Best Junior Races

[TurboTom]

Il just reel off a list here and some of the organisers are FRA commitee members which is a bit ironic as part of their aim is to promote fell running in general. I apologise in advance for anyone who merely has no time to organise junior races but in a thriving senior calendar i suspect that this isnt always the case. Ooh im turning into Christopher Leigh

Noon Stone- a english championship race in the past and one i believe to be upcoming next year.

Black Combe
Half tour of Pendle
Edale Skyline
Coledale Horseshoe
3 Peaks
Coniston
Stuc A Chroin
Buttermere Sailbeck
Scafell Pike
Ben Nevis
fairfield Horseshoe
Wasdale
Ennerdale
Grizedale.

They are just a few. Many of them are long so there is a lot on the organisers plate but id estimate its about 1 in 11 that has a junior race

[Witton Park]

Il just reel off a list here and some of the organisers are FRA commitee members which is a bit ironic as part of their aim is to promote fell running in general. I apologise in advance for anyone who merely has no time to organise junior races but in a thriving senior calendar i suspect that this isnt always the case. Ooh im turning into Christopher Leigh

Noon Stone- a english championship race in the past and one i believe to be upcoming next year.

Black Combe
Half tour of Pendle
Edale Skyline
Coledale Horseshoe
3 Peaks
Coniston
Stuc A Chroin
Buttermere Sailbeck
Scafell Pike
Ben Nevis
fairfield Horseshoe
Wasdale
Ennerdale
Grizedale.

They are just a few. Many of them are long so there is a lot on the organisers plate but id estimate its about 1 in 11 that has a junior race

Come on a minute -http://www.fellrunner.org.uk/2009racesjunior.htm - 62 races here all juniors.
http://www.bofra.co.uk/fixtures.php - 31 more races here.

If you also add in to that the U16s can do Senior Races that are up to 4 miles and if you are U18 you can do senior races that are up to 6 miles.
WPette has done a few A category senior races and she is still only 15.

So I think there are plenty of races here for the juniors - WHO SHOULD NOT BE FOCUSSING SOLELY ON THE FELLS!!!

If you do - then that would be a more likely reason to drop out - get some road, XC and track in as well!


Also, please bear this in mind. I was involved in the FRA at Darwen. With the short AS Senior race, we could manage with around 6 - 8 marshalls.

As soon as we add in juniors, the number of marshalling points doubles.

Imagine trying to manage the logistics of a 800 runner event such as the 3 Peaks, and trying to put on a series of junior races.
AS outlined above, there are enough junior races.

Juniors would learn more by going camping at Borrowdale / PPP etc, watching the race, talking to the athletes before and after and seeing how they cope with the race.

[scott baistow 93]

Come on a minute -http://www.fellrunner.org.uk/2009racesjunior.htm - 62 races here all juniors.
http://www.bofra.co.uk/fixtures.php - 31 more races here.

If you also add in to that the U16s can do Senior Races that are up to 4 miles and if you are U18 you can do senior races that are up to 6 miles.
WPette has done a few A category senior races and she is still only 15.

So I think there are plenty of races here for the juniors - WHO SHOULD NOT BE FOCUSSING SOLELY ON THE FELLS!!!

If you do - then that would be a more likely reason to drop out - get some road, XC and track in as well!


Also, please bear this in mind. I was involved in the FRA at Darwen. With the short AS Senior race, we could manage with around 6 - 8 marshalls.

As soon as we add in juniors, the number of marshalling points doubles.

Imagine trying to manage the logistics of a 800 runner event such as the 3 Peaks, and trying to put on a series of junior races.
AS outlined above, there are enough junior races.

Juniors would learn more by going camping at Borrowdale / PPP etc, watching the race, talking to the athletes before and after and seeing how they cope with the race.

im still 15 for a fair few months yet and completed the half tour of pendle which being honest the race at the bofra wasdale head was harder and had the same climbing in

[Witton Park]

im still 15 for a fair few months yet and completed the half tour of pendle which being honest the race at the bofra wasdale head was harder and had the same climbing in

Scott - I completed the Three Peaks when I was 15 - and I have a lad who did at 10 in my training group.
But neither of us raced it.

I would encourage 15 year olds such as you to do such recces with older athletes - but it is totally different in race conditions - and on a recce your parent is responsible for you - not the race organiser.

[Lecky]

Witton Park has expressed many of my feelings about all this.

There is a lot more to organising the 6 Junior Champs races, than one Senior race. You have to have a lot more courses for one thing.

Anniversary Waltz basically have a completely different organising team doing the Junior races, whilst the Senior Race is on. That is why there wasn't a Senior Race on at Ambleside!

I would like more Senior races to take juniors, if the distances are correct. But, it's one thing Mel Hyder or Tom Doyle turning up to do a serious race like Blisco or Consiton Country Fair. They have been running the fells for years and have the skills and fitness to keep up with an adult, if the wether changes. It is a different thing altogether to have someone who is 16 and has never done a fell race, turning up to do, say Dunnerdale (5 miles but pretty trackless and difficult in bad weather, in November).

How do we deal with that scenario?

Two year ago, at a local race, 3 U16s turned up and asked to run the senior race. It was very cloudy, and the leader got lost during the race. I was there and knew one, but not the others. We let the one I knew run, but made the other two run the U16 race. It turns out that all three would have been fit enough, but I didn't know. I didn't want to be responsible for losing 2 beginners in the mist!

Maybe we have to have a rule that juniors can ONLY run senior races when they have completed X number of Junior Champs races?

None of this is simple!

In Rugby Union, 17 year olds are not allowed to play Senior rugby, unless they are certified by a Senior Coach as being sufiiciently developed. We don't have that coaching structure yet in Fell running, although, we are working on it.

[FellJunior]

This topic has been going round in circles on various threads over the last few months. As previously discussed, it seems to me there are a number of criteria, which are pretty much set in stone for very good reasons, which won't change significantly with time. We all want to see junior fell running continually improve, but it can only be within these criteria. Criticising volunteer organisers or expecting them to put on junior races just because of the interesting/classic/attractive senior race will not change things; there are bigger considerations in play.

So the way forward is to see how races can be organised and managed to fit these factors and constraints. Some venues may never be capable of successfully supporting junior races because of one or more of the criteria. Others may simply demand too much effort. The championship races may be a sterner test, but still have to adhere to these basic guidelines.

Positive venue elements:
Range of courses suitable for U8 through to U18 - surface, slope, distance.
Sufficient numbers for an effective organising team, ability to manage the unexpected e.g. adverse weather.
Knowledgeable organising team e.g. I have been asked twice at championship race registration, whether it is 'age on day' or 1st Jan.
Good infrastructure - car parking, toilets, shelter.
Safety - child welfare responsibilities, first aid, search and rescue, sufficient marshals, road crossings (preferably none).
Race control - no intrusion by other activities e.g. walkers, gala (unless can kept apart), premiership football match traffic! (particularly the 7 teams in the NW), quad bikes.

Elements to avoid: (safety issues, potential adverse publicity e.g. 2008 OMM)
The following 2 can lead to lost competitors.
Insufficient marshals.
Poor/maliciously altered flagging.
Effect of weather on competitors (hypothermia), course and car parking (waterlogging).
Inexperienced/ill equipped competitors (subjective and difficult)
The above 4 elements have all happened on several occasions, fortunately without serious consequences, but very worrying at the time.
Clash with senior race e.g. overlapping course and timing, same organisational team, lack of cooperation from seniors blocking junior start/finish area - unbelievable but seen with my own eyes.
Over use of a venue.

By all means add to these criteria; in fact I encourage everyone to chip in. It will give organisers and the junior committee a check list for assessing the feasibility of a junior race at a particular venue, and ensure an enjoyable successful day for competitors in all age groups and everyone else involved. Without such criteria, I don't see how we can make an objective decision about any race.

[TurboTom]

Im going to keep this one short.

I believe juniors ability is underestimated and we are kept in our comfort zone. The rules are a bit harsh for the older ages. You can run a half marathon at 17 yet only upto 6 miles. Which race has over the years had the highest number of fatalitities. The Half marathon. It may be down to experience.

Its one thing to jog round a route but its another to race competitively. People go on about falling standards but the more Health and safety conscious we get the more standards have dropped. Coincidence, i think not

[Witton Park]

Im going to keep this one short.

I believe juniors ability is underestimated and we are kept in our comfort zone. The rules are a bit harsh for the older ages. You can run a half marathon at 17 yet only upto 6 miles. Which race has over the years had the highest number of fatalitities. The Half marathon. It may be down to experience.

Its one thing to jog round a route but its another to race competitively. People go on about falling standards but the more Health and safety conscious we get the more standards have dropped. Coincidence, i think not

There's quite a bit of truth in what you say, but the fatalities you refer to are generally unfit joggers taking on something they are ill equipped for.
Imagine if they tried the Half Tour?

You know some of my juniors - I've not many fell runners, but the ones I have are pretty decent.
I look after over 50 endurance runners in total.

I wouldn't dream of encouraging them to attempt a PPP / Sedbergh Hills / Duddon etc at race pace, but I may be tempted to take them on a recce subject to age and ability.

[TurboTom]

There's quite a bit of truth in what you say, but the fatalities you refer to are generally unfit joggers taking on something they are ill equipped for.
Imagine if they tried the Half Tour?

You know some of my juniors - I've not many fell runners, but the ones I have are pretty decent.
I look after over 50 endurance runners in total.

I wouldn't dream of encouraging them to attempt a PPP / Sedbergh Hills / Duddon etc at race pace, but I may be tempted to take them on a recce subject to age and ability.

Aye id agree with you there but it cant all be down to experience. I just believe that fell running is in some ways damaging itself by alienating juniors and not allowing them to share in the spirit of the sport that you get in the long races. hence why some people lie about there age.

The top lads years ago were doing events like the short duddon and it never did them any harm and the standards were higher.