andy
thanks for taking on the role of organiser mate
you will find no negative comments here , i think people are being a bit negative about this , at the end of the day your basically just carrying something round that weighs the same as a bloody tracker bar.
Its just they are thinking god its a mobile phone, technology, i dont need that ive ran races for years without one , why now??????. People dont like change.
Cmon guys , like Ian DP says without the likes of andy we wouldnt have a race FFS![]()
I take my mobile with me on most runs out of choice. But I'm not sure I like the idea of enforcement. I can see the reasoning behind such a move bit surely, a more diplomatic way to achieve this would be to encourage people to bring their phones (and, if you like, offer a discount to those that do. The higher price for non-phone carriers is justified by the potential extra trouble of rescuing them if needed).
The approach of 'You'll carry them coz I say so, like it or lump it' causes problems because it goes against the grain of why so many people fell race...to get away from the modern world for an hour or 2 and survive on their own wits and ability. And to get away from rule makers and enforcement. Well, you might say 'Fine, stay away from the Edale Skyline' but this is the thin end of several wedges. Its discriminatory. And as others have said, it opens the door to yet more kit requirements and may encourage people to press on when naked common sense would say stop. And thats besides all the obvious technical failings of this requirement.
It's surely not too late to reconsider how you want to put this across?
In five years' time a mobile will be on the FRA required kitlist. This is just the first of many, and the first always gets shot at.
In the light of the wild, wild conditions in which last year's race were held, and the requirement of the Edale MRT to ferry significant numbers of runners who were on the verge of hypothermia off the hill, I think that this is an entirely reasonable request.
I'd suggest that they keep a number of old, basic phones at registration to lend to those that "forget".
Don't know what I'm doing on this thread anyway. I'm gutted that I won't get back from holiday until the day after the skyline.
And this year the race may well be held in balmy, clear conditions. Thats the beauty of fell racing, you never know what you're gonna get.
Are we really suggesting that this is the way to go? Given the above comments, what would there be to stop an insurer looking at things and seeing which way the wind is blowing and starting to insist that all long races would require full MM type kit (including tent etc etc)??
Would Judith Taylor still be alive today if she had been able to use a mobile phone to summon help in the Kentmere horseshoe fell race?