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Thread: GPS in fell races

  1. #161
    Quote Originally Posted by DrPatrickBarry View Post
    He is OK.

    Becasue in a fell race, deciciding to follow somebody is a perfectly legal tactic, because you run the risk of following somebody that does not know where they are going and ends up leading the people behind him in the wrong direction. That has happened numerous times.

    Where Johnny had a suspicion that the bloke in front had a GPS, is purely down to honesty then.

    It really is nonsense, what is one meant to do if you see somebody in front checking a watch? You know what you are doing and can easily get around the course yourself, but you end up following him becasue it is easier, should you be disqualfied? How do you "unsee" him checking it.
    But how do you know if they're checking a GPS screen or the stopwatch to see if they're on their target pace?

  2. #162
    Master DrPatrickBarry's Avatar
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    I am against this ruling because it is unenforceble. But others have argued that does not matter, it is the spirit of the race and honesty comes into play. So it is up to the compitor to declare, I followed number 12345, who I suspect was using a GPS. Well the organisers are not going to put number 12345 "to the question". If he has not declared himself then the organisers, will take him as true to his word.

    I wonder has it happened yet. Has somebody been a "tell a tattle" leading to a disqualfication?
    In fact do the rules allow for that?

  3. #163
    Master Stolly's Avatar
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    A bit late to this but I have joined in on similar discussions on the fell runners face book page. The point that has never successfully been answered for me is the massive advantage that local runners get in fell races. Never mind maps or compasses or gps tracks, if you’re a local it’s quite likely you could know every nook and cranny of the route. A non-local or somebody who just runs in the area occasionally doesn’t stand a chance in an everything else being equal race. Add bad or extremely bad weather and the local runner has a huger advantage still.... and, as an added bonus, is far less likely to get lost on the hill and die.

    So I guess all I need to do is spot the local vest of a similar paced runner to me at say the langdale horseshoe or borrowdale - never mind gps, hey presto I’ve got a real living breadcrumb trail to follow 😊

  4. #164
    Master PeteS's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Stolly View Post
    A bit late to this but I have joined in on similar discussions on the fell runners face book page. The point that has never successfully been answered for me is the massive advantage that local runners get in fell races. Never mind maps or compasses or gps tracks, if you’re a local it’s quite likely you could know every nook and cranny of the route. A non-local or somebody who just runs in the area occasionally doesn’t stand a chance in an everything else being equal race. Add bad or extremely bad weather and the local runner has a huger advantage still.... and, as an added bonus, is far less likely to get lost on the hill and die.

    So I guess all I need to do is spot the local vest of a similar paced runner to me at say the langdale horseshoe or borrowdale - never mind gps, hey presto I’ve got a real living breadcrumb trail to follow 😊
    Just the slight problem of me being able to keep up with someone in a Borrowdale vest then!

  5. #165
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    i agree that's an advantage. but it's a FAIR advantage in my view.

    Quote Originally Posted by Stolly View Post
    A bit late to this but I have joined in on similar discussions on the fell runners face book page. The point that has never successfully been answered for me is the massive advantage that local runners get in fell races. Never mind maps or compasses or gps tracks, if you’re a local it’s quite likely you could know every nook and cranny of the route. A non-local or somebody who just runs in the area occasionally doesn’t stand a chance in an everything else being equal race. Add bad or extremely bad weather and the local runner has a huger advantage still.... and, as an added bonus, is far less likely to get lost on the hill and die.

    So I guess all I need to do is spot the local vest of a similar paced runner to me at say the langdale horseshoe or borrowdale - never mind gps, hey presto I’ve got a real living breadcrumb trail to follow ��

  6. #166
    Senior Member Chris K's Avatar
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    Over the years I've led quite a few runners astray in my Keswick vest! The one year I got to do Ennerdale, Wasdale and Borrowdale in the same season, I went wrong on all three 'knowing the area'.However, being able to navigate (when I did get the map and compass out), did finish safely.
    A circular route mostly downhill

  7. #167
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    If suspected, rather than DQ the runner make them wear a cone of shame for the next few races?


  8. #168
    Master Wheeze's Avatar
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    The Skirrid mountain is probably my second most used hill for training. I do, indeed, know every nook and cranny. I have placed well in races there and enjoy plunging down the very steep descent. I could race it with my eyes closed.
    Which explains why I was able to take 4 other runners 90 degrees the wrong way when they were following my local vest in dense mist. Yeah, right. Local knowledge can be an advantage...but only if being employed by a non-numpty!! Emoji laff.
    Simon Blease
    Monmouth

  9. #169
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    There was a recent case where my local knowledge was actually a disadvantage. A trail race organised by a local Scout group, with the waymarking a bit patchy and not enough marshals. I had looked at the map at registration, and knew exactly where I was going (much of the route was on paths I use for training). Some other runners missed a marker and took a short-cut over Beacon Hill, and the organiser didn't feel like disqualifying people when he hadn't even had the marshals at the top checking numbers or observing whether people were approaching on the correct path. See my thread on "Charnwood Challenge" on the Other Races forum.
    In his lifetime he suffered from unreality, as do so many Englishmen.
    Jorge Luis Borges

  10. #170
    Member mykind's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by PeteS View Post
    Just the slight problem of me being able to keep up with someone in a Borrowdale vest then!
    Nah you'd keep up with me easy - but I'd probably get lost anyway.
    Mike Hind
    Borrowdale Fell runners

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