Three Peaks Fell Race

[Malky]

Ok, before all you guys put the boot in, have you thought (as Brummy John suggests) to consider the extra costs and requirements of the race being an international fixture in 2008? I think if you ask the organisers they will be justify why the entry fee has had to rise. And the unattached levy of course is nothing to do with them.

If you have got a gripe about the money spent on prizes, then you might as well avoid most races, as they all spend a good portion of the entry fees on the prizes (not all of which of course go to the winners alone).

I believe that the fact that the 3 Peaks is an international race in 2008 is great news for our sport. It will bring benefits to the race itself, to all of us who run on the fells, to anyone else out there tempted to take up fellrunning, to the local area and to the development of the sport at the wider level.

[david]

I believe that the fact that the 3 Peaks is an international race in 2008 is great news for our sport. It will bring benefits to the race itself, to all of us who run on the fells, to anyone else out there tempted to take up fellrunning, to the local area and to the development of the sport at the wider level.

I think you'll find there are many on this forum who will totally disagree with you.

[Stolly]

Well as a dweller and often user of the Dales, I'm pleased that the 3 peaks is an international event for next year. The whole three peaks area of the Dales I like to think of as my 'neck of the woods' and it should give tourism a bit of a boost too, if only for a while. I doubt it will have a long term boost to fell running as a sport (the 3 peaks being publicised could put just as many people off as it might inspire ) but given that the 3 peaks is a very tough race, its an opportunity to share our pain with a wider audience .

And yes, I appreciate that the 3 peaks as a fell race includes too bigger slice of road to be considered perfect (Barrowdale and many other long fell races are just as tough and maybe more 'felly') but I'm still hooked on the race and especially the 3 peaks themselves (and the bog lands in general between Pen Y Ghent and Whernside). I'm definitely entering next year even if it cost £20 - as much as anything I just want too run the bleeding race now that I'm fitter than all the other times I've trogged round.

[Eddie]

I agree with Malky and Stolly. As fellrunners we are luck enough to enjoy exceptional value in most of our races. It is exceptional thanks to the volunteers who do most of the hard work and the spirit of the sport is such that prizes are often donated. As fellrunners we also accept that facilities will often be spartan. When we take our turn and host a major international event we have to accept that all manner of facilities will need to be provided and costs will have to be met. We are also lucky enough that if we don't want to pay towards those for a year then there are a great many other races on the calendar that would benefit from our support.

Regarding paying to race I would suggest we should be more concerned about events such as these
http://www.endurancelife.com/
The trail marathons here cost £45 a time and there are five in the series. Such events are clearly designed to make money and seem similar to the big mountain bike enduros. They are probably well organised and great races but might they not become a threat to fell running? Surely (if?) once people start paying such prices and someone starts making money landowners will understandably want some of the pie as well. We depend on goodwill of landowners but can we expect them in the future to distinguish between the different styles of event?
Apologies if that's rather 'off-thread'.

[Stagger]

Well as a dweller and often user of the Dales, I'm pleased that the 3 peaks is an international event for next year. The whole three peaks area of the Dales I like to think of as my 'neck of the woods' and it should give tourism a bit of a boost too, if only for a while. I doubt it will have a long term boost to fell running as a sport (the 3 peaks being publicised could put just as many people off as it might inspire ) but given that the 3 peaks is a very tough race, its an opportunity to share our pain with a wider audience .

.

Why have it as an English Champ the same time as an international mountain race?
Its should be the normal £8 when its and english and charge what they want to the mountain runners.

PS Ben nevis is also in the mountain series in 2008 but they have not hiked their prices.

[Stolly]

Ben nevis is also in the mountain series in 2008 but they have not hiked their prices.

I take your point but presumably the Ben Nevis course doesn't need marking out in the same way the the 3 peaks has to be - the wide open expanse between Pen Y Ghent and Ribblehead can be traversed in no end of ways but (presumably at farmers and/or National Park insistance) has to specifically follow pre-taped taped routes with from the looks of things added marshalling. Maybe Johny Foreigner might need extra help on the marshalling front?

Fort William is I'd imagine a slightly bigger place than Horton-in-Ribblesdale too

[david]

I heard rumour that the hosts of these events have to contribute towards the travel/accomodation cost of the top runners.

This is from the WMRA 2007 rules but presumably similar will apply in 2008:

6.7. Each race organiser must offer as a minimum free entry and accommodation for at least one night (at least two nights for athletes with extra long journeys to make) for those athletes in prize-winning positions in the 2006 Grand Prix overall results.

6.8. Participating races will be responsible for hosting at least two WMRA Council members during the event.

So free accommodation for a couple of blazers as well as last year's prize winners.

[IainR]

I think the price is a bit of a joke but not suprised.

In NZ $100 a race wasn't unusual. It became full time businesses for some people organising races. 500 runners, $100 a runner, $50,000 from a race. How can a race cost $50,000 to organise?

There was the startings of a move in NZ to organise races for runners by runners, to reduce this sort of thing.

I know you could call me a hypocritical sod as we have set up a fell running business, but I do think providing skills training is different to charging silly prices for access to classic races. We payed out hundreds, well thousands of pounds getting our ML qualifications to be able to teach on the hills, so I think it's fair enough.

Why not just set up rival events on the same route if this happens. Just at a very different time of year to reduce pressure on the fells.

In NZ we literaly couldn't afford to race that much as many of the races were around $100, so £30-40. Doesn't sound like much but once you and your missus enter, travel etc it soon adds up, so we used to race just once a month.

[david]

I take your point but presumably the Ben Nevis course doesn't need marking out in the same way the the 3 peaks has to be

Any race in the WMRA series must have a fully marked course.

3.2.1 Courses must not contain any dangerous sections

3.2.2 Courses must be adequately marked throughout, such that complete strangers to the courses can follow without difficulty.

3.2.3 Courses must have less than 20% of the distance on asphalted road. Technically difficult sections and possible shortcuts must be manned by marshals.

3.2.4 Guidelines for downhill sections are as follows:
- They must not have rock steps
- They must not consist of loose rock terrain
- They must not exceed 30% rate of descent, averaged over each kilometre from the starting point of descent.

3.2.5 Any course which exceeds any parameter specified in rule 3.1 by more than 20% will not be accepted.

3.2.6 For mainly uphill courses, the total amount of descent should nor exceed 10% of the total ascent.
3.2.7 For up and downhill courses which do not start and finish at the same point, the difference between the total ascent and total descent should not be more than or less than 5% plus or minus.

[Stolly]

Any race in the WMRA series must have a fully marked course.

Yeah. The point I was making is that I imagine that's much easier to do for the Ben Nevis race.