JK 2025

[yted]

Fantastic organisation throughout; a really great JK. Courses:
Tankersley excellent as usual.
I ran M70 on the long and it was excellent and very varied. We got the fast holly bush area, the route choices across the flatter area and 3 controls in the tricky pits on the steep slope; I'll be 75 next year and had I been a year older I would have been frustrated not the have the old mining area but hard to see how that could have been incorporated in a reaonable course. If it was up to me I would start lower and used the pits instead of the holly.
Different in the sprint! I was given high expectations arising from the official descriptions and sample maps but it was the easiest sprint event I've done (and I've done some round local parks). Had we been told of the restrictions in advance, I would have gladly entered a longer course. It seems unfair that, of the 3 tricky bits, most of the competitors visited none. I'm sure the planners did their best but it was not possible to plan good, let alone great, courses on the area used. The long courses look superb on RG.
(And for the record it's hard to believe any complainers made mistakes, except perhaps in paying £25).
(And also for the record, I'm one of those who thinks it's fine to pay more for access so orienteers can use the best areas).
Relay (210+ course) was also very simple (50% TD1, 10% TD 3/4, with remainder in between) and here my high expectations came from previous super courses I've run on the area. Again, the longer courses may have been great.

[King Penguin]

I was happy with the M65 course at Wharncliffe - apart from the long leg being wasted by the obviously quickest route being mostly on a good track.

[IanD]

I was happy with the M65 course at Wharncliffe - apart from the long leg being wasted by the obviously quickest route being mostly on a good track.

Another M65 agrees with all of your comment.
I would add that the M65 course still had significant areas of brambles over large stones/small rocks (especially around control 2). I had enough trouble getting through this without falling over, and wouldn't have wanted anything more 'challenging'. So no complaints from me about not getting 'the full Wharncliffe experience'. Good variety too, the moorland area in the middle of the course made a nice break.

Overall I thought it one of the best JK's I've done, and I must have been to something like 30 by now.

[SeanC]

I'm not being the purist here, but I thought the sprint event in the city center was better than the normal empty student campus. It was good fun running past bemused shoppers and the arena was excellent. It was good publicity for orienteering, some younger types were asking what we were doing in a genuinely interested way, not the usual take the p way. So 1 vote for sprints in city centres in future. Campus orienteering is technically harder I get that, but days 2 and 3 gave plenty of head splitting navigation problems so it didn't matter.

[awk]

I'm not being the purist here, but I thought the sprint event in the city center was better than the normal empty student campus. It was good fun running past bemused shoppers and the arena was excellent. It was good publicity for orienteering, some younger types were asking what we were doing in a genuinely interested way, not the usual take the p way. So 1 vote for sprints in city centres in future. Campus orienteering is technically harder I get that, but days 2 and 3 gave plenty of head splitting navigation problems so it didn't matter.

For various reasons, only ran sprint and relay. I really enjoyed the sprints, and understand the issues faced by planners/organisers identifed by ianandmonika, so this is absolutely no complaint, but it was definitely not 'better than the normal empty student campus' IMO. Yes it was good fun and provided an interesting change, and may well have been good publicity, but better? No. As yted commented, it was one of the easiest sprint courses I've ever done (I've stated elsewhere that the only one rivalling this for me at a major event was the World Masters, back in 2010) and so not what I'd want to see on a regular basis at one of the very few high quality sprint events that we get in this country. We've already questioned our attendance at future JKs given the costs, and that would be the final straw. (Nigh on perfect run, other than a c15m difference route choice error, so no blaming of tools as suggested by DM).

Similar feelings on the relays: enjoyed it (until download!), although technically my experience (M165 middle leg) wasn't a million miles from yted's on 210, especially given that our second loop repeated much of the first, including the full length of that field. (The failure to punch the control at the end of the run-through was, of course, entirely my mistake!). Glad I hadn't run the long though (and all cred to those who had)!

[graeme]

I really enjoyed the sprints, ... but it was definitely not 'better than the normal empty student campus' IMO.

The far start sprints looked very good - unlike the typical campus they had variety as well as technicality. The multi-level stuff had a real risk of unfairness: there's no way anyone could figure it by mapreading out as fast as someone who was there before. So, it was really good that the actual layout was carefully explained in the details.

[awk]

The far start sprints looked very good - unlike the typical campus they had variety as well as technicality. The multi-level stuff had a real risk of unfairness: there's no way anyone could figure it by mapreading out as fast as someone who was there before. So, it was really good that the actual layout was carefully explained in the details.

Yes, the far start courses looked good - my comments were limited to what was experienced from the near start. Which, did cover the majority of competitors.

[Lard]

The JK is a festival of orienteering and by George (St) Yorkshire put on a fabulous weekend. To cater for over 2500, most of them old and unstable (and fussy) I think Yorkshire did an excellent job. The arenas were brilliant and that's what counts most when you're showcasing your sport. I can accept compromise on courses when you get venues like that. Bravo Yorkshire!

PS I love what you did around encouraging and supporting the new and littler people. Smart thinking all round.

[awk]

most of them... (and fussy)

As I said, absolutely no complaints. Not being involved (other than helping on one day), can only agree with you!