Top Tips for your First Fell Race

Based on my experiences of fell races, I have compiled a list of things which may be useful to know before heading to your first race...

Finding a race local to you:
In order to find out about local races, the internet is a good place to start, especially if you are an "unattached" runner (not a member of a running club).  The Fell Runners Association (FRA) is a good site. I would recommend joining a local club as running in a club vest is a great feeling when other members cheer you on, and you often get discount at bigger events.

Kit needed: 
In general, fell running is a pretty simple sport with minimal kit requirements, however, there is a definite winter/summer divide and weather obviously plays the main part in choosing what kit to wear and when.

Wearing a jacket in cold and windy conditions

Winter Kit Suggestions:

• A head cover - hat/buff/headband (I prefer a buff or headband to cover my ears, which lets heat escape from the top of my head, I guess if you are a bit "thin on top" you may prefer a hat!)
• Gloves - you can get waterproof gloves but I find my hands soon warm up so I wear basic thin running ones and usually end up taking them off mid-race
• Base layer top with long sleeves
• Technical Tee (never wear cotton as it soaks up sweat then chills to the bone)
• Race vest (if member of a club) 
• Long running tights (with a drawstring waist) 
• Wool or wool blend socks 
• Fell shoes with good grip (very very important) I use the Inov-8 mudclaws but try Walsh or Salomon for other popular choices
• Jacket - a waterproof (with taped seams), windproof and breathable jacket or smock like the OMM Kamleika is highly recommended and actually a necessity if running under "full kit" rules (more about this later)

Summer Kit Suggestions:

Buxton Carnival Race - Summer kit

• A cap, visor or sunglasses (or just a thin headband to keep flyaway hair out of your face if it's long - you can get 1cm wide bands with silicone grips on the back which are good)
• Technical Tee (may not be required if it's a warm day but handy to take just in case)
• Race vest
• Shorts, short tights or 3/4 length tights
• Thin running socks
• Fell or Trail shoes dependent on conditions and terrain

Accessories - 

Lambs Longer Leg in the snow - Wearing a hydration vest

• For longer races - A hydration vest like one pictured in the Lambs Longer Leg race 
• For short races a water bottle with loop for hand will be fine (I often don't carry any water for short races less than 10 miles)
• A  bladder system can be used if a backpack needs to be worn e.g. if full kit is required to be carried see the Phantom 12 from OMM 
• GPS watch I use a Garmin Forerunner 220 or a Garmin Vivoactive HR
• Vaseline - thin layer between the toes
• Suncream stick
• 4 x safety pins (usually provided at registration) or a triathlon belt to hold race number in place

Spring racing

Full kit requirements - 

A set of runners rules is here.  It often states that, "competitors must be prepared to carry full kit" in order for the organisers to cover themselves for insurance purposes. 

It is always worth taking a backpack with a map of the route (usually available online), hat, gloves, compass, whistle, water, sweet snack or gel (jellybabies are very popular, I prefer jellybeans!) and full body cover (a waterproof jacket and waterproof trousers (both with taped seams) with you to fell races, just in case you are made to carry them.  

Generally, you don't need to if the race is in the short category, and it is left to the runners discretion but do bear in mind that, if you are going up high - the weather may change and you may need a jacket for example, as a bare minimum.  My jacket has actually proved to be a helpful aid as I was literally blown by the wind past three other runners in the Famous Grouse fell race last year!

It is worth having a read of the following links just in case you get into difficulties or encounter another runner in trouble (it is compulsory to help another runner if you find them in a poor condition, regardless of the fact you are racing).

Windy at the summit - jacket and headband needed!

Hypothermia info
Hypoglycemia info (low blood sugar)
Dehydration info

Race Abbreviations 

When I first started to look for fell races, I was baffled due to the abbreviations used - as there are 2 letters describing each race. 

The first is A, B or C and shows the average height gain per mile.


A = Really Steep! (Think near vertical hills and using your hands to help!)
B = Quite steep
C = Not really that steep

The second letter used is S, M or L and shows the length of the race:

S = Short  less than 10k
M = Medium  10 - 20k
L = Long 20k +

A steep climb!

Ultras are races longer than marathon distance (eek!)

Other abbreviations are:

'ER' = experience required.
'LK' = local knowledge an advantage.
'NS' = navigational skills required. 
'PM' = course partially marked.

I have never had to read a map or use any navigational skills in any of the races I have done, I think that the chances of me being at the front are very slim and generally, I can see other runners as I am mid-field.  That said, it would obviously be useful to have a map and compass just in case, and know how to use them!  It's the sort of thing you make the call on, on the day.

What to expect on the day - 

Weather is never permitting in this sport!  Fell races are not weather dependent  - they are always going to be run, if you can get there, it will be on!  This is not a sport for softies, if its snowing, so what? Actually, running in the snow is quite cool (yes, literally!).

Fell running has a mid-week season, starting in Spring, with races held at around 7-7.30pm on Wednesday evenings (not always but in general).  You literally just turn up (unless the event is pre-entry only which would be quite unusual) - it's worth car sharing if possible, as parking is normally limited, pay a really nominal fee (my last race entry was £3), fill in a form, attach your number to your front, head to the start area, listen to the briefing and off you go!  It's all very low-key and friendly.  When you have finished the prize giving is usually quite quick, and it's nice to stay and support who won etc. but if you have to dash home the results are usually available in the next couple of days online.

There are usually a lot more male runners than females, and the results can be a bit baffling, with different age categories.  

A fellow Goyt Valley Strider from the MV50 category -
 Pete Ambrose finishing the Thomas Theyer fell race in April

Usually, there are the following categories:

MU23/FU23 (Male/Female Under 23 Years)
M/F(Male/Female between 24 - 39)
MV40/FV40 (Male Veteran 40 aged between 40 and 44)
and so on with ...
MV45/FV45 etc. up to the 80's!  Sometimes, the increments are 10 year and not 5 year ones, but it depends on the race and the association etc.

One of the best things about fell running...

And that's it!  The main thing is to start off with the fairly short B races, as the AS ones are really tough - even though they are short.  Try to go with someone else, even if you don't run at the same pace, car sharing and post race blow by blow accounts are all part of the fun! 

Remember, it may feel like the worst thing you have ever done at the time (!), but that good old "run-esia" (run amnesia) will kick in after and you will only remember the achievement and I promise you will want to do it again!

Happy Fell Running!

TLF x

My OMM Bike Peak District

The week before last saw the final preparations for my first ever orienteering style race, and my second bike event of the year (a Duathlon in February being my first).  As part of my OMM Ambassador role I get the fantastic opportunity to enter OMM events and write about them, so I decided to try the bike event rather than the "Lite" (running) event as it was something different and Caz could do it with me.  

Team GVS ready for action!

In the lead up to the event Caz (my teammate) and I got our kit together and put in quite a few miles on our bikes (road and MTB) and were pleased with our fitness.  Caz has had experience of navigational events before in both running and on bikes, whereas I have never had to use navigational skills before, so I was really excited to give it a go!

At the beginning of the week I had my bike mini-serviced at The Bike Factory - who kindly supplied us with gels, bars and hydration for the event, and, on Wednesday, I competed in my second fell race of the year - the Herod Farm Fell Race.

An array of nutritional goodies

Herod Farm Fell Race in Glossop, Derbyshire is a Category AS race covering 3 miles and 340 metres of climb. Having never done this race before I was quite keen to have a go, especially as I had heard it called "Horrid Farm" by other Goyt Valley Striders!  

Me with Estelle and Helen

I found the course suited me down to the ground as it started off with a proper hill right from the off, and it reminded me of a mini version of the Famous Grouse fell race, which I had done well in last year, managing to be first lady Strider home.   

"She's behind you!"

After the first hill came another hill, one which most of the field walked up due to its gradient, little did I know that the next hill would be a monster! I literally had to use my hands to help and not look down as we ascended the nab (slowly!).  

"Wheeee!"

It was with jelly legs that I reached the summit, and it took a bit of persuasion to get them running again!  I really enjoyed the fast downhill sections which followed, especially a lovely steep smooth grassy field where I managed to pass two runners!  I really went for it at the farm track we had started up, as I knew the finish was imminent.  

Again, I was really pleased to be first lady Strider home, 11th lady overall out of 36 and 3rd in my age category with a time of 34:48, full results can be found here. Definitely not horrid, definitely Herod.

OMM Bike Peak District

Map boards were a brilliant addition to our kit

I was really excited waking up on the Saturday morning, the sun was shining and I felt that I was as prepared as I would ever be, Caz and I looked the part in matching outfits to represent both of our clubs - on Saturday we opted for the Chinley Churners (our cycling club) in our "Beer, Cake, Bikes" tee shirts, buffs and hoodies (which were a good talking point and much admired), and on Sunday we opted for our Goyt Valley Striders kit.  

Caz owns a workwear embroidery and printing company and supplies both of the clubs with merchandise so we were kindly kitted out by a&c workwear for the weekend.  

Wearing my Rotor Vest

Obviously, I also wore my new OMM products which had arrived just in time!  - namely the OMM long sleeved tee which served as an excellent base layer, and I actually washed and dried it overnight and wore it both days.  My new Kamleika Jacket was absolutely brilliant, it is soft, doesn't rustle at all and fits perfectly.  I stayed warm and dry both days when wearing it.  

Team Churners!

The second day was much cooler with stronger winds so I wore my Rotor Vest as an insulation layer, which was really good as it is so thin but lovely and warm, in fact I had to remove my jacket after the first climb!  My trusty OMM Last Drop 10 backpack served me well yet again and fitted all the necessary kit in (just!).

Dexshell overshoes in action

I wore Dexshell overshoes on both days - I found they were quite hard to get on, and Caz had to help me with the zip, but once done up they fit really well and my feet stayed clean and warm both days - on the first day we encountered a calf-deep river crossing and it was a few seconds before the water seeped into my shoes.  They dried out over the course of the day so I was really glad of the neoprene keeping my feet snug.  I really gave them some hammer up the boulders of a green lane where we ended up pushing our bikes and the bottom of the overshoes stayed relatively in tact - a big ask!

So, we had all the gear, but did we have any idea what we were letting ourselves in for?! The answer is yes and no, we both anticipated that we would push ourselves and get as many checkpoints as possible, but on day 1 we managed to spend too long getting a 50 point control and it really set us back.  

Control 31 was our nemesis!

The map covering a wide area

We had decided to try to map a vaguely circular route taking in as many controls as possible.  This we did but the terrain was unknown and we found ourselves taking some paths which were slower than taking longer road options. We were also less confident at knowing whether we would be going up or downhill, it was tempting to think north is up and south is down!  We got quite adept at reading contours and meters by the end of the competition!

Eating my way to more space!

Our bike map boards were a Godsend, we could navigate on the move which was brilliant, and we managed to keep moving most of the time.  We had been really organised with food and made everything bitesize and mostly accessible - though at one point I literally had to eat a load of food to make room in my pack for my jacket!


We managed to get 12 controls on the first day, passing through Hurdlow, Glutton Bridge, Hollinsclough, Hardings Booth, Fawfieldhead, Hulme End and Biggin. We were pleased with our route and we ended up doing 27 miles which wasn't too bad considering some of the steep and technical terrain.  Going into day 2 we were well up for the challenge of another go!  In fact, we both said we would have liked 5 hours on both days rather than 5 on the first and 4 on the second!  

Caz with Parkhouse Hill in the background

On day 2 we changed tactics a little and decided to forget trying to get to tricky 50 pointers.  We headed north of the start at Parsley Hay crossing the A515 and heading to Alport.  We seemed to be picking up controls much more often and we were pacing ourselves well.  We saw some lovely places, the village of Alport was stunning and we loved the scenery around there.  After about 20 miles it started to rain slightly, and the wind seemed cooler.  We were crossing exposed arable moorland so we put our jackets back on and continued to our next control.  In the end we managed to get a couple of bonus controls - a total of 11, again covering around 26 miles.


The organisation of the event was excellent.  All of the OMM staff and volunteers went out of their way to accommodate everyone and it was really simple to know what to do - basically get your wrist SPORTident dibber at registration on day 1, have it cleared by "dibbing" it in the little box on both mornings, choose a start time for both days and off you go!  All really relaxed and fun.  The food provided was lovely, especially the cakes!

After the event - tired but happy!

Checking my compass!

I was relieved not to have to wear a competitor number as I didn't want to put holes in my new gear with safety pins!  All of our information was stored on our dibbers which was great!

Overall, our aim was to get as many controls as possible without getting lost, and without coming last! We really pushed ourselves and felt we couldn't have tried any harder. Out of 29 entries we were 21st overall, which for our first go wasn't a bad attempt and the main thing is we had fun!  

Since the event, we have printed out all of the splits to see what the more experienced competitors did differently, the main difference being that they went for as many 50 pointers as possible and travelled further than us. 

Our route planning however was good and we followed similar routes to others so that was reassuring.  On the whole we both really enjoyed the weekend and would definitely do it all again!  Thank you OMM!  

My next blog will cover tips for first-time fell runners, along with more race reports, until then, happy running!

TLF