Originally Posted by
Harry H Howgill
I've been thinking about the spirit of fell running theme, so I trawled through a thread or two for some inspiration. All I've done is edited some lines slightly and added a couple of my own. By no means a finished piece - haven't really decided what form it might take really - but I thought you might like some of the comments, and even add some too. Take it and run with it.
The Spirit of Fellrunning
Just turning up at a race, paying a few quid, and running
Borrowing a pair of shoes off a stranger to race in
New races starting, old ones dying
Waiting for the hounds to come in before setting off
“Race you to the top of that hill and back lads”
Helping on a Bob Graham leg for someone you don’t know
Just being in the mountains.
It takes me back to beinga boy- just me and my dad
Giving it your all, getting covered in mud
At odds with a risk adverse society
Juniors disappearing, come back at 40
A desire to lose oneself in the hills – whether by design or not
It isn’t all about the racing – the racing has changed, the running hasn’t
Whether the sport grows, withers or dies – that doesn’t matter. All that matters is that the fells will always be there for those who appreciate them
A sense of place, of territory, or the connection between man and the land, the fact that you discover something new about the country, and yourself, each time you run.
Feeling naked amid your surroundings. Free from the world.
I can be on my monday morning meat wagon to Central London, close my eyes and see myself bounding over Green Gable
A tasty post-race, post-bath glass of Laphroig.
The welcoming attitude that all of you show to new members
Running solo in the hills. How can that not be free spirited?
The isolation, the beauty, the slightly bonkersness of it
Sometimes fast, sometimes slow; sometimes alone, sometimes with company.
No barriers for anyone who wants to take the sport up.
The people - competitors, organisers, supporters - are welcoming and friendly
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