Quote Originally Posted by Travs View Post
I've been running on the fells for coming up to two years now. Probably done 30-35 races, well over 20 of them will be either 'A longs' or if not, considered as tough routes like Haworth Hobble, Long Mynd Valleys, Roaches, etc.
If race tally is a factor then those living in or near the Lakes are at a tremendous advantage. My first race was the Pentland Skyline in 2010 and you've comfortably done more races than me since then. That's partly inclination, but if I wanted to race once a fortnight I'd be putting serious mileage on the car.

I think there needs to be some consideration of quality as well as quantity. Loads of fair weather racing where there are plenty people to follow, plus a BG with a full cohort of pacers, navigators and road crew is likely to teach you less than a day out alone in winter getting the crap kicked out of you by the weather. That probably speaks to the multifaceted nature of the sport, I'd think of an experienced runner as having breadth as well as depth of experience.