DQ the cheats

[IainR]

Uk athletics told me at the time all runs was covered but hazardous activities was not.I wasnt told exactly what hazardous activities covered so i had to scrap leaping through the river erewash with headtorches on just in case.They then told me someone , ie the leader really should have a qualification to say they could lead runners on mid week training sessions. , i kid you not. They then told me to get a level one coach badge. That was about 3 years ago. Not sure of leader courses was about then.But hazardous activities is a very grey area.

That was my first complaint about these courses right at the start.. the remits are just so grey.. how is a leader meant to know when he is operating outside of his remit and therefore not covered?

Some people consider fell running an extreme sport, so presumably it could be argued its hazardous by its nature, but we all know a steady run up a hill like Moel Eilio at night is objectively safer than a night run on roads in a city..

Looking at the insurance certificates for athletes and clubs it seems that as long as its a club event, including training, then you are covered by UKA insurance... there seems to be no stipulation for any qualifications?

[daz h]

I may be wrong but at the time i looked on uka website and it defined a hazard as anything from an activity to something like a javelin.I said to the uka insurance person on the phone. So running is actually a hazardous activity.Err yes, again i kid you not.I now no longer am chairman, leader, run co ordinator, speedwork organiser, off road leader etc etc etc because RUNNING IS A HAZARDOUS ACTIVITY. I know this because i cracked my head open at langdale.
Hang on was i running though or dangerously climbing a rock trying to catch the ambleside lads.

[daz h]

Iain many clubs i think will just end up turn up and run clubs. No formal organisation.

[daz h]

You can be sure there is a hazardous activity part in the uka Clubs insurance section. Otherwise it would just say crack on and yes do what you want.Id be amazed iain if any running club is covered for hazardous activity.Again define hazardous activity in a court of law.What you and i take as normal to someone new to it thinks, jesus that was extreme thinking back.Would you say running down the scree on the corridor route at break neck speed was running or hazardous activity.Id say running.Would a court.I will stop there because it goes on forever. I may get corrected and things may have changed but i know many clubs around here that had to go down the coach route or even have arc as there insurance provider.Thats all i have to say

[IainR]

Certainly would finish many formal training nights.. at the moment I can't see how say Eryri's hill reps wouldn't be covered. Say a runner runs into a car wing mirror. There's no coach, you turn up, follow others, learn the route, then we try to stay as 2-3 different paced groups. I'd have thought accidents on that would be covered by general UKA athletes insurance. At the moment I didn't think there was any stipulation that a coach had to be present though at training nights. I know the other year they legally brought in Welfare officers.

Could do with clarifying with UKA or WA really. I know we assume we are covered by club insurance on our Tuesday evening club sessions.

[Richard Head]

I may be wrong but i dont think my club has any qualified coaches. As for club runs, we turn up in a pub car park and whoever is the most local leads us of on a route, sometimes 2 or 3 do it by committee. Never heard anyone being designated as a leader

[IainR]

I may be wrong but i dont think my club has any qualified coaches. As for club runs, we turn up in a pub car park and whoever is the most local leads us of on a route, sometimes 2 or 3 do it by committee. Never heard anyone being designated as a leader

yeah I think that is still OK, there seems to be nothing in the UKA insurance certificates saying otherwise.. http://www.uka.org.uk/governance/insurance/

[IanDarkpeak]

Iain, you say "old informal way of more senior club runners informally 'leading' groups can still happen I think". Is that right? I get the distinct impression from various clubs I've been in that it "has" to be "qualified" people.

I believe in some legal parly it's called the grandfather clause?

I do think this is an interesting discussion why did I spend so much money and time to train if i could have done it in a day?

any way as I said a good topic but off thread. This was about runners choosing to not to required carry kit wasn't it?

[Keswick_Krumble]

As an ex chairman of a running club and race organiser i became very angry at the way i was starting to be told how i had to comform to take runners out for a run with the club.Eventually i had to go and get a level 1 uka coach badge, what a joke. Still not had the fifty quid back.I was told that i was now qualified to lead runners, yes lead runners that i had been leading for ten years. Why because of insurance. I would be okay if i had risk assessed the route and had a quick chat before we set off. Oh and insisted on floro kit. The last meeting we had was about getting runners some of those flashing armbands.Okay maybe overkill but thats the way it went.Iain does the fell running leadership course just mean your insured to lead runners on the fells.? Box ticking like you say.

Is everyone blind to the fact that the actual problem is that everyone wants COMPENSATION for everything these days? It's a leech on society. I'd a friend (shock horror) who successfully got a claim of over £4,000 for badly tearing ankle ligaments when warming up in the woods next to an athletics track? Very nice but it's bloody ridiculous and it's sadly the way of the world.

The problem with your argument Daz, is that it can be similarly applied to a 17 year old lad that has grown up on a farm and had 20 times more driving experience (cars and tractors) than any other lad his age. It still doesn't qualify him to drive on the roads without taking and passing his test and holding a valid licence. I, again, knew such a lad who "took" (without consent) his mothers car and drove to school aged 15. We couldn't believe it....but we watched as he drove off after school having parked well away from the building. He had all the relevant experience but didn't hold the licence.....does it make it right though?

I'm surprised Mr Park hasn't been on defending the clubs though. I like Mr Park.

KK
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[Keswick_Krumble]

Was that a quip... about kids losing their lives.. wow well done Dom.. a new low!

You just thought you could make a quick comment and try to look clever.. Look put some substance in, some argument, or just keep the snipes going.. its been the standard response from Graham and the Grump for 5 years so at least it is a consistent style of posting...

Here Here Iain.
Though I don't like what you're suggesting about Graham and The Grump! Surely not!!!!???

KK
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