Why? What difference does that make??
Originally Posted by George
Why? What difference does that make??
The competitors vet race organisers. If the RO does not show the required 'level of care' for competitors, or conversely if the RO is OTT in 'mothering and smothering' the competitors, then the competitors vote with their feet and do not return to that race in future years! At the end of the day the RO has set himself a huge uphill task in attempting to put on an event that should be safe and fair for all the participants, respect him for that. If you like what he's doing, enter; if you don't like it, don't enter.
Last edited by wheezing donkey; 23-12-2007 at 01:28 AM.
I understand that all race organisers for endurance events will need to be licensed eventually.
UK:Athletics
Apparently this will help race organisers understand Risk Assessment for courses and Health and Safety rules and regulations.
The Fell and Hill Running community will need to decide if this legislation applies to their events.
Wheeze,
I don't think you should have entry fees reduced / increased for carrying specific bits of kit. I don't think that's the fellrunning ethos, but I think RO's should be able to advise entrants that carrying specific bits of kit above and beyond waterproofs etc, may be beneficial. Mobile phones particularly because 12 months ago all I had was a T-Mobile phone that barely got a signal anywhere outside a a major urban area.
I'd be happy to be advised that carrying a GPS is beneficial. But then I'm a techie geek and therefore I own one. If I do have to resort to using it then I'm happy to own up to it and be dq'd from the results.
I've been trying to decide where I stand on this one. Not sure I have to be honest.
Dom, I'm definitely anti GPS - it deskills the ancient black art of navigation, and there are inherent innaccuracies, as No.6 discovered when using his cherished bit of frippery whilst crossing the Ward's Stone plateau on Friday night's mid-winter solstice run. There again, many of my mates would say that using a cell-phone will eventually 'deskill' my ability to whisper across 5 (very big) fields!!!
Last edited by wheezing donkey; 23-12-2007 at 01:44 AM.
Scene: 21 mile 5500 feet Dockray Helvellyn race in 2002.
The RO Joe Faulkner at the start line said (and I summarise): "this is a serious fell race, there are NO marshalls, I assume you have all got the right kit, we are not going to come looking for you if you get lost, if you want to drop out- do it NOW, etc etc.
The runners didn't laugh, they just went very quiet.
Sometimes it is good for a RO to spell out a few home truths.
Invest in a Camelbak now! I can see it coming...one year soon in a midsummer race there will be a blazingly hot day and many people will be carted off the fells due to dehydration and will that be the response?
Seriously, I think you can all see the club committee after last years race wiping their brows and saying "phew, just got away with it", closely followed by the "but what could have happened?" question, hotly persued by a "what more could we have done?".
And the nub is, is carrying a mobile phone the answer? And then a step on, will that mean the race organiser provides waterproof paper with local emergency numbers, checkpoint marshalls numbers etc etc?
There are people in orienteering who resent carrying a whistle.
With others, I'm in the 'race organisers is always right' brigade, but that doesn't stop the debate.
Not dissimilar to a Cat C race last weekend.
RO, "If you break your leg they'll be a 4 Wheel Drive to pick you up. Anything less than that and you're on your own".
And so it should be.
Only one leg? Ah you did say Category C as in C for Softies .
No, C as in Southern. Or Shropshire.
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote