a jnr fra relay ?

[DazTheSlug]

I read it as dowy suggesting a single relay team for each club, in which the separate legs were run by a runner (or pair of runners?) from each age category - that might work...?

[Witton Park]

As Felljunior and I have been saying - the idea in principal sounds like fun - the idea in practice is a non-starter.

1. If you make it single age group, hardly any club will get a team out - who has 3 runners in an age group?
I cannot genuinely do it in age age group, but could draft in track runners to make up most age groups.
Genuine Fell runners, perhaps 4 clubs may get a couple of teams out.

2. If you make it mixed age group, you then have perhaps 6 clubs max that can get a mixed age group team together from genuine fell runners.

The only option is to remove the club element. It works for the Bunny Run relays. Allow athletes to come together (or be drawn together) to make relay teams of 3.

The only problem with this option is that it then becomes less of a competitive event and more a fun event, and people may be less inclined to travel for it, or take time out to do it when there are other "real" events around.

[Witton Park]

I read it as dowy suggesting a single relay team for each club, in which the separate legs were run by a runner (or pair of runners?) from each age category - that might work...?

Name a club that could find
1xU8
1xU10
1xU12
1xU14
and 1x U16 or U18

That's what Felljunior and I have been saying - there aren't any.

[FellJunior]

The 2009 junior championship stats by club are here
Three legs, one for each age group 12, 14, 16.
One runner from each club in each leg.
Even allowing mixed teams; how many clubs can raise enough runners?
Brilliant if they can, and are prepared to commit to the resurrection of a championship relay race, but the numbers suggest otherwise.
Hence the only option at the moment seems to be an ad-hoc race for maximum fun and enjoyment for everyone.

[Clash City Rocker]

Coiners routes would work nicely as would lots of venues and the idea would be great but as has been said by readers of the thread it wont work because of numbers, a handful of clubs could muster a team with a runner from each category. It would be ahuge amount of work for very little return and frankly I cant afford the time.
The principle should be used for a fun event such as the FRA Presentation do as per the discussions for next years do where runners from age groups can be picked from a hat to make up teams. Lets see how it goes there.

[Witton Park]

The tricky age category is the U16 or 18 boys and girls.

Like a number of clubs we at Ilkley are a thinner on the ground at that age group.

Those we do have are quality though; new BOFRA ladies senior champ at 17.

I went to the Sedbergh event twice and it was excellent.

We have done the Uphills twice at Ilkey and could probably construct something bearing in mind the relatively small numbers involved. Parking is our major problem.

Don't know how the Club might react to such a request.

Might be worth asking?

I'm not sure that venue is a problem - it's viability as an event that's the main issue.

http://www.fellrunner.org.uk/results...niorrelays.htm
These are the results from the last one held (I think) and you can see it's very muddled with 19 teams but 3 categories.

[DazTheSlug]

Name a club that could find
1xU8
1xU10
1xU12
1xU14
and 1x U16 or U18

That's what Felljunior and I have been saying - there aren't any.

I obviously haven't got the faintest idea what I'm talking about
but I do find the above quite surprising

[Clash City Rocker]

Name a club that could find
1xU8
1xU10
1xU12
1xU14
and 1x U16 or U18

That's what Felljunior and I have been saying - there aren't any.

Actually we could field a couple decent boys teams but thats all next year we will have our first U14 girls but it will be a few years before we could field a full girls team. As previously stated there are a handful of clubs if that in a similar situation

[Witton Park]

Coiners routes would work nicely as would lots of venues and the idea would be great but as has been said by readers of the thread it wont work because of numbers, a handful of clubs could muster a team with a runner from each category. It would be ahuge amount of work for very little return and frankly I cant afford the time.
The principle should be used for a fun event such as the FRA Presentation do as per the discussions for next years do where runners from age groups can be picked from a hat to make up teams. Lets see how it goes there.

I agree CCR.

But there are problems with this fun concept.

Many of the runners who were at Viking Chase this year are at clubs with other commitments.
Our Club/athletes had :-
The North of England Track and Field Cup
The North West Road Relays
The English Schools Fell Champs
Northern 6&4 Stage Road Relays
Northern Young Athletes Road Relays.

The race calendar is very congested.

Given a competitive events calendar, runners may opt not to attend a fun randomly drawn relay event as it could be seen as 1 event too many.

[FellJunior]

I obviously haven't got the faintest idea what I'm talking about

On the contrary DTS , you're right, the distribution of runners across the age groups is quite distorted. It tends to go in waves. 10/12 years ago my son was the only junior Rossendale fell runner, and Holmfirth were dominant. This year we had 25 runners in the championship + some in 8 and 10. But when you analyse further, the majority only did their local race(s). Holmfirth had one championship runner. There is quite a small hardcore of clubs and runners who support the championship. The composition changes as runners grow up and parents/coaches move on.