Kit conundrum

[Graham Breeze]

It just seems a little vague and ambiguous to me. Surely if this is the way we're thinking, the better wording would be that kit was mandatory for all races, but could be waived at the ROs discretion (for applicable categories)? Like I say, I do take kit, and sometimes carry it even if not enforced. However, there must be newcomers who would interpret this as I have, and just roll up in their kit?

I do not agree with your "better wording". Philosophically it is not the way fellrunning works.

Races are organised by race organisers ie not the FRA. Fell races existed before the FRA did.

RO are the beating heart of the sport, the FRA is the governing body and the two have different but complementary roles.

For a RO to get their race registered and INSURED they have to agree to comply with FRA rules which include, inter alia, mandatory kit for some categories of races.

Many FRA rules/procedures can be traced back to Coroners' comments after a fell race death which the FRA, as a governing body, had to respond to .

The FRA has a view on "best practice" which it does not seek to impose unnecessarily on RO.

A RO at their race can demand anything they want above FRA mandatory requirements. I recall many years ago when Dark Peak insisted that everybody in the Edale Skyline carry a mobile, when not everybody owned one, and the FRA accepted "their race - their rules". Aka "even if you think the RO is wrong he will still be enough right to refuse you entry to his race".