If I turned the title round a bit and said, best runner who'd run on fells.
Ron Hill??????????????????
Anyway, he's my inspiration.
If I turned the title round a bit and said, best runner who'd run on fells.
Ron Hill??????????????????
Anyway, he's my inspiration.
Why you not start with the correct answer "Billy Bland" and then phrase the question to fit the answer?Originally Posted by Flightless Bird
Knew that would get a reaction.....You're right..Billy Bland, but Ron Hill is still a great runner.
Like your point though. I wonder how many different questions would have been posed if a thread was started
"ANSWER BILLY BLAND NOW WHATS THE QUESTION?"
Could try that idea for any of the forumites!I wonder how many different questions would have been posed if a thread was started
"ANSWER BILLY BLAND NOW WHATS THE QUESTION?"
Might be an eye opener!!
Which fellrunner is hidden in this anagram?
bill byland
Most of the younger ( speedier? ) forumites ( and probably the lad who started the thread ), who have posted different to King Billy, have probably failed to make the subtle differentiation between 'fell runner' and 'fell racer'. There are some fast young lads around who win races and set course records (racers), but Billy did far more than that - he was a consumate fell runner.
Jeff Norman has an incredible record in the 3 Peaks, only man ever to go sub 2hrs 30m and without the benefit of Walshes or Inov8 - One year he won it wearing a pair of Tiger Cubs (which were very thinly soled road shoes)
Jeff, like Ron Hill, spread his talents onto the roads whee he went onto represent GB in the marathon at the Olympics.
As great as Ron Hill undoubtedly was, I hate the fact that the first thing mentioned alongside his name is usually:
"he's ran everyday for the past __________ years"
Now, I'm sure this is not of the big man's doing, but I find it particularly annoying. What constitutes a run? is a 50 metre jog to the car a run?
If you're ill or injured (he's bound to have been over the course of the past ________ years) then surely it'd be sensible to take a day off. I'd much prefer people to first offer some of his outstanding achievements rather than this banal fact.
As regards, World Mountain Running, it must have been easier to win the WMRT before the fast road guys and Africans started coming into it.....thats not to decry the achievements of Martin Jones or Sarah Rowell or Tommy Murray, just a fact.
I'd certainly rate Robin Bryson (Snowdon summit record holder) as among the very best climbers in the world ever- he's won Matterhorn, been 4th in World's twice (allegedly led into the final 1km of one of the races).......the thought of him reaching the summit of Snowdon 2mins 30 - 3mins quicker than Andi Jones has ever, is a scary thought. He certainly wouldn't have had Andi's road speed.
John Lenihan also Irish who won the WMRT at least once i think, was an incredible descender in his day....
Kenny Stuart sounds like he was some pup mind......and clearly Billy Bland's long distance crown is quite safe
So have we whittled it down to a shortlist for a poll yet?
There seems to be a fair amount of emotionalism on here. The thread title is best fell runner ever? Now the term can conjure up all sorts of ideas. So perhaps forumites could tell us all how they define 'best.'
Is it the one who wins the most races? Is it the one who sets the most records? Is it the one with the greatest power to weight(if it is Andrew Schofield would be in the running)? Or is it the one who would win the race if they all lined up on the start line in peak condition? Or indeed any other criteria.
Just wondering!
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