Relay Tips

[roadrunner]

And it can't be gaffled with itself as then some teams would have different variants.

I've never seen it done in a relay, but couldn't you have a "butterfly" arrangement (e.g. some teams run ... 1 - 2 -3 - 1 - 4 - 5 - 1 ... and some run ... 1 - 4 - 5 - 1 - 2 - 3 - 1 ... though I'm sure it could be more complicated than this). Having a control that's visited more than once could add to the excitement, especially if it was a spectator control.

[MIE]

And it can't be gaffled with itself as then some teams would have different variants.

I've never seen it done in a relay, but couldn't you have a "butterfly" arrangement (e.g. some teams run ... 1 - 2 -3 - 1 - 4 - 5 - 1 ... and some run ... 1 - 4 - 5 - 1 - 2 - 3 - 1 ... though I'm sure it could be more complicated than this). Having a control that's visited more than once could add to the excitement, especially if it was a spectator control.

This years Harvester on the 12k leg had a butterfly on the
3rd loop (after the second visit to the spectator control)

[EddieH]

LostAgain wrote
[quote]I think in relays "following" is actually a valid tactic as the post above has suggested, putting your weakest runner on 1st leg in order to be pulled along by the pack is a tactic practised by many.
[/quote]

Well I wouldn't say we tried our weakest on the first leg, but certainly the one that had the pace to keep up. It nearly worked brilliantly if only he had checked the control codes It meant that having the worst sprinter on the last leg didn't matter as the rest were so far behind [size=85]even though of course we were ultimately last.[/size]

[Roger]

You don't actually have to be good over 50m: just better than the other guy. Or even just good enough over the first part of your sprint to convince him that he has no chance.

When writing this I was thinking of a Cotswold Way Relay (mass start on each leg) when the other guy told me en route he was good on hills but couldn't sprint, and was expecting to take about 77 minutes for the leg. I'd taken 78½ the previous year so I mumbled 'oh, about 80' and didn't volunteer that I was also good on hills but couldn't sprint. Every time we got to a hill I upped the effort slightly; he felt obliged to prove his statement so surged to the front and we built a decent lead on the rest of the field. Final section was along a canal. He was weary after all the uphill surges and I could have taken the lead, but I sat on his shoulder until 200m to go and then sprinted for all I was worth. He gave up and I have one of the coveted stage-winner's sweatshirts. We took 75 minutes.

Another way to accomplish the same result (in an orienteering relay) would be to mention casually to your rival in the changeover pen that you ran a really quick 800m (say) last week or are really looking forward to the county 1500m next week because you're in great shape -- whether or not it's true -- then put the hammer down with 800m left and hope that he gives up.

The coaching points here are (a) never give up (b) be sceptical about what your rivals tell you (c) don't reveal your own weaknesses. Of course, I've just breached (c) -- but that relay was ten years ago and who knows what training I've done since then?

[rocky]

I think I've done a fair few competitive last legs in my time, so I'll throw in a few random thoughts on this one.

-Relays are rarely decided on the run-in. The time taken to punch and accelerate means that by arriving at the last control first you can gain 10-15m on you opponents here - which it is hard to pull back on sheer speed. On a typical 100m run-in you'd need to be ~10% faster to catch this up (i.e. significantly)
-As such the key is to orienteer fast and cleanly through the final few controls. Plan ahead, spot any potentially tricky controls.
-Seriously recce the last control. Think about the likely direction of approach. The control may well be hidden from this angle, so how can you make sure you spike it? is there a distinctive tree behind it you can use to guide yourself in?
-Don't be afraid of putting a surge on if you know exactly where you're going.
-Never assume someone is on the same gaffle as you.

Some anecdotes:
Scottish Relays 2009. Rob Baker and I had had the slowest head-to-head race I've ever been in round last leg of the relay we'd both been out 100+mins the previous day) but we're both pretty handy runners so a sprint finish could have gone either way. The way to the last control was not obvious but it was perpendicular to the run-in. Rather than slowing down to navigate carefully, and letting Rob get ahead in the process, I kept the speed up but aimed off to the finish side of the last control. When we emerged onto the ride/run-in Rob was slightly closer to the control, but because I knew instantly which way to turn I could start my sprint to the last control, and hence steal a vital couple of yards (and pull my hamstring in the process, but that's another story). Graeme was pretty happy with that one.

British Relays 2008, Culbin. Head-to head with Oli all the way round the last leg. I'd been leading most of the sections in the white, but Oli had been more confident through the green sections. the third last control was back into the green. I knew this was where it would be won and lost so I used the track run up to it to put together a plan of attack, built a great picture of the site in my mind and chose the best attack point. Oli turned off before me but I let him go and focussed on my own nav. got in, spiked the control and then absolutely floored it out the other side. Got 5s on Oli by spiking it but probably more by bursting away. The result was certain then, despite there being about 500m still to run: Interlopers British Champions.

The other tactic I've heard is trying to deliberately confuse your opponents. apparently Yvette won Venla (womens Jukola) this way. She was running up a track with a rival right behind her. They came to a Y junction with the control in the middle of the forks. Yvette took the left fork but then deliberately cut too far right so they ended up out on the right hand fork. The moments hesitation from her rival at this point was enough for her to charge away to victory.

Relays. Gotta love em.