Whitbarrow National Event Start List

[Freefall]

What a fantastic event and for me a bit of a confidence booster - 8 months ago I was full of self pity with my ruptured achilles wondering when I would ever run again. After a few easier runs locally (NE)I decided I would chance Whitbarrow, but did decide to run down at M50S instead of the usual M50L.

Good news is I survived the experience unscathed and hopefully if I can run on that I can run anywhere! I thought the mapping was very good though perhaps it was a bit rockier in some places than expected (136 springs to mind!). The course length was just right - 50 min for me though the winner did 10 mins faster. I cannot complain about 6th place so early back into the game.

The organisation was just fine and even if we did have to pay a little extra and wait a few minutes for a coach what does it really matter in the scheme of things. Thanks a lot everyone.

[tomtom]

Did anyone have those horrible colours on the map? It was like a really bright yellow for open terrain.
I spoke to a few others on course 6 and some had it and some didn't. I'm sure thats not allowed...

Anyone know??

[Crispy]

My son was on course 6 Tom and his map was fine - his had the usual colour for open. It does sound as though there were two versions of this map and that sounds a bit dodgy, but I don't know what the official stance is.

[Tom R]

Yeh I was running course 6 and had one of those wierd coloured maps, the contours were unreadable in parts of the open area. It didnt affect me too much though. But for a National Event it was a bit unfair.

Have to add though that it was a very enjoyable course and although it was short I enjoyed it a lot

[IanD]

Fantastic area, but I'm not sure that the planners got the best out of it. I had two longish legs (on course 4), one was an easy path run, the other a procession through the open on a leg shared by four popular courses. My overall impression is of a predominately TD4 course in a TD5 area. (Not that this stopped me from messing up a couple of legs).
And no control circles were broken anywhere, very disappointing at what is supposed to be a quality event.
Event organisation seemed excellent, although the unexplained late imposition of extra charges will no doubt have upset some of those affected.

[awk]

Fantastic area, but I'm not sure that the planners got the best out of it. I had two longish legs (on course 4), one was an easy path run

Given some of the variations (both deliberate and otherwise!) shown on Route Gadget, I don't think it was as quite as straightforward as you think Ian. Also, I think the changes of pace required made things interesting.

TD4? No, but my one minor gripe about a course I really enjoyed was that the first two legs back out onto the open were given away by the single trees, especially 16 where the top of the tree next to the control was visible from within 20 metres of leaving 15.

[redkite]

whilst the trees were a good guide, a group in front of me all missed the white blobs on the map, or didn't realise the white were single trees.

[King Penguin]

I was one of those that failed to spot the first pair of white blobs on the map, and that was on 1:10,000. I blame wind in the eyes...

[Steve]

I tend to agree with IanD, but I'm assuming the reason the courses were a little on the easy side is not because of any lack in the planners' abilities, it's because the planners deliberately designed the courses that way to reduce the physicality for the older age groups. Nanny-planning you might say - limit the length, climb, contact with limestone pavement, rocky ground, and you get what we got.

I'm not criticising the planning - within the constraints imposed by the rules and guidelines, the time of year, the nature of the area, the exposure, the planners did a good job. I suppose what I am bemoaning is that I'm getting old enough for these constraints to affect my enjoyment of the event. As a member of the nouveau-elderly I'm finding it hard adjusting to the reduced expectations of my abilities, and I'm thinking it will be necessary to run up at national events as well as regional events if I'm to go home satisfied.

[graeme]

After SOL1, once again I enjoyed running the course of appropriate length for my age group

Variety was good and the planner did well to keep us out of 100% rough stuff (one day there will be a truly horrible course there entirely in the wood). There were some excellent legs e.g. 12-13-14, the best I've seen in the UK for a long time,
and I got them all wrong .

We had great legs in good runnability too (1, 23-24), and nothing unfair.

But the sections to north and south after crossing the walls seemed a bit noddy - none of the really good legs needed us to cross those walls.

There might be reasons, but the planners comments don't enlighten us.

Controls on gates seemed a very sensible idea: better than covering the map with red uncrossible boundary lines.

As for UK cup's claim that this was a Long race ...

[RogYoman]

fellbaum, we have to do something about this course 6 unfair map colour scandal!!! I think we should keep quiet actually incase they void the course.

[tomtom]

I spoke to a Bof official and she thought it was against the rules if other, normal maps were given to those on the same course.

[Supersaint]

Some photos from the event are now in the gallery.