Paid Rounds

[Oracle]

I respect the club for its principled clarification of its own rules of admission.

I don’t see how "what-iffery" helps anyone. I’m sure Killian won’t be pacing anyone any time soon. He’s an exceptional case, and you can’t make rules for the majority of everyday cases which also account for every exception.

If the club chooses to promote an overall ethos of community over commercialism, it isn’t required to prohibit the smallest financial transactions between Round participants. If it wasn’t a club ran by volunteers, I’m sure it could publish a long list of exactly what forms of cash transactions are and aren’t acceptable for membership, but it is, so it doesn’t.

But then those who use - or are forced to use - (semi) professional support are also exceptional cases. Just not exceptional runners. Why one exception the professional runner, not professional support?

If kiliam ( as a professional ) now shows up to support Rob, is he barred as a professional supporter? It is all a complete nonsense.

If any of the supporters are sponsored, they are to a degree professional.

And even that is a misnomer. I wager none of the " professional supporters" do this as more than a small sideline and they do it for comparative pin money. Just like race result teams.
I dislike the fact that fell racing is going same way, but it is what it is.. With paid ( so professional) race entry platforms and paid results: should those who charge for photographs be banished too?

The discrimination against support is arbitrary. And will lead to more problems than solutions.
Fell running went through this nonsense once with guide running. Doesn't need to go there again.