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Discussion Forum - Events - Dying Challenges!


Author: Tony Willey
Posted: Wed 13th Dec 2006, 20:06
Joined: 1989
Local Group: Lakeland
Or he could have done what many people do, which is to contact the LDWA through LDP@LDWA.org.uk, available to anyone, and he would have received the information he was looking for from Paul Lawrence.
Author: Merrian Lancaster
Posted: Wed 13th Dec 2006, 9:25
Joined: 1996
Local Group: Beds, Bucks and Northants
I met someone last night who asked my advice on walking the canal towpath from London to Birmingham. The best source of advice is the LDWA forum, but that's not open. Have we lost a future event organiser, checkpointer, committee member, walking companion.....?
Author: Matthew Hand
Posted: Tue 12th Dec 2006, 22:14
Joined: 2001
Local Group: Mid Wales
I agree 100% with the above. Open the forum and events calendar to all. After 'trying out' an event or two most people will join an organisation - just the same as they do a running club. Matt.
Author: John King
Posted: Tue 12th Dec 2006, 21:40
Joined: 2002
the incentive for me to join clubs is because i like to be a part of a group of people that i share common interests with.

And i think that is true of a lot of people, i also think that an open to all web site would allow outdoor enthuiasts (many of whom have never heard of the LDWA) to discover what we are about.

As to whether they join or not i can only say that the folk that don`t join would probably never be of any real benifit to the LDWA anyway, and those that do will be those that have the gumption to be a part of the ascociation.

But if the number of entrants to the events grows the LDWA wins in my opnion.

There is really nothing to lose from an open website and loads to gain.

John
Author: Ian Koszalinski
Posted: Tue 12th Dec 2006, 20:07
Joined: 2004
Local Group: High Peak
the incentive for me joining after looking at all the events was the reduced rate for being in the LDWA
Author: Anne Wade
Posted: Tue 12th Dec 2006, 20:04
Joined: 1994
Local Group: Heart of England
oops! Garfield posted his reply just before mine. I don't agree that fewer members will join if all the events are shown on the website. In fact, I think that the opposite is true. I agree with Ian and John!
Author: Anne Wade
Posted: Tue 12th Dec 2006, 20:01
Joined: 1994
Local Group: Heart of England
I agree. Longer distances need training and preparing for. We earmark the longer events sometimes up to a year in advance eg the LDWA 100. The other events around the 25 mile distance are for in-between training and preparing on a year round basis, and of course for enjoying in themselves!
Like John, there were many people in the Round Rotherham event who are LDWA members and regularly take part in LDWA events. Like me as well, they did not state that they were LDWA members because they are also members of running clubs.
Author: Garfield Southall
Posted: Tue 12th Dec 2006, 20:01
Joined: 1991
Local Group: Merseystride
The 50+ mile events were one of the main reasons for joining the LDWA. Although I enjoy the shorter ones, I can do them on my own. I also agree that the LDWA really needs to advertise more widely and more actively and be more web-centric in it's mission.

My concern about opening up the forum and events to all web-visitors is that fewere people will join the LDWA. If we can think of other incentives to new members then I'd be happy to open the gates. Garfield
Author: Ian Koszalinski
Posted: Mon 11th Dec 2006, 12:50
Joined: 2004
Local Group: High Peak
i agree with openning up the events callander, seasoned runners/walkers need to be able to plan ahead a lot further than 2 weeks, and even newbies need to train up for a 25 miler, you can't expect a newbie to say 'i'll pick that one and if i like it i'll join up' with only 2 weeks training at most, they're going to suffer and say, 'did I not like that' and not join up
Posted: Mon 11th Dec 2006, 12:01
Joined: 2005
I think there is a growing demand for long distance challenges. Some LDWA events seem to have cottoned on to this and have marketed their event accordingly (and successfully).
I still have a gripe about restricting access on the website to the events calender.
Author: John King
Posted: Tue 5th Dec 2006, 20:20
Joined: 2002
Another interesting snippet from the Round Rotheram Start list:- out of the 186 entrants there are 20 LDWA members registered as walkers and 4 as runners.

Of course there are probably other LDWA members like myself that chose to run for my running club when running but as a LDWA member when walking.
Author: John King
Posted: Mon 4th Dec 2006, 21:44
Joined: 2002
I have just been looking at the Round Rotheram WebsiteAn event i am taking part in on saturday.

I was interested to notice the figures for registered entrants as of 3rd of Dec which read as follows:-

186 entries, made up of:- 56 walkers, 104 runners (of which i am one ) and 14 relay teams, all those entries for an event in the middle of winter!

So no i don`t think longer challenges are dying, but i do think there is a need to analyze the events and see what they lack in comparison to sucessfull events like this one.

In fact there is a growing interest in longer challenges as people strive to push there boundaries, another example i can give is the West Highland way race (yes i am doing it)next june that filled and has a reserve list within a few weeks of opening for registration.

But what is becoming clear is that it is folk that wish to move a little quicker than walking pace, so maybe just by making it clear that runners are welcome at most LDWA events the decline could be halted.
Author: John King
Posted: Sat 18th Nov 2006, 19:39
Joined: 2002
Just a thought but maybe a list of results would bring a little more interest, i know the events are not supposed to be competitive but in my experience people like to see how they have done, plus i have noticed plenty of freinly rivallry which seems to travel from event to event.

I noticed a comment that not many runners can run 50 miles but this one can, and i know a lot of others can, and the encouragement of runners into the LDWA could only be for the better, in fact there is a thread currently running on the FRA website under LONG DISTANCE CHALLENGES which should be seized upon by the LDWA as an oppurtinity.

From what i can see the thread on the FRA website has already earned 3 new subscriptions to the LDWA, not a lot i Know but with the right nurturing who knows what could be achieved.
Posted: Thu 16th Nov 2006, 11:47
Joined: 1994
On a previous old thread (Entry Forms) someone asked how much it costs to advertise in Runner's World. Their website it costs nothing. All you need to do is register as a member which is free. Not only is it simple to do, it is quite effective and read by many thousands of runners. I did it for the Northumberland 100 and the Durham Dales Challenge and we identified at least 10 people entering by this route. There were possibly more, as it appears that Runner's World print a handout for events like the London Marathon showing other events by region, and certainly the N100 was on it. What is interesting is to read the forum, especially from runners who have never entered a LDWA event before - they are usually very flattering about our organisation of events.
Author: Anne Wade
Posted: Wed 15th Nov 2006, 21:45
Joined: 1994
Local Group: Heart of England
The events need better marketing and wider advertising. For example, the Montrail ultrarunning series is looking for events that it can include in its series in future years (the calendar for 2007 is already decided) on www.runfurther.com. There is also the TRA - Trail Runners Association. Many runners are interested in longer events, it's just a question of reaching a wider audience. Runners enjoy taking part in LDWA events because there is no pressure to 'race', because there are no prizes, just the satisfaction of completing an event amongst friends.
As well as welcoming runners, the longer events could allow people to take part in a relay team. This is what we do on A Coventry Way and it works well.
Author: Rebecca Lawrence
Posted: Wed 15th Nov 2006, 13:46
Joined: 2003
Local Group: Marches
Yes - going past copped Hall was magical (and spooky). I wonder if there is any way to (cheaply) reach walkers on the continent? Is there an equivalent of the LDWA in France, Belgium or Germany we could reach to advertise our events and vice versa?

I know there are several fabulous events abroad such as the mount blanc circuit challenge, which, correct me if I'm wrong is a 100m continuous walk that would be great for us to do, and maybe get some continental walkers interested in our over night events? Just a thought....
Author: Elton Ellis
Posted: Tue 14th Nov 2006, 22:31
Joined: 2006
Local Group: Surrey
I agree, the overnighters are a wonderful experience. I walked for about ten hours alone in the Three Forests Way, and to be out there, passing through the countryside in the moonlight and the silence, was just so serene. Even with losing the way from time to time!
Author: Rebecca Lawrence
Posted: Tue 14th Nov 2006, 21:36
Joined: 2003
Local Group: Marches
Yes its really sad. I try and support as many events as I can, but I suppose for people with family commitments and non-walking partners its quite difficult to commit what is essentially a whole weekend if its an overnighter. I'm not really sure what would attract the numbers. Even by making them more runner friendly wouldn't necessarily increase numbers as I guess the number of runners who can do 50m+ are few and far between. its the overnighters I enjoy most.
Author: Elton Ellis
Posted: Tue 14th Nov 2006, 20:18
Joined: 2006
Local Group: Surrey
There seems to be a growing lack of enthusiasm for the longer challenge events, other than the Hundred. This year the Sussex Stride (50 miles) was cancelled for lack of support, the London Capital Challenge (78 miles) was cancelled (lack of support?), and the Essex and Herts group feel that the turnout for the Three Forest Way (100 km) was so poor that they will probably not have the event next year. Elsewhere on the forum there are reports of too few entrants in Afoot in Two Dales. Some of us are prepared to travel up and down the country to reach these events, but obviously too few.

Is there anything that we can do to encourage more support, both from within the LDWA, and even from outside?

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