Those were the days

[Travs]

I was also spurred on by Feet In The Clouds.

I was already vaguely aware of Fell-running/racing, although didn't give it much thought (even though my mates used to say i should give it a go as i was always the fastest climber in our walking/drinking group).

Then i read FITC, but probably not until about 2008/2009... that gave me more of an idea of what it was all about, and i was particularly inspired by the descriptions and stories of the Lakeland Classics.

But it was a good 7 or 8 years from reading FITC to actually lacing up my shoes for a race. I'd always thought of it as too far away to be a regular competitor in, and i was heavily into another sport at the time. But when i sat and thought about it i realised i could have a decent go at it if i wanted...

[Travs]

And despite being a late-starter, i'm hoping to do my 100th fell race this year.

It had been looking like my 100th fell race was going to coincide with this year's 50th birthday of the Welsh 1000m... which would have been very nice... but obviously everything went to pot, and i'm still somewhere in the early 90's....

[bigfella]

A caver and climber back when, did a bit of running to lose weight and keep fit, fair to say I loathed it.
Moved to Derbyshire (largely for the climbing), gradually stared doing a few gala fell races and started to enjoy it a bit. Always a slow starter therefore preferred the slightly longer events, the rougher and less runner friendly the better, I could walk uphill fairly quickly and always gained places on the decent. My goal was to finish in the top half, managed it once, possibly twice. Really should do a few races again, you never know I might enjoy it.

[Wheeze]

Muddy, no one's input is trivial or modest. If you're sufficiently motivated to try a fell race, that sets you apart from the large running herd. And if you're keen enough to also join the forum family, then that's great. I deeply regret the apparent descent into flame wars we have seen of late. Up till now the forum has been able to tolerate some pretty robust exchanges going back over the years. The hand of the moderators has been commendably light. But sometimes action needs to be taken for the greater good. I hope that this action has or is being taken. Let's see. Meanwhile, enjoy your fell running. Race position doesn't count a damn. Embracing the spirit is all.

[MattPo]

I've run since school days - back of the field in 1975 English Schools cross country championships. After university I stayed on in North Wales and got keener on running culminating in the 1985 Snowdonia Marathon in 3.30. Also did my first Fell race - a low key local Bethesda race. Then I started doing a lot of climbing and mountaineering, though I still ran and did the odd road race. A knackered cartalidge in my 40's stopped me and I cycled. However at 50 I started running again and joined Otley AC. Started racing a lot more and regularly do 40 a year of all types from Parkrun to Ultra's. I have raced in England, Scotland and Wales. Highlights include Jura, The Fellsman, Snowdon and Cadair race. See Favourite Fellrace Thread.

[biaraV2]

For me, fell running was an accident when I moved to Yorkshire. First fell race was Half yorkshiremen. Sports background was pretty unimpressive, runner, usually slow but found in triathlon could run well after bike and swim so did lots of them (still slow overall). Have done a few marathons, nothing to write home about but enjoyed them and broke 4hours (just)> First London was done with chicken pox, managed to hide that from parents but struggled but at least I got 2 weeks off school afterwards.
Up here, enjoyed fell racing usually in bottom quarter of field but I enjoyed them. Hip Labral tear in 2012 stopped me, operation not really a success and now waiting for hip replacement (thanks coronavirus). Got into coaching by accident and now almost 12 years later I'm still coaching the juniors.....
For people who don't know me, I'm often behind the registration desk at most of Bretts races or Yorkshireman / Hobble, shorts and the southern accent (with quite a loud voice I have been told) usually points to me. I've met quite a few forumites, (first one was DT who mid Beefys Nab asked me why Biara as a name!!), including a few via road support for a few BGs (always had pleasant weather at Wasdale too!!). And apparently Oracle knows me as he knew my name (Ian)!!
PS previously on forum as Biara, lost password and couldn't get new one, hence change to V2!!!

[Richard Head]

Played local league football for 16 years, briefly joined the running boom of the early 80’s when I did the Windermere to Kendal 10 and Coniston 14.

Did some scrambling, Aonach Eagach, An Tealloch, Tower Ridge, Inn Pin. 2 broken legs finished my football career then I started running again, highlights 2 Dublin Marathons and Ben Nevis 5 times.

Still running but not raced for years, back playing football again with the over 50’s

[Flem]

First London was done with chicken pox, managed to hide that from parents but struggled but at least I got 2 weeks off school afterwards.

It's funny you should say that. I ran the first London marathon and, a few days afterwards, I came down with chicken pox. Strange coincidence. I've often wondered where it came from. (That's not actually true, of course. It was typhoid.)

[Flem]

I realise you meant your first, rather than the first, but I wouldn't have been able to make a joke then.

[anthonykay]

My turn to follow the OP's suggestion, and try not to repeat stuff that I have posted on other threads.

In the spirit of DT's thread I thought it might be an idea for people to tell us some of their back story with links to fell running and the forum. Why you run or ran, some of your best times, your friendships, experiences... maybe regrets as well.

Why I run? Because I'm so clumsy and badly coordinated that I can't do any other sport. Think back to your schooldays: you probably knew boys who were really good at academic work, but hopeless at all sport. Well, I was one of those. But I enjoyed the outdoors: at weekends I would get on my heavy "roadster" bicycle, with its Sturmey-Archer 3-speed hub, and do 20 or 30 miles or more. This must have built up some strength in my legs for when I started running.

I have also been a map nerd since I was about 6 years old. Outdoors; maps: join an orienteering club! Which I did when I went to university at St. Andrews. Within the first term I had established myself firmly as the worst orienteer in the club. But I had also started going for daily runs. Then, in my second term at St. Andrews: Scottish Score Orienteering Championships at Cademuir Hill, near Peebles, on 1st February 1976. Out of nowhere, I came 8th out of 47 in my age class and, more importantly, noticed that I seemed to be going rather well on the uphills.

The Cross-Country Club went to the Carnethy Hill Race every year. After doing two of those, I joined the FRA, and my next race was Ben Lomond. This was a revelation: having learned in Scouts about the boots and other equipment you need to go into the mountains safely, I realised that I had just been up and down a 3000-foot mountain wearing orienteering shoes, T-shirt and shorts (no FRA safety rules in those days!).

Anyway, from then until 1995 I did almost as many fell races as Tindersticks gets through in one year. But around New Year 1995 I met a certain lady. I did actually bring her to one fell race - Turnslack - but she wasn't impressed. So my habit of disappearing for a weekend to go fell running wasn't going to continue. I did a few more local cross-country races, the last being 4 weeks before our son was born in 1998.

In the following years my running sometimes dwindled to as little as one trip up Beacon Hill each week. I retained my FRA membership throughout, but wasn't reading The Fellrunner as thoroughly as before.

Then around 2008 some articles in Mathematics Today by Phil Scarf (Salford University and CVFR), analysing route choice in mountain marathons, rekindled my interest. However, it wasn't until 2012 that I eventually ran another race, a local multi-terrain race. My first fell race since 1995 was the Wirksworth Undulator in October 2014. Since then I have managed a few fell races each year, in between injuries.

I had occasionally lurked on the Forum before I actually joined it in January 2015. As far as I am aware, the only current forumite that I have ever spoken to at a race is Travs, whom I met briefly at the Four Fans last year.