clear now it can't be.

An athlete will have to pay extra to run in a simple event such as Rivington, but will be able to run a NAV leg in a British Fell Relays without having to pay the FRA affiliation.