Also known as mountain running and hill running, fell running is basically cross-country running in which a significant part of the course is uphill and off road. Not only do you need to be fit enough to cope with the running, but you need to have mountain navigational skills and be able to carry a survival kit.

A family interested in fell running may like to try hiking some of the shorter routes to get a feel for the fitness levels and stamina needed to compete (you’ll need normal hiking equipment such as waterpoof ,and warm clothing, maps and emergency supplies, as well an awareness of the weather conditions and terrain). This will help you assess the level of fitness required and to work out whether you could cope with the loneliness of long distance fell running.

If these walks whet your appetite for running high and low, the best thing to do is to contact one of the fell running organisations below. They can give you details of short races with sharp climbs and descents in which beginners can test their mettle. To do this the only special equipment you need is light clothing and fell-running trainers, which have rubber studs for grip and are made of a special lightweight material – all the better to get rid of any water from bogs you run through!

The Fell Runners Association (www.fellrunner.org.uk) has more information on fell running and publishes a calendar of 400 to 500 races per year. For Scotland, see the annual calendar of Scottish Hill Runners (www.shr.uk.com); and in Wales, see the Welsh Fell Runners Association (www.wfra.org.uk). Northern Ireland events are organised by the Northern Ireland Mountain Running Association (www.nimra.org.uk)

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