Fell races, what are they?

[IanDarkpeak]

Right, first person to mention the PPP gets their tyres slashed.

LOL

Trail race, so unlikely to get mentioned on this thread :closed:

Surely it's 3 short races with a 10k road race thrown in....

Personally I've always been better at steep climbs and descents with rough ground so my perfect race (from a doing the best in the results point of view) would have been something like the kinder dozen in filthy conditions!

hmm, I might just try to put that on as a race. Sounds ace!

My thought as well but it was actually looked in to 2 years ago but crosses too much sensitive land so no go I'm afraid. I still think it would put some of the lakes races to shame.
Nearest race to it would be the TOP

[Will_B]

If Fell racing didn't have the variety of conditions, terrain, landscapes and people that it does, it might as well just be road running.

[William Clough]

That's a good point LJ. But having studied the calendar over many years, and taking several criteria into account... the best fell race (by 310 points from its nearest rival, on the dunstall-radley amended scale) is the Cat and Fiddle down-and-up fell relay.

I was as surprised as anyone, but there's no disputing the results.

I fear you have not taken into account Penegar's Principle of Congruence. The Dunstall- Radley scale is a binary based system as I'm sure you are aware of.
According to my calculations the Barnstonethwaite Hobble made famous by fell running legend big Ron "Nudger" Nudgington comes up with a score of 311 or 1101011101 in your system.
Sorry to be pedantic about this but I feel you need to be aware of this fact.

[JohnK]

After reading some comments on the Edale Skyline thread it seemed to me that there is an interesting discussion to be had about what a fell race actually is. and should be considered to be...

Obviously a quick scan through the fixtures book reveal a huge variety of different events. differing length, height, terrain and time of year all adding fantastic variety to the 'fell racing year'

So I wonder? Is it a fully marked sprint up and back down again, back in the beer tent by lunchtime or is it a prolonged battle through terrain, weather and navigating through clag. I realise that it all of these, and probably all of these at once!

As defined by wikipedia :-


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fell_running

My own definition is a great blast with a like minded group of people over challenging terrain in whatever conditions prevail.

[stevefoster]

Run many of them, and a few trail races, not got a clue what they are, but enjoyed every single one and thanks to all the organisers and marshals and everyone involved in putting them together. Great atmosphere as well, it's only on here that everyone gets an opinion and starts arguing and name calling, pretty fecking childish, I am, of course, a grown up

[stevefoster]

Right, first person to mention the PPP gets their tyres slashed.

Check your tyres mate, you were the first

[Fairyfeet]

Who cares....! Stop with the distractions already, get back over to the Edale thread there's a big fight breaking out. .

[stevefoster]

Who cares....! Stop with the distractions already, get back over to the Edale thread there's a big fight breaking out. .

It's only bumbags at dawn Fairyfeet

[IanFitz]

Who cares....! Stop with the distractions already, get back over to the Edale thread there's a big fight breaking out. .

Hmm. You may just have stumbled across the reason I started this one...


that or razor-sharp intuition.

most likely the latter!

[IainR]

After reading some comments on the Edale Skyline thread it seemed to me that there is an interesting discussion to be had about what a fell race actually is. and should be considered to be...

Obviously a quick scan through the fixtures book reveal a huge variety of different events. differing length, height, terrain and time of year all adding fantastic variety to the 'fell racing year'

So I wonder? Is it a fully marked sprint up and back down again, back in the beer tent by lunchtime or is it a prolonged battle through terrain, weather and navigating through clag. I realise that it all of these, and probably all of these at once!

I can't see why the fuss is happening.. but dammed if you do dammed if you don't..

whether its a championship race is for the FRA to decide.. personally I'd be dissapointed if the race was ran and it was removed from the championship.. but regardless thats not your focus.

I love running in bad conditions, so if doing it, would want the race on. I can understand thoughts to cancel due to safety concerns, pressure on local infrastructure etc; actual safety on the hill doesn't concern me much TBH, its a fell race, at the end of winter, its also a very escapable fell race. As you mentioned people should be trusted to make their own decisions.