The age of fellrunners does not matter. Whether fell running grows or withers and dies does not matter. All that matters is that the fells will be there for those who appreciate them, when they need them and in the manner that feeds that appreciation.
I haven't read the whole thread just first page and this
Hursty- one reason youngsters may seem fewer to you is the llimits put on them by the FRA in terms of distance. I know why they do it and maybe they are even right but for my two sons the idea of a short fast fell race with very strict km rules meant they prefered to orienteer and have a longer run and be out for longer.
No doubt their prefence like mine is for longer runs. Both did the SLMM this year and loved it.
I guess when they are able to enter longer races they will return to the fells as well as orienteering
the spirit for me is in the sense of place, of territory, or the connection between man and the land, the fact that you discover something new about the country each time you run, or that you feel naked amid your surroundings.
the people are a bonus and there are some splendid folk, but it would be daft to claim fellrunners are any more 'special' than anyone else, we just happen to share a hobby that gathers like-minded souls
but it's the land what does it
Interesting thread.
For me Fell Running is something that stays in the mind after the event and the experience. A race or training run in the fells seems to live on inside.
The fact that I can be on my monday morning meat waggon to Central London, close my eyes and see myself bounding over Green Gable in this years Borrowdale sums up this feeling that we are all trying to apply language to (although none will achieve it).
Excellently put Roy - I wanted to put something about memories and a total change from working life, but you put it better! I was putting together a display of students' work today (one of a teacher's duller tasks) and the mental image of coming down the roaches yesterday greatly helped.
On an side note, yesterday's spirit of running was the tasty post-race post-bath glass of Laphroig.
Thats more wrong than right in my opinion.
First off for me fell running is running solo in the hills 90% of the time. How can that not be free spirited? The isolation, the beauty, the slightly bonkersness of it - its not mythical (ie made up) but is very real to me. Mystical? Yes. Spiritual? Yes. Mythical? No.
As for racing. Races are probably better organised and co-ordinated nowadays, surely a lot safer and fell racing seems to be booming. Just compare fell races now to when Richard Askwith was talking about them when he wrote feet in the clouds - fields are growing year on year at the minute and, yes, big races are filling up quicker. Buts that down to success not loss of mythical/mystical spirit.
I don't know about mythical spirit but the friendly and welcoming attitude that all of you show to new members is refreshing and says a lot about the decent sort of people involved in this wonderful sport. I think to the outsider you are all part of the overall spirit of Fellrunning as well as the wonderful hills.