The Brownlees grew up with the current system - they aren't that old you knowOriginally Posted by multi coloured
I do recall running a half marathon in around 1988 organised by Bacup Irish Club and they had age group races then on the main road from Bacup to Haslingden - I think Mark Aspinall, then of Rossy and now of Clayton won it. When you look at ladies races and that the 1500m was first run in the Olympics in 1972 then I would suggest that races tended to be shorter years ago.
I'm just not sure how good of a thing the restrictions are, i'm all for keeping a race short for age groups, but i also don't see the point of stopping a junior from running a senior race so long as common sense is used, if they are not out running a senior race say around 6 mile long with 700ft they will be out either running with their parents at similar distance and climb or out with thier mates doing things far riskier.The Brownlees grew up with the current system - they aren't that old you know
I do recall running a half marathon in around 1988 organised by Bacup Irish Club and they had age group races then on the main road from Bacup to Haslingden - I think Mark Aspinall, then of Rossy and now of Clayton won it. When you look at ladies races and that the 1500m was first run in the Olympics in 1972 then I would suggest that races tended to be shorter years ago.
My point with Ian Holmes and the Brownlees (even though corrected on Jonny and Al) was that i'm sure (and i do recall reading something on holmesy running Bradford marathon age 16) he wouldn't of been stopped from running senior races as a kid and lets face it, it has done him no harm what so ever.
Before Stagger gets in with his usual eulogy on how great Holmes is, he is a one off and you cant legislate for distancesand age groups and restrictions based around one exceptional athlete. For every on eof his ilk there are literally hundreds who are shredded way befor ethey should be as they have done too much. It can be as much about disinterest as burn out if it all comes too soon. Theres nowt wrong with having to wait for things in life
I named my Profile about Ian "Colossus" but I am OK with "fell running legend".
I choose whom I write Profiles about and my pleasure in writing Profiles is to spend a few hours talking to the best runners in the sport. Angela Mudge is one and Ian is the other. They are gods.
I don't have my notes to hand but Ian's 10K on a "very windy" day might have been the only 10K he has ever done! He said to me "I am sure I could run faster than that!" and in the Profile I added "but he has never bothered to try".
Ian has won Gold Medals with Bingley in Road Relays and XC. He is an outstanding all-round runner, not just a brilliant fell-runner.
Ian's marathon PB is 3.40 which is rubbish: until you know it was the very hilly Bradford marathon, he did it at 16 years in old trainers and ran with a couple of mates and never bothered to do another one.
Context is all.Last edited by Graham Breeze; 23-02-2008 at 08:08 PM.
Knew i'd seen the post somewhere, The Chairman posted it a couple year back.......
I'm not against the rules CCR i'm just saying maybe relaxing the rules on the odd occasion won't do any harm, i don't mean let 16 year olds do marathons i mean the odd 5 or 6 mile race with not too much climb will do them no harm, it will only keep the interest there and help with the learning of the sport.
I agree. Sometimes....often even...kids actually need protecting from their own parents in this regard.
In response to this and your earlier posts I suggest you read this, which shows how and why FRA rules operate within a wider structure.
That's fine Jim - but take Ian Holmes - described as an exception - the problem with the rules is that they are designed around the typical club runner.
Somewhere along the line we have to give a little leeway to coaches and athletes to make educated decisions about their athletes.
We can proceed along the lines of the jogging boom and churn out lots of bog standard athletes or we can allow those with the drive, physiology and ability to fly.
As a coach I always look to what I believe is the best interests of my athletes and I've never shied away from looking for the occasional "over distance" race for my athletes if I think it's in their best interests.
I used to use the Sue Ryder 5Ks at Cuerden Park Leyland, and I've more recently had juniors run the Andy O'Sullivan races at Whitworth and Multi-Coloured's Turkey Trail.
I only do it with juniors that I know are capable and it's a shame we have to dig out a few "un-permitted" races to do this.
It would be nice if there were a few races in the FRA calendar for example where the rules could be relaxed if a junior had reached a certain level.
Races around her such as Bleasdale Circle, Paddy's Pole, David Staff, would be good races in my books for a good 15 year old to have an outing against the seniors.
Tar and feather me if you want, but that is what I believe.
I have a big big problem with the odd 15 year olds running in the above races.
It would cost me a place or two :w00t:
I do wonder here WP whether your up against rules thought out for the right reasons or rules set by people who pretend to know, people born at the age of 18+ :angry:
who sets the rules is a good question. Perhaps the same people that felt that women couldn't run beyond 1500m at the Olympics until 1972 - and look at what Paula has done at the marathon.
We always have to be open to new ideas whilst respecting the past.
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