Quote Originally Posted by Mark G View Post
l sincerely hope the new rules will bring some clarity and a common accepted standard, they haven't yet but I think things will settle down and we will be in a better position than before.
Quote Originally Posted by IanDarkpeak View Post
I have to say I feel a little sorry for the committee. They work for us on our behalf for free to provide a safer environment and allow races to go ahead. We all know this yet there's always some complaint about what they do
Complaining about the details of the new rules: pointless, whatever decisions they have reached are for the good of fellrunning, and are the best that they could come up with. Kit standards change. Rules change.

But asking for a bit of communication/clarity is fair (obviously I do not know at this time what they have planned for the calendar/magazine)

I know the committee didn't want to name particular items of kit, but for years the Mistlite 130 has been sold in shops as:
  1. waterproof (rightly or wrongly)
  2. and meeting FRA requirements

So without some special steps, a lot of people (eg occasional fellrunners, not forumites) will have no clue that this has changed. They could even be permitted with a warning for 6-12 months. I just imagine the committee doing nothing on this, as with the 'heavier than Pertex' issue.

Some guidelines are needed I think, maybe ROs need to start stating now what they would accept / decline.

Or even just the byline that FRA waterproofs are now equivalent to OMM ones would help get across the implications of the new rules.

I would compare it to changing the British Champs rules this year without explicitly mentioning it, so a lot of people did not realise it was any 3 from 4 races.