Windgather Fell Race

[Graham Breeze]

My only gripe was at the prize giving and is not restricted to just this race as it is a common occurrence. The runner who was given the M60 prize actually finished 25 minutes behind me. I was given the M65 prize. In fact I was the 1st M55! Whilst a bottle of wine or a box of chocolates is always welcome and appreciated and I certainly would not want to claim more than one prize it is the fact that us old codgers are denied the recognition of our achievements and the kudos of giving some youngsters a run for their money.

On the other hand I might just be being a bit too Me,Me,Me!

Odd things happen in fell races.

But you will pick up many prizes in the future. You may even pick up the odd one that you don't actually deserve. I once received a first vet category prize through the post that the published results showed I did not win. I think I was fifth in my category. Go figure.

I have written, I hope with droll amusement, in The Fellrunner about the sense of injustice one feels when the RO messes up the results and someone receives “your” prize but I tried to remain quietly dignified and remember that the majority of competitors never win anything and without them there is no race. Most spectators will not care too much if your bottle of Moet & Chandon goes to an unworthy runner who actually finished behind you. It's just a fell race.

Prize giving is a fraught experience for the overworked RO . I once co-organised a trail race where the vet prizes were X5 categories and started at V35 for women (V40 for men). All the prizes were monetary vouchers of varying and generous amounts. The results were displayed and there was a lot of FV45 beating the FV35, FV50 beating the FV40 etc. but the FV35 still received the better prize etc. The women prize-winners were excitedly and loudly comparing their monetary prizes during the prize giving and expressing their views. The following year the RO mailed all the prize vouchers - except for First man and First woman which were awarded on the finish line.

I did a fell race where everyone in the Top 20 and the first runner in every vet category received the same bottle of wine. On the other hand I did Borrowdale the year Dave Spedding went up to receive five Pete Bland voucher prizes: Top 20, team and three first vet categories. Dave was, of course, a triple British Champion.

And I once did a trail relay race where the winning team was a Vets team. The host club of Open runners came second. The RO awarded the overall winning team the Vets team prize and the second placed team received the overall prize.

Opinions on prize giving do vary.

[Travs]

I've won a handful of prizes. The best prize being a generous Pete Bland voucher at Ennerdale for managing to finish after losing a shoe a Windy Gap.

The races where i've finished in a place worthy of a prize, i've generally won no more than a bottle of wine or a box of chocolates.... and the one race i actually won, there were no prizes at all.

Rather different from my rewards for XC with my club.... which reminds me i still haven't cashed my cheque with my prize money from last winter.

[Llani Boy]

Although nice to receive and I am always grateful if I get one, it is not the prizes that concerns me, it is the recognition of my correct finishing position that is most important.