I am a first year member, having joined to improve my position in the ballot for this year's 100 if it came to that. I would assume there are probably other first year members that entered the 100 that were thinking along the same lines.

I think there is a very strong case for giving preference to members where an event is oversubscribed, and for charging non-members more. Preventing a non-member from taking part as a matter of principle or policy is potentially peverse and off-putting. (And now I'm trying to remember if what I've just typed onomatopoeia or alliteration or something else!)

Very encouraging to see a positive response from a (presumably) young(er) recently-joined member, particularly with that name. Welcome Jimi, and good 2019 Hundred.

If allowing non-members to take part in particularly longer challenge events is one route to encouraging a younger membership (since non-members tend to [have been] runners), that's one very good reason for continuing the policy. A steady 10% of 550 is a potential 50+ new, younger, members per year. By 2040, when us old(er) members will have dropped out of the pie-chart, that's 20 x 50 = 1000+ new ball-parkers, perhaps half of them female, to replace us clapped-out (and mainly male) old geezers.

Iain.

I entered CP100 last year and although would have saved me money to join LDWA then enter was happy to pay extra cost, it seemed morally wrong to join purely to save money. I have entered a few LDWA events as a distance runner and have seen debates within the running community (in particular 100 Marathon Club) about not abusing the goodwill of the LDWA that kindly allow non members to enter. I just wanted to drop a line to say thank you for allowing non members to enter these fantastic events. I'm now a LDWA member and will be walking (not running) Hadrian 100 as a LDWA Member.

Neil,
You are correct,the HH Treasurer welcomes extra income wherever it comes from, but £250 on a budget of around £40,000 is not getting me too excited.

I think Alan is quite right that there may be pluses and minuses about this and any other changes that are contemplated. The law of unintended consequences tends to come into operation when poorly thought through changes are implemented so it is good to encourage debate and consultation before pressing the go button.

As Treasurer of the HH2019 I can confirm that there are only 10 non-member entries on the event, which is in itself surprising and defies logic. The £25 premium for non-member entry meant that it was substantially cheaper to join the LDWA and enter as a member than to enter as a non-member. It would also have put the entrant higher up the pecking order had there been a ballot and provided a year's worth of member benefits. You can't get much more welcoming than that.

Personally I would go further by limiting qualifiers to LDWA 50 mile+ events. Fifty milers are possibly the most difficult events to organise in terms of resources required and uncertainty of financial success without the cachet of the Hundred, so anything we can do to help them thrive must be good. There may be a case for retaining events which we have accepted as qualifiers in the past (Fellsman, Bullock Smithy, Longmynd Hike, Round Rotherham), but all of these are races to a greater or lesser extent and I would like to see them phased out as qualifiers. The proliferation of trail races means that there is an increasing list of events claimed by the odd entrant or two.

A wider discussion on member v. non-member is probably not appropriate for this thread, but I would just throw in one statistic. Lakeland's That's Lyth event at the end of the month has a record entry but only 30% are LDWA members. We certainly welcome non-members but unless we get a supply of people who will replace us old codgers as organisers and helpers, the LDWA will eventually die. The majority of the non-members are runners and it is argued that they will not become organisers/helpers, but the organiser of our other event, Spring in Lakeland, has come from the running fraternity so it does work sometimes.

Keep the debate going!

And a Happy New Year to everybody!

Just a quick comment:

Non-members entering a 100 are likely to have to pay a higher fee (with the extra being in excess of the annual LDWA membership fee), so no doubt the relevant 100 Treasurer will 'welcome' a few non-members as this boosts the coffers ???.

Happy New Year Laura

Thank you for sharing your experience and the positive impact being a member of the LDWA has had upon you.

It is without doubt a wonderful association with huge opportunities. Restricting entries to members only may go some way to meet the strategy of increasing overall membership. This has been proven to work on some of the recent events which were restricted to members only with a subsequent increase in membership as a direct result. It may also has a negative impact in potentially discouraging entry into many of the fantastic challenge events as you mention and the other opportunities that membership offers. An interesting dilemma.

Kind regards and happy walking in 2019.

Alan Warrington
100s Coordinator

Before joining LDWA I had completed two non-LDWA challenge events (the 20 mile Gower MacMarathon and Abergavanny Three Peaks), as well as the flagship 26 miles South Wales LDWA event, the Rhondda Rollercoaster. I did these events with friends from Tiger Bay Ramblers and Swansea Outdoor Group, local groups which regularly entered more challenging events. Over the last four years our local South Wales LDWA Group has become a very important part of my life, and I have completed numerous LDWA events, including the North York Moors 100. Had the Rhondda Rollercoaster been members only, I doubt if we would ever have considered entering, and I would never have experienced the South Wales welcome and encouragement which persuaded me to try out our social walks. Most of my friends in other groups see challenge events as a 'one off' test of their endurance, and would see no benefit in joining LDWA.

Happy New Year Janet

Thank you for your perspective which is always very welcome indeed. Certainly the non members I have come across absolutely love the LDWA challenge events and all they have to offer. Great publicity as word of mouth spreads amongst their friends. Long may the LDWA reputation as you describe continue.

kind regards

Alan
100s Coordinator

Happy New Year to you both
I have grave reservations about making any LDWA event ?members only?. I completely support all efforts to persuade and cajole non-members into joining such as differentials in entry fees and priority to members if events are oversubscribed, however, to have an event that excludes non members just smacks of the exclusivity of a posh golf club. The greatest asset of the LDWA is its reputation for friendliness and the welcome it gives to everyone. The most experienced ultra-runner is as welcome as the walker who wants to set him or herself a once in a lifetime personal challenge to complete a long distance event. They are all welcome. They don?t have to join anything. They can see what we are like and a good number end up as members. Long may it continue.

Thanks for that explanation. I'm not sure that it would increase number of LDWA Members. More likkely to decrease numbers applying to enter the '100'
Happy New Year to you too.

Good afternoon Bill and Happy New Year to you.

Thanks for your input.

Presently this is merely an idea based on such low non member entry numbers and it would contribute to the overall strategy of increasing LDWA membership.

kind regards

Alan Warrington
100s Coordinator.

Alan please explain how sich a change would be of any benefit. It has never been needed in the past.

With approximately one dozen non members entering the past few events and the forthcoming Hadrians? Hundred should the annual Hundred just become a ?Members Only? event?

Alan Warrington
100s Coordinator