Quote Originally Posted by GrahamB View Post
Btw there are now approaching 7000 members of the FRA. The days that Wheeze likes to wax poetical about are gone or going. Fellrunning isn't a fringe pastime for a few hard men who build dry stone walls and have sheep anymore.

Welcome to the real world of the 21st Century.
There is an interesting facet of this whole debate....why do we fell run/race?

Grahams point above seems to be saying that because there are now more people fell racing, we need to modernise it. But perhaps because fell racing/running places more emphasis on disappearing values of self reliance and self responsibilty, perhaps this is why more people are doing it? So, to modernise it would be to dilute the very reason why people do it in the first place.
I know that the reason I fell race rather than do XC or road running is because I enjoy the additional requirements on self reliance and good preparation rather than just outright speed.