best fell runner ever ?

[Richard Head]

I actually think this is a silly discussion-but Hey! What is the Forum for?

However a fact which may or may not be relevant is that someone called Ian Holmes was second in the Bradford 10K on 29.3.2009 in 31.30. The man who beat him (Willy Smith) was just 3 seconds ahead.

Of course Ian is really just a 43 year old fell runner.

I dont know what Ian's PB is for 10K but in 2001 he won the Lancaster & Morecambe 10K in 31.14

[Graham Breeze]

I dont know what Ian's PB is for 10K but in 2001 he won the Lancaster & Morecambe 10K in 31.14

I don't re-read my old Profiles by habit but I refer to:

Colossus A Profile of Ian Holmes The Fellrunner Spring 2007 page 28

"...2001 he did a 10K road race.'I did 31'10" and it was very windy so I am sure I could run faster than that.' But he has never bothered to try."

2001 was of course F&M year which is why he and other Bingley fell runners were doing a 10K road race but it is indicative of Ian's staggering modesty that he did not bother to mention to me at the time I spoke with him that he actually won it.

[TimW]

Discussions like this can get silly but one thing we all need to remember, young athletes especially if standards are to return to what they were, is what constitutes 'top class'.

Take Dave Lewis as an example from one of the many recently given. Top class road and track runner (so far as Britain goes) but not on the fells. Before someone pipes up that he once won the uphill trial, well 2 years ago Ian Holmes won Duddon when it was a Championship, and long races in the lakes are said to be HIS WEAKNESS! That's what makes a top fell runner, like I said we all have weaknesses but it's being able to run all the different types of races on the calendar that counts, not picking and choosing which courses suit you.

Likewise, 30min for 10K and 50min for 10 miles whilst they are very good times, are not top class. Dave Lewis ran 61:17 for the Great North Run, during which he must have gone through 10 miles in 46 odd. If people achieve these sort of times (50min 10 miles) and think they've made it (as someone hinted at this before on this thread...) no wonder we're falling behind the rest of the world as a nation.

[DazTheSlug]

just on the subject of records, at least 3 quarters (approx 300 of roughly 400 in calendar) of male (and female) fell-race records have been set since 1995, which surely indicates that fell-running is in quite a healthy state compared to road/track running doesn't it?

[Duff]

just on the subject of records, at least 3 quarters (approx 300 of roughly 400 in calendar) of male (and female) fell-race records have been set since 1995, which surely indicates that fell-running is in quite a healthy state compared to road/track running doesn't it?

Hmm.. be nice to think so Daz. However, if we took out of the calculation the new races since 1995 (which will obviously have records post that date), and then the ones with slightly different routes (which will have a new record post that date) I wonder what the figures would be like?

[Tin Ribs]

Before someone pipes up that he once won the uphill trial, well 2 years ago Ian Holmes won Duddon when it was a Championship, and long races in the lakes are said to be HIS WEAKNESS! That's what makes a top fell runner, like I said we all have weaknesses but it's being able to run all the different types of races on the calendar that counts, not picking and choosing which courses suit you.

And we should not forget that this was done only seven days after winning Jura; not in a particularly fast time but it was blisteringly hot. He then bettered that time by three minutes odd last summer.

Since Rigby set his record, I think only he (Rigby), Jebby and Jethro have completed the course faster than Holmes.

Apologies for going slightly off-topic, but not bad for an old fart.

[Tin Ribs]

Hmm.. be nice to think so Daz. However, if we took out of the calculation the new races since 1995, and then the ones with slightly different routes (which will have a new record in the calendar) I wonder what proportion of the remainder would have records set since the mid nineties?

Git, beat me to it!

But yes, not everything is as it seems.

[MorganW]

I think you are probably right here steadyeddy.
looking at the records set by men in the 6 Lakes classics, Welsh 1000m, Snowdon, 3 peaks, Edale Skyline, Ben Nevis, only one has been broken this decade (Duddon 2007 Ian Holmes)

Although Holmesy is the Duddon record holder, those who ran in 2007 and 2008 ran a shorter course than the traditional route. Ian didn't break the existing record; he set a new one.

So the old, longer course record holder is still Billy Bland in a time for the longer course which was quicker than Ian's over the shorter course.

[Duff]

Apologies for going slightly off-topic, but not bad for an old fart.

No need to apologise, for an old fart you nearly stayed on topic.

[Graham Breeze]

Although Holmesy is the Duddon record holder, those who ran in 2007 and 2008 ran a shorter course than the traditional route. Ian didn't break the existing record; he set a new one.

So the old, longer course record holder is still Billy Bland in a time for the longer course which was quicker than Ian's over the shorter course.

Morgan

The world needs anoraks like us!

Graham