Fellsman

[Rob Furness]

Thanks Stolly for your sympathy - it was VERY harsh being my 10th and the only one I couldn't finish under my own steam. GUTTED is an understatement.

You have to consider the well being of the marshalls and also take into consideration the fact that if you have numerous cases of hypothermia already, then decide to continue, you run the risk of being overwhelmed by freezing competitors with little chance of getting them all to safety fast enough. Not to mention the fact that if someone dies, you as the organiser will face the question "why did you continue the event given the circumstances" and the very real possibility of being held responsible for that persons death. They made the call and I suspect it was the right call.

[IanDarkpeak]

Just found this on Youtube. An explanation of why the event was cancelled.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-UGoZHAEomI

well done Nicky another win ?

re the call by the Fellsman team. I wasn't there so won't comment on this specifically other than to say It sounds like they made the correct call.

any event where the resources are used up evacuating injured and tired have to make this call esp where the event is long and through the night, if they'd have continued and you have one more incident with no backup could result in a tragedy. classic disaster management, where it's not one big thing that goes wrong but lots of small things. I've seen it so many times. you'll always get some one who complains he was properly kitted out but fortuanately the RO has the sense to realise its every competitor he has a duty to.

[Rob Furness]

Spot on Ian. A pissed off competitor is much better than a dead one!

[protodoc]

...and when you can't?

even following the Miniumum kit list doesn't mean you shouldn't be properly prepared for the conditions in any race

Agreed, I think we can all agree, "be prepared", which is after all the scouting motto!

[AndyA]

That is the whole point of lightweight kit, so you can run!

Well said.

In my opinion the kit requirements were perfectly adequate for anyone able to run in this event or at least run/walk in the latter stages. I used the same pack as Jez Bragg and probably had similar weight equipment; I was comfortably cool (as a runner should be) but never cold and I got back just after midnight.

To my mind (feel free to disagree here) the Fellsman is primarily a running not a walking event; entrants are free to walk if they want to but will need to carry significantly warmer clothing. To burden runners with equipment suitable for walking will reduce their ability to run in the first place and exhaust them sooner.

The problem comes when entrants over-estimate their own ability (physically and mentally). They then change from runners to walkers, are generating a lot less heat and suddenly become woefully under-equipped.

I fully support the organiser's decision to stop the event and I feel the kit list is fit for purpose. Whether or not some of the entrants were is perhaps open to debate!

[plodding bear]

It was called the "hike' for long enough - I think walkers are more than welcome! If people want to run it that's fine but, like so many LDWA events, it is NOT a fell race; it's a long distance challenge, to be completed in the manner of your choice - i.e either walking or running. That choice will obviously determine the type of kit you choose to take but the underlying principle is that really, it's up to the individual to be sensible about their limitations and carry appropriate gear.
As an aside, I'm sure we've all heard of people who dump half their kit after the kit check, possibly the organisers have too, hence the kit check half way round. Should these people be disqualified, putting not only themselves at risk but also the organiser's reputations and the event itself? Maybe even named and shamed in the results?

[plodding bear]

...That reads as if I think it's an LDWA event; I don't and it isn't!

[AndyA]

...As an aside, I'm sure we've all heard of people who dump half their kit after the kit check, possibly the organisers have too, hence the kit check half way round. Should these people be disqualified, putting not only themselves at risk but also the organiser's reputations and the event itself? Maybe even named and shamed in the results?

They should definitely be dq'd, that's a given; not just for their own safety but also for the protection of the organiser.

Naming and shaming seems a bit unpleasant; intent to deceive is often hard to prove and things could turn nasty for any organiser that went down that route.

[plodding bear]

Maybe just a spell in the stocks then...:w00t:

[jpd]

First time poster and first time entrant to the fellsman. To cut a long story short, I crocked myself before the Hell Gap checkpoint inverting my ankle very heavily when the ground gave way, and retired at Cray. This is the first time I had to retire from an event beyond my control. The hardest part for me was taking one last look at the tally card before handing it over.... well, it wouldn't have been wise to continue with a dodgy ankle as I'd only do more damage and go slower and slower...!

I often take many events for granted when I finish without any problems. This is where I thought the organisation was first class and really showed how well the event is organised behind the scenes. The staff at the checkpoint and the nurses at Threshfield were excellent, attentive and very upbeat despite the weather conditions. I don't know how many bus drivers they were but it certainly would have been a long night for them!

Considering the weather conditions, I can wholeheartily agree with the organisers calling off the event, as their resources were stretched. It would have been unfair on the staff behind the scenes if anything serious did happen later in the event. From what I experienced, I thought it was a fantastic event, and I'd want the event to continue for many years to come for others to experience, it'd only take one very serious incident that could put the event in jeopardy.

Respect to everybody that enterered the event whether they finished or not!