Jan-15

Fell running. How scary is it really
This year’s fell championship concentrates on short local races. Yes there are some fantastic long
races further afield that you might want to consider in the future but let’s concentrate on enjoying
the easier ones first.
Fell race distances are split in to
Short – under 10km
Medium – between 10 and 20 km
Long – over 20 km
The short races do not always require you to carry full kit, but the race organiser might insist if the
weather is expected to be bad. In my experience, I’ve not come across a short race that has required
more than a waterproof top except for Mr Sparkle’s Dark ‘Un. I suppose your choice is to either
arrive with all the kit just in case, or accept you might not be able to take part in bad weather.
The essential kit list
1. A waterproof jacket. There is a lot of talk about ‘taped seams’. This is just the way
waterproof jackets are constructed now. – You probably already have one of these. A jacket
with a hood is better than a hat which is more likely to blow away. Serious fell runners will
spend over £100 on a waterproof jacket that will pack very small, but a normal waterproof
will do until you get very competitive.
2. Waterproof overtrousers – These are to help keep you warm if you get stuck. You are
unlikely to be running in them so roll them up tightly and keep them in your bag.
3. Gloves
4. Whistle
5. Map and compass – a lot of races have maps available. An alternative is to print off a Bing OS
map and put it in a plastic wallet.
6. Emergency food such as energy gel. Very few fell races have water stations so you might
want to carry some. I drink from streams – it’s what keeps me looking so young. Don’t forget
that mountain top streams can dry up in hot weather.
You’ll need something to carry all this in, so a well stuffed small rucksack may be your easiest option
unless your kit is small enough to fit in a bum bag. Try to get in to the habit of taking all your kit to
every race, just in case.
Remember the essential kit is there for an emergency rather than to run in. If you get hurt or lost in
bad weather your biggest risk is the cold.
Most short races are well flagged and marshalled. I do wonder how many runners can read a map
and how many of those that can actually concentrate on keeping track of their position in case they
do get lost. There is an understandable tendency to follow the runner in front – this can lead to
whole groups of runners getting lost together. ‘NS’ means a race requires navigational skills, so have
a look for that.
Continued…