Skiddaw Race

[daz h]

Just a word regarding being turned at the gate rather than up on the summit. I respect anyone else who would have been happy to run on beyond the gate and are happy that they would be confident with finding their way thereafter, however I cant say I agree that conditions were meerly 'bracing' -I was clad in shorts and vest and on reaching the most exposed section on Jenkin Hill was fumbling for my hat because my head was getting cold.

Visibility was really poor and it wouldn't have been hard for one of the 140 runners to go astray on what is a fairly featureless top. What's meerly 'uncomfortable' in shorts and vest could become a nasty situation if some muppet ran off in the wrong direction for 5 minutes before realising their mistake, or worse still took a bad fall.

Without being able to fully vet all the entrants I'd have been uncomfortable as a marshall to make any other decision than that made yesterday.

The conditions were bracing for me
Ive done enough races to know that conditions would be tough up there but at no point did I ever feel that I would have put my coat on. Im just that type of runner. Navigation isnt a problem on Skiddaw for me as Ive been up there many times. If I take a fall I put them on, thats what there in the bumbag for. I respected the marshall as he was going to have to stand there for a long time. The visability was not of concern. Like Iain says if a runner cannot navigate off skiddaw then maybe he or she shouldnt be there.
I had a quick chat wth phil as he came down, he told me we were turning at the gate. Fair enough,crack on.

The summit marshall has the decision. I fully accepted it. But the conditions for me were fine.