Fell running is an outdoor activity that consists of a race over hills (or fells). The word fell comes from the Old Norse word “fjall”, which means mountain, and fell runners are often referred to as mountain runners.
While it may seem like a new sport given the recent rise in popularity, the idea of running up and down hills for fun is centuries old. In fact, ancient people would often run up mountains to pray or worship their gods.
In more recent times, during the Victorian era in England, there was a fad among the upper class for mountain climbing and “hill-running.” Englishman Joss Naylor is seen as a pioneer of fell races since taking up the sport in the 1960s.
Race maps
Fell runners are often referred to as mountain runners because they are racing over hills or fells. They can be competitively fast too, with records for fastest times being set by people like British fell runner Tom Owens and Nicky Spinks (pictured with her Bob Graham Round SplashMap.
Good fell running maps (race maps) are a necessary part of the sport because they provide runners with detailed information about hills, paths, and other areas that could be dangerous during races. They can also help runners find their way to different routes or destinations by providing directions on how to get there.
Create your own
If you’re taking part in events you can create your own race maps with our custom map creator – just visit our online shop. You can select the location and scale, and choose whether to print on our hard-wearing weatherproof fabric or make a toob to wear around your neck.
By creating your own map you can select the exact location of the fell race, making sure you cover the complete route for the event – every twist and turn of the course, every climb and descent. Because SplashMaps are washable, you can use a pen to mark the course and checkpoints directly onto your map before heading out. That way you’ll never be left wondering which direction to run.
The perfect map already
If your race takes place in a popular destination, you may find the perfect map already in our shop – we have maps of many destinations like the Yorkshire Dales, based on both Harvey Maps and Ordnance Survey maps.
Rapid navigation needed to keep ahead
SplashMaps adorn the necks of the rough and tough in outdoor sports. And few sports are tougher than Fell Running.
Our maps are ideal to handle the rapid navigation needed to keep ahead and yet keep the harsh weather off your head when those moorland conditions worsen.
Great presents for trail runners
David Taylor, FellRunningGuide, reviewed our Peak District East Map this week. He concluded “Novel and quirky they make a great present for trail runners, fell runners, mountain bikers, walkers or anyone who uses or is interested in maps.”
We signed our first sponsored runner Scott Forbes, the 2009 Cross Country MTB UK Champion who now prefers to compete (and usually win) on two feet. His great Ultra Marathon win was the Race to the Stones.
Fellrunner magazine review
Richard Reeve from the Fell Runners Association and editor of Fellrunner magazine has been kind enough to review SplashMaps and gave me the opportunity to get my physique into the pages of the magazine (what an imposter!)
