Quote Originally Posted by Antisocial View Post
I have recced and raced it before, it may not be flat but it does not meet the A requirements.

Having read a lot of the comments on various threads between the rules is rules to the sod it we do what we like brigade (see kit) I appreciate this would cause hackles etc to rise - however the question still stands if technically it should be a B race given its ascent /descent why is it an A?

In the greater scheme of things it does not really matter in the face of more important debates (should I risk death by not carrying my cagoule or just piss the organisers and the FRA off) but I was just curious. I am not after a debate just the history.

This has been debated many times before, not least in the FRA Committee.

Some points:

-the categories are meant to be indicative of severity to inform competitors. Moses did not bring them down on the tablets The PPP is a hard race and it would be perverse to categorise it as a "B" ie easy when it isn't. Someone once died in the race.

- it has actually got longer but not higher in recent years because of route changes.To illustrate this point- if it were made 20 miles longer it might become a "C". So easier? Would that be helpful to potential entrants?

- virtually no fellrace is accurately measured so if one gets pious about the PPP one should apply the same criteria to ALL 750 fell races.

- but to return to my first point, it really does not matter. The PPP is tougher than say Three Shires or Langdale and so Category "A" indicates it is a tough race.

Frankly, anyone who finishes the PPP and thinks it is just a "B" in a real rather than a statistical sense just hasn't been running fast enough.