Formby Today

[easternmost?]

Loved being back at Formby today. I grew up on the Sefton coast so it is always special to run there. I was pleased much of the area is still in-bounds and thought my Brown course was challenging, getting more technical as I got close to the end. Thanks MEROC, How about a big event up your way one Easter ?

[amanda]

What a delightful day at Formby. All the people I encountered helping at the event were very helpful and friendly - thank you. The ladies at the white start were terrific. I was saddened to hear that MEROC is being disbanded due to low membership numbers, is that correct?

[The Cumbrian]

That would be sad if MEROC were to disband...it was a well organised event today...the only complaint and we were warned was the lack of food traders. Brown course was good and yes it did get more technical towards the end, contours seemed much harder to read in the maram grass rather than up in the wooded parts at the north of the map.

[Blonde bombshell]

Does anyone know where we can find the results?

[paul]

It was interesting to compare the Brown and Blue Women maps. The Brown looked to be offset litho and was very readable. Blue Women was A4 laser and was noticably less so.

[peawet08]

I ran at Formby Dunes yesterday and found the area very good. Navigation is more important than speed which is good for me as my speed over the ground isn't great.

My 9yr old did the Orange course and stumbled a little, having to ask others to confirm his location a couple of times. However I thought 1 of the legs was a little difficult for an orange course and also there was a path that was closed near to point one which was not marked on the map (I assume the organisers/planners weren't aware of this).

All that being said, I'd like to thank the organisers for a good day in an area I haven't visited before, despite living not too far away.

P

[pete.owens]

I noticed the clear offset printing as well. Having run at Formby on a 1:7500 map before, I was a bit worried that I wouldn't be able to make out the detail on the brown course - but the better sharpness seems to compensate for the smaller scale. Maybe it was the paler shade of yellow.

[slang]

I noticed the clear offset printing as well. Having run at Formby on a 1:7500 map before, I was a bit worried that I wouldn't be able to make out the detail on the brown course - but the better sharpness seems to compensate for the smaller scale. Maybe it was the paler shade of yellow.

The brown course seems to be printed by Print5. The other maps I'm guess were printed in-house by MEROC. All appear to be printed using laser printers, albeit a high quality one for the brown course. (Non registeration marks, no underprinting, dithering - only noticeable from a comfort of an armchair.)

[Safety]

Thank you all, for your positive response to Sunday's Event. Before I start, I was the planner of the Brown, M&W Green and Light Green. Any response are my responses and not the Club.

Provisional Results are now on the internet at http://www.meroc.co.uk follow the link from the homepage. These results are only provisional as we are having a couple of problems with the Compass Sport Cup Results. They are also on winsplit link to appear on the website this evening.

I will respond to comments above in order.

How about a big event up your way one Easter ?

We have tried to run spring time events in the past, however access to the sefton coast is restricted to autumn due to breeding seasons of the local wildlife. We have quite strict windows that we can use the land despite it being open to the public all year round.

I was saddened to hear that MEROC is being disbanded due to low membership numbers, is that correct?

I would like to clear this up. NO. there has been no decision to despand MEROC. However we have recently lost our entire junior section (due to the aging process) who have all gone to University / taken up other sports. Some (me) have come back. Equally some of our adult members have moved away from the area and so are not 'active' in the club sense. We have struggled to recruit over recent years, despite being part of a strong schools league with our neighbours DEE. Sadley, all of our events are planned, organised and run by the same very small core of people, (All of whom plus more you would have seen on Sunday).
Thanks to the development initiative that Steve Mclean is running at Litherland, we are hoping to gain some new, young, active members, even so we will still be low on members. So if you know people in the area looking to take up the sport, or people coming to university in the area, we are always recruiting.

Brown course was good and yes it did get more technical towards the end, contours seemed much harder to read in the maram grass rather than up in the wooded parts at the north of the map.

Thank you, this was my intention. The contours are harder to read as you get out of the woodland, the dunes get smaller so you find you have to interpret what is large enough to be marked on the map. I am glad you enjoyed it.

there was a path that was closed near to point one which was not marked on the map (I assume the organisers/planners weren't aware of this).

Correct, we have issued an apology about this, we were not aware of the bridge being closed, and had never concidered it a serious route choice on any course. However it did effect at least two people on the Green courses. We didn't feel it would have affected the other courses, if it did we extend our appology to you.

The brown course seems to be printed by Print5. The other maps I'm guess were printed in-house by MEROC.

Not sure if it was Print5, will check. You are correct about the in-house maps. I have never had issues with the sharpness of our in house maps. However, those who know me will understand why I have asked for 'colour tweeks' in the past. From a personal point of view, I cannot run on the 1:7500 map that most courses had. Maybe I'm just so used to the 1:10,000 of Formby.

I believe this map is the end of Graham's Pain staking re-map of the Sefton Coast from North to South. It has taken the best part of 5 years, sadley however, the shifting sands on the west of the map are encroching alll the time. Graham showed me an area that has encroached 2 metres in 12 months. With this happening all along the coast it is an endless task and the map is often out of date before it is run on. That is why the sands are OOB and we ask you to stay off it. A mass of orienteers running across can quickly whip it up and the strong wind moves it inland. Note for those who commented on it at download, It is also why you cannot rely on bare sand for navigation in the same way you cannot use ruined walls. I did notice when collecting controls in that there where many footprints in the bare sand. going towards control sites. Nobody was seen crossing the OOB and I hope anyone who did was purely by accident.

Glad you all seemed to enjoy it, final results will be uploaded to the site ASAP.

[Safety]

Updated Results and Winsplits now posted online. http://www.meroc.co.uk

Thanks