• Involvement

Things happen very quickly in fell-running. You need to watch your feet, pick your line to run and judge your pace all at the same time.

• All round fitness

Uphill, downhill and level sections use different stride patterns and different heart rates. Together with the balance needed, it is a terrific all-round workout.

• Adrenalin Buzz

The buzz of running downhill at pace is like skiing.

• Beautiful Scenery

The best scenery is found on the Mountains and Moors.

Fell racing is well structured with an annual calendar produced by the FRA ( www.fellrunner.org.uk  ) and standard grading based on:

• Length

Long (>12 miles), Medium (6-12 miles) or Short (<6 miles)

• Grade

A - Steep climbs – not ideal for beginners
B - within the non-fell runners competence
C - basically Multi-Terrain races

In addition to the local races there are a number of championships (apart from the Relay these are all open to any competitor):

British & English Championships
both based on best 4 from 6 races (2 races are part of both English and British). Guaranteed top class fields.

FRA Relay
Top British clubs compete against each other in a 4 leg relay (2 individual legs and 2 solo legs). Held in October and rotated around the major clubs. In 2003 Stroud came 28th, the highest placing by a club from the southern half of the country for many years.

Inter-Counties
A one-off annual race with 4 men and 4 women representing each county. Gloucestershire normally head the southern counties.

Snowdon
A one-off race in July featuring international teams from each of the home nations plus some top-class overseas runners.

South Wales Winter Series
5 from 7 short/steep races held between October and April. Lower standard than the British/English championships, but often a battle against the elements.

• Brecon Beacons

The 3rd most mountainous area of England and Wales (behind Snowdonia and the Lakes) is just 1.5 to 2 hours away.

• Dartmoor/Exmoor

Complete contrast to the Brecons with large expanses of remote moorland.

• Malverns

Great steep, if mostly shorter, climbs and terrific views. Just over an hour from Stroud.

• Cotswolds

Around Stroud Rodborough Common, Selsley Common and Cam Peak/Long Down all offer small areas of fell-terrain.

Windproof Jacket
A must have for just about any run in the mountains (compulsory equipment for A grade Medium or Long races)

Footwear
Multi-Terrain/Trail shoes are OK, but Fell-running shoes are preferable and essential for steep runs.

Whistle
The most effective way of attracting help in any weather (compulsory equipment for A grade Medium or Long races)

Hat/Cap
Strongly advised for winter runs as the best way of conserving heat.

Liquid
Dehydration is an obvious problem on hot days but on cold days it can accelerate hypothermia. Carry what you need for the distance (not normally necessary for short runs).

Compass
Not a lot of use unless you are competent with it (compulsory equipment for A grade Medium or Long races)

Windproof Trousers
Rarely used in fell running but advisable to carry if poor weather is expected (compulsory equipment for A grade Medium or Long races)

Bumbag
Needs enough adjustable straps to be tightened and useful if the liquid can be kept separate from everything else.

• Navigation

The better you can navigate the more you will be able to do and the more inclement weather you can go out in.

• Descending at Speed

It’s a skill that can only improve with practice. Take rocky routes slowly until you become more used to them and more proficient at judging when you may slip. One useful tip is to run with a short stride and high cadence (i.e. the rate at which your legs are going round) – if one foot slips the other will come through before you go head over heels.

• Ascending

Ascending at speed is basically down to sheer fitness. The only tip is to aim for negative splits on hills (i.e. run the bottom half slow and the top half faster) – you can recover after the top half of a climb but there is no recovery after the bottom half.

If you would like to take part in any fell running and need further advice please contact

Mike Duxberry t: 01453 824467

or e-mail MikeDuxbury@aol.com

with details of any fell-running experience that you have and your orienteering ability (i.e. not confident map-reading, can map-read but have never tried it at speed, have orienteered/navigated OK or confident that you navigate your way off a desolate moor in 50 yards visibility).

AZ Races