As the Gloucestershire team manager I thought I clarify how the Inter-Counties works currently (I reckon most managers outside the top counties are similar):

* In about January/February a pack is sent to each of the county associations inviting them to enter a men's and ladies team to the Inter-Counties fell race.
* Most of the counties would love to be represented but most of them don't know who to turn to enter a team
(if you're not in the counties who regularly submit teams i.e. Lancs, Yorks, Derbys, Chesshire, G Manchester, Merseyside, Glouces or Essex, then contact your association - contacts on the UKA site - and offer to organise a team)
* Once I have the details (and most managers are probably pretty similar) I email all the clubs in the county advising them of the details, rough selection criteria, selection date and (most importantly) inviting runners who are interested to contact me. I also email the fell runners I know about and those who have run before directly.
(if you're not in a club within your county most managers will not realise either you are eligible or how to contact you - so either contact your association or contact Alan Barlow at the FRA and ask if he knows who normally organises the team)
* I try and find out if the course is suitable for fell-running novices or should be strictly mountain goats only, and then select the team.
* I've found from experience that the strong trail runners, i.e. non-fell runners, have a habit of getting cold feet at the last minute so tend to stick to the known fell runners.
(if you offer to travel up to the race as a reserve then, guess what, when someone drops out I will ask the reserve to step in rather than ringing 20 people who all can't do it at the last minute)
* The more counties that enter the race the better, the more people you have to compete against. The arrival of the Scottish counties has made a massive difference. There's even agenuine competition to be first southern county home.

We could improve the system, the Fellrunner could have a section where the cuonty managers are able to list their names and contact details. But I wuld urge runners who fancy representing their counties to follow some of the suggestions above in the meantime.

Mike