Fell running

Fell running, also known as mountain running and hill running, is the sport of running and racing, off road, over upland country where the gradient climbed is a significant component of the difficulty. In the UK this is usually taken to mean a rise of at least 100 ft (30.5 m) of ascent per mile (1.6 km) covered.

Fell races are organized on the premise that contenders possess mountain navigational skills and carry adequate survival equipment as prescribed by the organizer.

Fell running has common characteristics with cross country running. Courses are longer, steeper, unmarked when out on the hills (with a few exceptions) and demand mountain navigational techniques. Nevertheless, cross country seems fast and furious to many fell runners. Fell running also overlaps with orienteering. Courses are again longer but demand different techniques from orienteering. However, fell running does require navigational skills in a wild, mountainous environment, particularly in determining and choosing between routes. Category O events and Mountain Marathons (see also below), test navigational ability – attracting both orienteers and fell runners.

Fell running does not involve rock climbing. Races avoid rock climbs and are subject to change when any ground nearby becomes unstable. A small number of fell runners who are also rock climbers nevertheless do attempt records traversing ridges that allow running and involve scrambling and rock climbing – particularly where the record is 24 hrs or less. Foremost of these in the UK is probably the traverse of the Cuillin Main Ridge on Skye, and the Greater Traverse, including Blaven. Nor does fell running involve expeditions. Race records vary from minutes to, generally, a few hours. Some of the mountain marathons do call for pairs of runners to carry equipment and food for camping overnight. Even the most extreme fell runners will tend to ”bite” at a record that stands 24 hrs or less – often a "round" that ends at the start line. The exceptions to the extreme fell runner are attempts at a continuous round of Munros. Mountaineers who traverse light and fast over high Alpine, Himalayan or through other such continental, high altitude are considered Alpine style mountaineers.

Fell races are generally run annually and over an established sequence of checkpoints. A marked route may lead runners from the start onto the open hill and back from the hill to the finish. Where the route is unmarked, a runner may choose their own route between the ordered checkpoints. Even so, routes between checkpoints tend to be well established for fell runners in fine weather, if not the popular route, and may involve a choice. The runners decision when there is a choice of routes will generally depend on the weather, visibility, surface conditions and their ability to ascend at that point in the race.

The Fell Runners Association publishes a calendar of 400 to 500 races per year. Additional races, less publicized, are organized in UK regions. Again, races are run on the premise that a contender possesses mountain navigational skills and carries carry adequate survival equipment.

Race categories

Courses are categorized by the amount of ascent and distance.

Ascent Categories

Category A

at least 250 ft (76.2 m) of ascent per mile (1.6 km)

Category B

at least 125 ft (38.1 m) of ascent per mile (1.6 km)

Category C

at least 100 ft (30.5 m) of ascent per mile (1.6 km)

Distance Categories

Category L

for Long - over 12 miles (19.3 km)

Category M

for Medium - over 6 miles (9.6 km)

Category S

for Short - less than 6 miles (9.6 km)

Additional Categories

Category O

also known as a Long O event

checkpoints are revealed to each competitor when they come up to a “staggered” start

entry by choosing an orienteering type class, such as a Score-O event and often as a team of two (pairs)

Category MM

events also known as Mountain Marathons and Mountain Trials

similar to Category O, always long, in wild, mountainous country with entry as pairs

Three example "classic A" races

• Wasdale Fell Race AL 21 miles (33.8 km) 9,000 ft (2743.2 m) male record 3 hrs 21 min W Bland 1982, female record 4 hrs 22 min M Todd 1997
• Ben Nevis Race AM 10 miles (16.1 km) 4,400 ft (1341.1 m) male record 1 hr 25 min K Stuart 1984 female record P Haworth 1984
• Blisco Dash AS 5 miles (8.1 km) 2,000 ft (609.6 m) record 36 min J Maitland 1987

Footwear

Modern Fell Running trainers use light, non waterproof material to eject water and dislodge peat after traversing boggy ground. While the trainer needs to be supple, to grip an uneven, slippery surface, a degree of side protection against rock and scree (loose stones) may be provided. Rubber studs have been the mode for two decades, preceded by ripple soles, spikes and the flat soled ‘pumps’ of the fifties.

History

The name arises from the origin of the English sport on the fells of Northern Britain, especially those in the Lake District. However, the Cotswold Way Relay, for example, also qualifies as a fell race under Fell Runners Association rules. A tradition of males from the Lake District villages running up and down fells in annual shows existed in the early nineteenth century.

Though the Lake District is generally acknowledged as the origin of Fell Running the earliest hill race may have been in Scotland. Hill running was evidently being practiced in a precursor to the Braemar Gathering in 1064, the latest date given for a competition organized by King Malcolm Canmore. See "Stud marks on the summits - A history of amateur fell racing: 1861-1983" by Bill Smith, SKG Publications 1985.

"Professional" races at annual shows, known as Guide races in the Lake District, combined with amateur races in 19th Century. Though under the banner of professional, at best the prize money would pay a week’s wages. During the major part of 20C the two categories ran as separate sports where a runner could only change categories after withdrawing from competition for a period of quarantine. Quarantine rules were eventually abandoned although professional races continue with a low profile. In the latter years of the 20th Century, prize money would generally be less than the value of mountaineering items awarded in an amateur event.

As a minority sport, fame and fortune are no incentive. Rather, fell runners express a common desire to be in ‘the hills’.

The Fell Runners Association was inaugurated in April 1970 to organize the duplication of event Calendars.

Fell runners have also set many of the peak bagging records in the UK. In 1932 the Lakeland runner Bob Graham set a record of 42 Lakeland peaks in 24 hours. His feat, now know as the 'Bob Graham Round' was not repeated for many years (in 1960); by 2003, however, it had become a fell-runner's test-piece, and had been repeated by over 1060 people. Building on the basic 'Round' later runners such as Eric Beard (56 tops in 1963) and Joss Naylor (72 tops in 1975) have raised the 24 hour Lakeland record considerably. The present record is of 77 peaks, and was set by Mark Hartell in 1997. The ladies record is of 62 peaks, set in 1994 by Anne Stentiford.

External links

• The Fell Runners Association organizers in the UK with links to regions, events and clubs
• World Mountain Running Association
• Scottish Hill Runners
• Irish Mountain Running Association
• Mountain Running in Slovenia
• The Bob Graham Round
• Fell & Rock Climbing Club of the English Lake District long walks and runs in the English Lakes