Fell Running: Why Running in the Hills Gets Under Your Skin

We caught up with Active Root ambassador Andrew Maybury to hear more about Fell Running, and how Active Root can help fuel it. Here’s what he had to say!

I came to fell running fairly late. I’d been a runner on and off since my early teens and had always loved hiking, particularly in the Lake District, but I was in my mid-40s before I first put the two together.

In many ways, that’s all fell running is: running and hiking merged into one activity. But for me, it opened up a whole new way of experiencing the mountains.

When I was younger, visiting the Lakes with my parents, I remember looking up at mountains such as Blencathra or Skiddaw at dusk and thinking how amazing it would be to just nip up there. Obviously, setting off up a mountain as darkness approached wouldn’t have been particularly sensible! Many years later, I’m privileged to live in Cumbria, where I can drive 20 minutes from home to the foot of Blencathra and be standing on the summit 45 minutes later.

When I was younger, visiting the Lakes with my parents, I remember looking up at mountains such as Blencathra or Skiddaw at dusk and thinking how amazing it would be to just nip up there. Obviously, setting off up a mountain as darkness approached wouldn’t have been particularly sensible! Many years later, I’m privileged to live in Cumbria, where I can drive 20 minutes from home to the foot of Blencathra and be standing on the summit 45 minutes later.

So, what is fell running?

I sometimes think it shouldn’t necessarily be called fell running, because you spend quite a lot of time not running!

Fell runners generally switch to power hiking on steep climbs, but that doesn’t mean it’s less intense than running. Uphill ‘walking’ will often result in a higher heart rate than a tempo, or even threshold, effort on the road. Distance also becomes far less meaningful. Someone will occasionally ask how long my next race is and I’ll realise I’m not entirely sure. I might know it’s an AL - long, with a lot of climbing, without actually remembering the mileage.

Pace becomes fairly irrelevant too. Even supposedly flat sections can involve tussocks, hidden rocks, heather, bracken, bogs and fast-flowing streams. Instead of thinking purely about weekly mileage, fell runners will often pay much more attention to ascent and time on their feet. One approach is to set a weekly elevation target and let the distance largely take care of itself.

Racing brings another dimension. Unlike a typical trail race, a fell race doesn’t usually have a prescribed route to follow. There may occasionally be short flagged sections, perhaps when crossing private land, or for safety or environmental reasons, but once out on the open fell it’s generally up to you. You’re required to visit a series of checkpoints in the correct order, with the freedom to choose your own route, or “line”, between them. One runner might take a slightly longer path on good ground while another heads directly across the heather.

Navigation is therefore an important part of the sport. In Fell Runners Association races, GPS devices can record your run but can’t be used for navigation, so knowing how to use a physical map and compass remains an essential skill.

And then there’s the fell running community and culture. There’s something wonderfully eccentric about a mixed bunch of people meeting in a farmer’s field on a Wednesday evening, paying a few pounds, pinning numbers to their club vests, power-hiking up an  absurdly steep hillside and then hurtling back down at a daft, gravity-fuelled pace.

I love it.

Giving fell running a go

If that all sounds slightly extreme, don’t be put off - unless, of course, that’s what appeals to you!

If you already run and hike, I’d suggest simply bringing the two together gradually. Head into the hills appropriately equipped, start by hiking, increase the pace and introduce some running wherever the gradient and terrain allow. Don’t worry about pace.

It takes time for your body to adapt to uneven ground. One lesson I’ve learnt personally is that my aerobic fitness can improve faster than my musculoskeletal strength. I feel fit enough to do more, but my body isn’t necessarily ready for the additional load. Building gradually and including some strength work is therefore something I’ve come to appreciate.

Joining a club is also a great way to learn from more experienced runners. I’m very much an average club runner and regularly find myself surrounded by people with vastly more experience and ability than me, which is one of the great things about the sport.

You’ll also need appropriate footwear and safety equipment. Depending on the race and conditions, this can include full waterproofs, hat and gloves, map and compass, whistle and emergency food. In the mountains, being properly prepared matters.

Fuelling for the fells

My fuelling depends largely on what I’m doing.

For a short evening fell race, which might involve 20 minutes to an hour of hard effort, I focus mainly on arriving properly fuelled and hydrated. I’ll often use Active Root Electrolite Drink Mix during the day, or sip Active Root Sports Drink Mix if I want some carbohydrate as well. I’ll usually take an Active Root Energy Gel around 20-30 minutes before the start, but generally won’t fuel during the race itself.

Longer races and big mountain days require much more planning. I have a fairly sensitive digestive system and also have a tendency to under-fuel, so finding products I’m comfortable using during exercise is important to me. I use a combination of Active Root Sports Drink Mix, Electrolite Drink Mix and Energy Gels, with the original ginger flavour probably my default choice. Active Root products use root ginger, and I’ve found they sit well with my stomach even during longer, harder efforts.

For longer outings I’ll sometimes set a repeating alert on my watch to remind me to drink or take a gel. It sounds ridiculously simple, but when you’re concentrating on navigation, terrain and simply keeping moving, it’s surprisingly easy to forget.

Why keep doing it?

When I explain fell running to people, the response is occasionally a slightly mystified:

“Why?”

The basic answer is that I enjoy it.

Admittedly, I don’t enjoy every minute. There are definitely moments that fall more into the category of “character building” than wall-to-wall fun. But I love being out there, and I consider it a huge privilege that I’m able to do it, even at my very ordinary level.

I love the landscape, but also the history, community and slightly eccentric culture surrounding the sport. I even love the planning: hours spent poring over maps, plotting routes and thinking about races, challenges and goals for the season ahead.

People talk about getting the running bug. With fell running, I think it’s something more than that.

Somehow, it gets under your skin.