DQ the cheats

[Graham Breeze]

WJB, welcome to the fold! Over the years I've enjoyed this forum almost as much as the running. Things can get blunt, overheated, downright rude at times but, like fell running, it is the refreshing freedom to express yourself with like minded individuals that makes the forum so addictive (for a very tiny, sad minority of the fell fraternity!!). In your case, I think the football analogy is very pertinent. If someone joined a game you were playing and then whined that they did not know about handball I suspect you would think they were a bit of a twat and, at the very least, disrepectful for the spirit of the game. So can I suggest that you reflect for a moment about turning up to your first fell race without first checking what was involved? And how you might prepare yourself? Without wanting to sound preachy, and at the risk of repeating myself, it comes down to having proper respect....respect for your own safety, the responsibility of the organiser, the terrain you are committing yourself to and the spirit of wild racing in the hills.
But, no harm done, you've done the right thing and bought the appropriate kit. Just sling it in your kit bag and take it to EVERY race, no matter how short, flat or hot. Then you will always be one of the sensible majority who just get on and race in the proper spirit and not one of the spoilt complaining brats who make life hell for RO's by always trying to bend sensible rules that have absolutely NO effect on their performance.

Were you guilty of cheating? Of course not. Choose your own from ignorant/silly/presumptious/thoughtless/etc etc!

A report will be posted shortly on the main website that the runner who ran Langdale without any kit (and who later used the 'first race' excuse when DSQ by the RO) has been banned from all FRA Registered races for 6 months. Had he been a more experienced runner the sanction would have been a lot longer.

The FRA Committee is also considering broader issues such as the "vetting" of inexperienced runners by RO and the rigour applied to "kit checks".

[Richard Head]

A report will be posted shortly on the main website that the runner who ran Langdale without any kit (and who used the 'first race' excuse) has been banned from all FRA Registered races for 6 months. Had he been a more experienced runner the sanction would have been a lot longer.

That seems fair enough Graham, but when a similiar ban was given for an offence at the Half Tour of Pendle in 2002 i remember thinking how would it be enforced. If he was irresponsible enough to do Langdale with no kit he could be irresponsible enough to turn up at a race and give a ficticous name

[L.F.F.]

That seems fair enough Graham, but when a similiar ban was given for an offence at the Half Tour of Pendle in 2002 i remember thinking how would it be enforced. If he was irresponsible enough to do Langdale with no kit he could be irresponsible enough to turn up at a race and give a ficticous name

Something like this would solve it:



(Could change it to 'Not Wanted'.)

[Graham Breeze]

That seems fair enough Graham, but when a similiar ban was given for an offence at the Half Tour of Pendle in 2002 i remember thinking how would it be enforced. If he was irresponsible enough to do Langdale with no kit he could be irresponsible enough to turn up at a race and give a ficticous name

Richard,

Even at a fell race, No man is an island...

Graham

[skennaugh]

Vetting of inexperienced runners is normal in certain races and always made total sense to me.

[IainR]

Maybe Iain took some cough medicine that's on the list of banned substances or something similair, don't reckon he's a deliberate doper wjb:wink:

Didn't see this.. I took a simple stimulant... just gave me a quicker start... we all do...

Pseudoephedrine... its a decongestant... its on and off the banned list/watched list all the time.. if I'm flying and I have blocked sinus's I'll take some sort of decongestant and had checked it wasn't on when I first started using it, but then it had been put back on the banned list without me keeping up to date and I used it in Slovenia....

Ignorance is no excuse. Last week I got a $100 fine for parking within 10 ft of a fire hydrant... I had no idea about that law, but I was ignorant of the laws and ignorance is no defence. You participate in a sport, you check the rules. You may make mistakes, get caught, but that's your fault. I didn't appeal the fine, people said I should have, but it was my fault.

[Mike T]

"Ignorance is no excuse. Last week I got a $100 fine for parking within 10 ft of a fire hydrant... I had no idea about that law, but I was ignorant of the laws and ignorance is no defence. You participate in a sport, you check the rules. You may make mistakes, get caught, but that's your fault. I didn't appeal the fine, people said I should have, but it was my fault."

This fire hydrant incident is a good example of an unknown unknown - similarly I suspect that most of those who run with no/inadequate kit do not know that they do not know the relevant regulations - despite having signed a piece of paper that alludes to them. The solution is better kit checks - I have never been fully kit checked - but then I always have a full looking bumbag - or I am wearing the kit needed.

[nikalas]

Isn't this unbelievably simple or am I being naive?

Runners:Have all the mandatory kit applicable to the grade of race you're doing plus any pre-announced requirements from the RO and, unless you hear otherwise, carry it all.

RO: do four or five random kit checks on the start line with the genuine threat of instant DQ's.

Why is it any more complicated than that?

[Al Fowler]

Has anyone thried archery? Ive done it a few times and find that to get it bang-on target I have to aim down and to the right.

The race organisers could equip themselves with a long bow and a few arrows and pop off the cheats?

[skennaugh]

Has anyone thried archery? Ive done it a few times and find that to get it bang-on target I have to aim down and to the right.

The race organisers could equip themselves with a long bow and a few arrows and pop off the cheats?

Or speed up the back markers!??