New safety rules

[Henry Porter]

I think it is perfectly reasonable for a RO to say 'if you want to enter this race you must pin your number unfolded on your chest so we can easily read it.' If this means you have to wear a vest then wear one. If you don't want to do that don't enter the race.

If you are going to have a rule you have to be able to enforce it and the best way to do that is to say if you don't comply with the rules you are not in the race and considered a side runner, therefore your name will not appear in the results.

It is hardly a hardship, in bad weather I unzip or lift my top so marshals can see it as most of us do. I think of it as a common courtesy to the people who are giving up their time to do this for us.

Mark -current FRA member

[Mark Smith]

Agreed. For crying out loud it really is easy. I know it might seem pleasantly idiosyncratic and quirky to some to put their number on their shorts and to be somehow keen for it to be, you know, 'their thing' but really, get over yourself and pin the number on your front.

To decide not to participate in a race because you might then appear to be similar to everyone else by having the number on your front, or because it's just too damn inconvenient to unzip a cag or wear a vest is remarkable. I mean, how much do you really love racing if you're prepared not to because of this issue?

I think it's safe to assume that ROs are reasonable people. If they stipulate sticking a number on your front, it would be unreasonable not to do so. If they insist on a pink tutu then ditto (but, as they are reasonable, there is no danger of this!). You might have to change a habit that, in your mind perhaps, sets you apart from the rest of us and/or makes you feel like you're distinctive somehow but you're not really. Everyone in the race is of a mind to take part in this cracking sport so they can't be so bad, so there's no need to stand out from what is already quite a discerning crowd.

In short, this really shouldn't even be an issue guys should it?

[Stolly]

I think it is perfectly reasonable for a RO to say 'if you want to enter this race you must pin your number unfolded on your chest so we can easily read it.' If this means you have to wear a vest then wear one. If you don't want to do that don't enter the race.

If you are going to have a rule you have to be able to enforce it and the best way to do that is to say if you don't comply with the rules you are not in the race and considered a side runner, therefore your name will not appear in the results.

It is hardly a hardship, in bad weather I unzip or lift my top so marshals can see it as most of us do. I think of it as a common courtesy to the people who are giving up their time to do this for us.

Mark -current FRA member

I agree that if you want to race, you need to do what the RO asks, which might very well be based on guidelines from the FRA. So for me it might be put up or don't bother I admit.

That said I think that what you think are easy rules to abide by or otherwise might be influenced by the type of fell race you're entering - long, short, high, low, bad weather or good, lakeland or north york moors? If you think about it, the worst combination of those elements is a long, high, in bad weather crossing high peaks in the Lake District and its in such races that the chances of runners getting lost and/or injured are at their optimum.

Just the sort of race where you might be wearing your waterproof over your number and just the sort of race where you may be wearing a rucksack over your waterproof (or a big bumbag over the waist band of your waterproof) making the lifting of your waterproof to show your chest pinned number not easy at all. Given that waterproof tops are often called upon in fell races but waterproof bottoms much more rarely, I would suggest that a leg pinned number can be a good idea.

In any event in both circumstances the number problem is easily got round by shouting it out to the marshall.

[Mark Smith]

Genius

I do enjoy the "spinnaker effect" of having an unfolded, uncrumpled number pinned to my vest. There's been many a time in a race, in a following wind, I have been swept along using this method. If the wind is coming from another direction or the front then I go into "tacking or beating mode" rotating my upper torso to get the best angle for the wind to catch my number and the noise when it does catch tells me I have judged it just right

So don't mess with your numbers me hearties and make them work for you :thumbup:

[IainR]

The FRA is a 'company limited by guarantee' of its members, therefore it could be said the FRA is its membership, not some quango. The FRA committee is elected from the members by the members. It would seem reasonable that the FRA committee seeks to protect the membership it represents by evaluating and improving rules.
The Safety Requirements document was issued in draft form for discussion; how many of the opinions expressed on this forum have been forwarded by email to the document author as requested? Or is this all the usual forum hot air? How many of the posters are actually current FRA members?

Poor grumps.. try and get over the fact I'm not an FRA member.. go on..

[Witton Park]

The FRA is a 'company limited by guarantee' of its members, therefore it could be said the FRA is its membership, not some quango. The FRA committee is elected from the members by the members. It would seem reasonable that the FRA committee seeks to protect the membership it represents by evaluating and improving rules.
The Safety Requirements document was issued in draft form for discussion; how many of the opinions expressed on this forum have been forwarded by email to the document author as requested? Or is this all the usual forum hot air? How many of the posters are actually current FRA members?

and I think it's appropriate that it does protect itself. After all we are "stuck" with UKA now and all because the British Athletics Federation didn't protect itself in the 90s and power in the sport generally has drifted away from the sport (AAA, CAU Regions) and is run by 2 unelected quangos funded mainly through central government grants and sponsorship.
Is it any wonder these highly paid execs look up to the paymasters before the look down on the grass roots?

I have to admit that I haven't forwarded any opinions on email.

But having been sought out to engage in some discussions in the past, as well as offering input voluntarily by email away from the forum, I have to say that I am not encouraged to go down the route of email input.
It just seems to fall on deaf ears.

and by the way, the FRA committee is elected by SOME of the members and in seeking to protect it's membership it also has to try and ensure that the sport doesn't become over bureaucratic and get the balance right.

[IainR]

So how many short fell races will have marshalls with FA kits? If a race is FRA insured.. a runner has a heart attack.. marshalls with no first aid kits.. would they be covered?

[noel]

So how many short fell races will have marshalls with FA kits? If a race is FRA insured.. a runner has a heart attack.. marshalls with no first aid kits.. would they be covered?

Where does it say this in the doc? I don't remember reading this bit, but I might have missed it.

[IainR]

"When possible race organisers should arrange for the local MRT, Red Cross or St. John’s

Ambulance to be on standby but, as a minimum, organisers MUST ensure that a qualified First Aider
is present at the finish where there should be an easily distinguishable First Aid Post equipped with,
for example, sleeping bags to keep a runner warm in the event of hypothermia"

race marshalls... should carry first aid and sustenance, as appropriate, depending on such factors as the length, severity and remoteness of the event, to help competitors in an emergency"

[bigfella]

Surely fell running is already a very safe, well run sport and I think the statistics show that, so why does anything need to change?

First aid kits, well you can remove the safety pins to save weight as the runners all bring their own :-)