Originally Posted by
Travs
There was a discussion along similar lines on Facebook a couple of months back... about whether fell-racing/running was racist...
it was a bit of a sorry spectacle from all sides to be honest... thankfully it was quite a short-lived discussion.
One thing i did note from it... the black and other minority people who spoke up on that discussion, all confirmed that they found fell races and the associated communities to be friendly and welcoming to all (as you would expect), and they heartily recommended that others had nothing to worry about.
Admittedly there were only a few black/minority voices (i counted three or four).
Despite that, there were a number of people who went to great lengths to push the opposing view, despite the contradicting views of those they were supposedly standing up for...
It does remind me of the time i happened to be in Keswick over xmas/new year, and my work colleague, who happened to be Brazilian was also up there. I took him up Skiddaw on one of the coldest and windiest days i've ever experienced on the fells (it must have been rough because there's a photo of me wearing a balaclava and Paramo over-trousers).
He knew i was a runner and told me he wanted to have a go, so off we went down the tourist path. But my trousers kept falling down and i had to let him go off ahead whilst i stopped to take them off... with my trousers off and now free to fly down a full speed, i hared off in pursuit... i caught him at the top fence where he promptly informed me that he was knackered and his fell-running career had come to a premature end... we walked the rest of the way down (me with very cold legs) and went to the pub.