Think of the huge volume of exhaled air at the start of a race, as people, having warmed up, crowd forward towards the start line. And then, on "go", the exhalations increase dramatically - sure people then spread out - but they crowd together again at the finish. And there is of course pre race registration, and the prize giving. So many opportunities to spread infection.
As to gyms - even pre Covid, in the very uncrowded gym at Troutbeck Bridge, I felt that people were constantly invading each others' space. And the virus is detectable for days on stainless steel and plastic. I am still paying a token membership fee, but I will not sign up for another year.
I'm not buying it really. My local chip shop is open. Hardly healthy, and whatever measures are in place you simply can't distance. Same with the local off-licences. Barbers open everywhere, are they essential...?
Football may be paying for their own testing but it just seems a case of those with money can do what they want.
What about the millions of people who have made some improvement to their lives with Parkruns?
Im not suggesting the places I've mentioned above should close, but if they can open when their essentialness (is that a word?) is at best questionable, then why can't people run on the Fells (or the track, road, etc) with its undoubted general health benefits.
There's elements of risk in all life, but if I can go to the beach, buy a doner kebab or a bottle of vodka, then I'm sticking to my guns and saying that is totally wrong.
I think some basic risk minimising guidelines should be set out, then let us (and all sports) get on with it.
I think "they" is the key word.
Quite a few are saying it but who are they and on what evidence?
However I have my doubts.
Hyndburn, Pendle, Ribble Valley, Rossendale all zero recorded new cases for 27/5
Blackburn with Darwen and Burnley 1 each.
2 new cases in 400k population- and they are almost certainly not in the general public.
So if we had Aggie's Staircase in the next week or so, your chance of being infected would be slimmer than your chance of having a cardiac.
Richard Taylor
"William Tell could take an apple off your head. Taylor could take out a processed pea."
Sid Waddell
Once did a race from a YH in the lakes where we were set off at time intervals.
Vertical Kilometre races are usually held as time trials. But it does mean that the Marshalls have to be out for longer than in a mass-start race; and there is also the fact that you will inevitably have runners overtaking slower runners on narrow paths.
In his lifetime he suffered from unreality, as do so many Englishmen.
Jorge Luis Borges
Stagger the runner in ability.
What's the race in the lakes in February that does that. Working out your time from previous races.
Might be the Jaunt??