THE Sugar Loaf Winter Fell Race is facing an uncertain future just a week after nearly a hundred runners took to the hills for this year's event.

Race director Alan Stone says he is stepping down in the wake of "years of online criticism and unhelpful suggestions for 'improvement'”.

Posting on the Welsh Fell Runners Association Facebook page, he revealed: "I am stepping down as race director for the Winter Sugar Loaf.

“Please let me know if you would like to take this on and I can share all the contact details for the permissions, insurance, payments and risk assessments, etc.

"If no one takes this on then this will another race lost. I know several race directors who have stepped down recently for similar reasons. Please can I ask you to be nice to ROs before any more are lost."

Fellow race director Ruth Pickvance appealed: "Someone take this race on – it’s a great little race at a perfect time of year and it’ll be sad if it goes.

"I’m a race organiser and 99 per cent of fell runners are, I believe, really appreciative.

"Of course it’s a lot of work and there are frustrations, but how otherwise do we keep this wonderfully non-commercialised sport alive?!

"It’s easy to focus on the point one per cent of grumps and to let this overshadow, but this isn’t – in my experience – the story at all.

"Alan’s done a good job. It’s not a life sentence! Time for someone else to step up now. I’ll happily help anyone out who needs advice."

One poster said: "The poison of social media strikes again! Sorry to hear this Alan. You can survive a snakebite, but the venom of so called commentators has pulled you down.

"I hope everyone who has ever made a "suggestion" will think again... but I doubt it."

There was much praise for the run, with comments including "a classic race" and "a cracking event".

And one added: "I did this race a few times and loved it. Thanks for organising over the years."