Fetch Fell Runners

158 watchers

jda Sep 2021 7:24pm, 14 Sep 2021 10,798 posts	0 jda Isn’t XC just fell running for people who live in flat places?
rf_fozzy Sep 2021 7:28pm, 14 Sep 2021 15,372 posts	0 rf_fozzy No, there's a clear distinction - at least in my head.
Derby Tup Sep 2021 7:40pm, 14 Sep 2021 51,799 posts	0 Derby Tup XC is too matching vest and shorts ‘organised athletics’ for me but I take your point re ultra running. I have really enjoyed some training recently aimed at getting me moving quicker over 5K (and that has worked)
flyingfinn Sep 2021 8:10pm, 14 Sep 2021 2,859 posts	0 flyingfinn Ok, to add my twopennyworth to the controversial views. I think the reason a lot of fell runners avoid XC is that there is nowhere to hide. XC is full on hard running from gun to tape, often in full view of spectators, many in the running community these days just don't want that. Fell running offers many the perfect excuses to walk if they want to. The current fashion for ultra running is partly driven by the same thinking plus non-running friends/social media are far more impressed by being told you spent the weekend doing a 100K run (even if the truth is your walked most of it) than you flogged yourself round a 5 mile XC course in the local park (to many XC is just something you did out of sufference at school when it was raining and the PE staff couldn't be arsed to get wet!). The paradox is that XC or running fast on the road is simply too hard for most and walking in it is embarrasing but ultras and fell running, which sound far more hardcore actually offer many opportunities for taking it easy....
flyingfinn Sep 2021 8:17pm, 14 Sep 2021 2,860 posts	0 flyingfinn Another way of looking at it is that in both ultras and fell running (and in orienteering for that matter as well) many feel more at ease because the racing element is less to the fore and in many cases they have no interest in racing.
rf_fozzy Sep 2021 8:22pm, 14 Sep 2021 15,373 posts	0 rf_fozzy I'd broadly agree with that ff.
Derby Tup Sep 2021 8:26pm, 14 Sep 2021 51,801 posts	0 Derby Tup Spot on
Rosehip Sep 2021 8:27pm, 14 Sep 2021 22,395 posts	0 Rosehip delurks XC isn’t so much fun unless you are scoring for your club, those of us that love a good muddy run, but will never be at the sharp scoring for club end, don’t necessarily feel included in the clubiness.
rf_fozzy Sep 2021 8:31pm, 14 Sep 2021 15,374 posts	0 rf_fozzy That, for me, RH, is where the personal achievement thing comes in - testing to see how good you can be. It's the same principle as testing yourself against the clock on the road (or for that matter, any race against the clock).
Badger Sep 2021 8:39pm, 14 Sep 2021 14,171 posts	0 Badger I took up trail ultras because the views were better than city half marathons and I was getting too old for half marathon PBs. I appear to have taken three and a half minutes off my half PB as a result, mind.