The FRA and the Media

[Fleeter]

There are toss pots everywhere, I live in Oldham and I can tell you now I'd much rather have a night out in Llanberis than oldham! I love snowdonia nearly as much as my precious chew valley.

[TurboTom]

There are toss pots everywhere, I live in Oldham and I can tell you now I'd much rather have a night out in Llanberis than oldham! I love snowdonia nearly as much as my precious chew valley.

Nights out in Oldham are top, they always end hammered, eating kebabs and getting given it balls deep by some sweetheart from Holts

[shevyB]

poor old cleator moor:thunbdown:
most handy for ennerdale though

Now I am from Paisley- and anyone can feel free to give Paisley a bashing with my blessing

[IainR]

There are toss pots everywhere, I live in Oldham and I can tell you now I'd much rather have a night out in Llanberis than oldham! I love snowdonia nearly as much as my precious chew valley.

That's the thing it is a total one off.. literally the only night you are likely to see trouble.. but its year on year and certainly impacts on the area, peoples views and the success of races..

There's generally no anti-english though.. and I don't know how that gets to become such a truth, you do get the odd person but such a minority its not worth bothering about.. there was a great night in the pub a few months ago with a southerner, a right muppet, telling everyone to stop speaking Welsh.. that Snowdonia was just the southerners play ground.. I think that was his exact term.. it was brilliant, he was a sort of cross between Dom Jolly and AliG.. just trying to be as controversial as possible.. and people just took the piss... but he was serious.. but when you hear views like his you can understand a tad anti-englishness.. The stuff he was coming out with was priceless, he really thought about it, he must have ticked every box of being the stereotypical narrow minded english guy.. superb.. sadly he was serious though, but was a proper comedy sketch...

But the fighting.. a) you can't ignore and b) it shouldn't be ignored as its negatively impacting on the race. I think its definitely a factor in the lack of top class internationals who do the race now.. that and the dolomites being the same time..

[Fellhound]

... this came up because someone (GB I think) said there was no need to promote fell running, and I think there is in Wales. I've sat in the meetings where they've discussed the lack of feasibility of some races, not enough runners. The Peris, £5 a runner, say 60 runners, £300.. by the time you've bought prizes, cups, coasters, paid the radio guys (if they still use them), its not a great money raiser.

But there are also races in the Lakes that struggle to get a ‘decent’ field. Eg the Dungeon Ghyll a couple of weeks ago with only 37 starters this year and 40 (a record!) in 2011.

In fact, most short steep races are under-populated because people often have a mentality that equates distance with kudos and they don’t readily grasp the challenge of these races.

Obviously, some races need promoting and some don’t. People tend to go for the big, famous events so things like the Three Peaks obviously don’t need any promotion but there are probably some that do. GB is absolutely right to be cautious about this though, because most fell races couldn’t cope with a big influx of new runners and a small field is often an essential part of their atmosphere.

[Dynamo Dan]

From what I've heard about Carneddau it's a fantastic route, which rivals the likes of Buttermere Sailbeck. It's a real shame it doesn't attract a decent sized field, but how would you promote it? You could put an article in The Fellrunner, but it's a Welsh race and in reality the responsibility for poor race fields in Wales lies with the WFRA.

[IainR]

From what I've heard about Carneddau it's a fantastic route, which rivals the likes of Buttermere Sailbeck. It's a real shame it doesn't attract a decent sized field, but how would you promote it? You could put an article in The Fellrunner, but it's a Welsh race and in reality the responsibility for poor race fields in Wales lies with the WFRA.

i'm not sure about that... the FRA aren't just England.. the WFRA are sort of independant from UKA but yet affiliated to the FRA.. but the FRA is specifically to promote fell running in the UK..

google 'FRA'.. first line..

So I don't understand this view that its just England.. I've had that before off Graham. If it is so change the website, change its promotion material..

"Fell Runners Association




www.fellrunner.org.uk/
Organisation co-ordinating and promoting fell (i.e. hill/mountain) running in the UK."

[Wheeze]

From what I've heard about Carneddau it's a fantastic route, which rivals the likes of Buttermere Sailbeck. It's a real shame it doesn't attract a decent sized field, but how would you promote it? You could put an article in The Fellrunner, but it's a Welsh race and in reality the responsibility for poor race fields in Wales lies with the WFRA.

Thats complete bollocks! Neither the FRA nor WFRA, SHRA or IMRA are responsible for 'promoting' races! The numbers game is entirely down to population size within a one-two hour drive time of the event...where 90% of competitors will come from.

Fell races don't need promotion...indeed that's a dangerous route to go down. A well organised race with a reputation will always attract runners. What do you call a 'decent sized field'? Every time I have done Carneddau, the field has seemed perfectly matched for facilities/route etc.

But of course, North Wales is in complete societal meltdown according to the Oracle. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...entre-9pm.html
Tremble in fear all you lily livered Saesnegs!:wink:

[IainR]

Thats complete bollocks! Neither the FRA nor WFRA, SHRA or IMRA are responsible for 'promoting' races! The numbers game is entirely down to population size within a one-two hour drive time of the event...where 90% of competitors will come from.

Fell races don't need promotion...indeed that's a dangerous route to go down. A well organised race with a reputation will always attract runners. What do you call a 'decent sized field'? Every time I have done Carneddau, the field has seemed perfectly matched for facilities/route etc.

But of course, North Wales is in complete societal meltdown according to the Oracle. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...entre-9pm.html
Tremble in fear all you lily livered Saesnegs!:wink:

Erm.. I disagree.. they promote fell running.. calendars etc. Also race numbers.. 30 odd in some races? Come on that's awful, we can easily take 100/race, strangely the more traily races or shorter races are more popular. Tuesday evening races often get 100+..

1-2 hr drive from North Wales is literally millions..

What's that about.. North korean kids banned from Bangor?

[Wheeze]

Yes, I agree! An unusually intemperate outburst on my behalf should be taken in context of Object 2 of the FRA Constitution "to encourage and promote fell running and allied mountain races having due regard to the environmental and other impacts of the sport;"

So why the outburst?. I'm obviously wrong and yet I feel very strongly about the topic of 'promotion' of races. And I don't think I am alone. If you re-read Grahams piece (that started all this off) I think reasonable to assume that the thrust of the article is against 'promotion'...Opening sentence reads "The Fell Runners Association Committee has long held the view that people who really wish to spend time on the fells will find their way to them naturally and they will not need full colour articles in glossy, lifestyle magazines to alert them to the glories of the great outdoors. And those that do will probably need a 4x4 SUV to get there."

At which point, perhaps I should step aside for other comments. Graham, am I wrong to read an anti-promotion tint to your piece?

BTW, IainR, whats so awful about a field of 30 odd? A lot of us race to get away from the crowds in a spirit of friendly competition with like minded individuals in the great outdoors. If you want big fields, stick to road running!