JK 2009 Feedback?

[andy]

Normal SI software is much quicker.

normal SI software doesnt' do any check and there are always (in my experience) problems
at download with it.

I also couldn't see the need to have start times and entry setails on two different web sites. Fabian 4 works normally so why use an extra web site?

JK didn't use Fabian 4... Results are also on a 'different website'. I quite liked it, having the chance to get away from a site that looks like the bof site is always good

[NeilC]

And on the relay board thing, if you watch a Halden SK changeover at 10mila or Jukola, the incoming runner picks up the map, shows the outgoing runner the number (which is written very big on the back, usually) and only when they are both satisfied it's the correct one, does the outgoing runner go out. I thought that was great the first time I saw it.

Though it looks like not all TioMila teams or officials are quite as efficient

When Sandra (Zurcher) finished, she saw that she had no map to hand over to her 4th leg runner. It turned out that a runner from another club (IF Thor) took OK Tyr's map by mistake. Sandra's 4th leg runner was eventually handed a new map by the organizers, but the organizers scrwed up, giving her a leg 5 map instead, leading to the disqualification.

[seabird]

A well run map issue system has no significant queue.

It gives officials and runners time to check carefully that the right map is given out.

The only pressure comes if the runner arrives late at map issue. That is their reponsibility and problem.

In a race the pressure is on. Runners can easily take the wrong map in the heat of the race. Officials have to make hasty decisions about replacing a missing map.

It seems to me that although no system is perfect, the potential for error has to be greater with the in race time/map board scenario.

[King Penguin]

Maybe they judge the font size on the bib which has to have the longest name on it - in which case you have Rachel Findlay-Robinson to blame

No - blame her parents !

[graeme]

It seems to me that although no system is perfect,

But more importantly, if you show up late in the British system it is (to some extent) your fault. If another team runs off with your map it isn't.

Last time I ran a relay at Dipton we used map trees. All sorts of people ended up with the wrong map.

As Chappers reported

On the weekend of 31st August, the Harvester Trophy returned back 10 years later to Dipton Woods, near Hexham. The forest where SYO were cheated from victory by the misfortune of another team taking our 3rd leg map and our short leg runner running a long leg and vice-versa for the long leg runner.

Curiously omitting the fact that he himself made the decisive break at the previous Harvester while our man was twiddling thumbs while officials rummaged for a replacement map.

[Mrs H]

I'm feeling stung by JK co-ordinator Boris Spence's comments re the bus problems in the new edition of CompassSport that:"competitors were requested to turn up early at 7.30hrs. This did not appear to wrk as on the day only a few competitors responded to the request".

I'm curious to know where this request was made as in the Final Details all it says is

Bussing
The bus departure point will be visible immediately on entering the Race Course. The first bus will leave at 07.30 and then every 10 minutes (or as soon as full) until 11.00. Allow 20 minutes travelling time. The walk from the bus stop to the Assembly Area is about 500m uphill. Please keep to the path as this is through the competition area.
Return trip. Buses will depart from the same point where competitors were dropped off. The first bus will leave at 12.00 and then every 10 minutes (or as soon as full). Please give way to competitors and stay on the path after leaving the Assembly Area.

I can see no request in there - infact it seems quite re-assuringly timed.

Before I fire off a defensive letter to the Editor on behalf of all the people who would have turned up early to avoid the queue if they had been asked - did anyone receive a request?

[andy]

did anyone receive a request?

no

[madmike]

Mrs H,
no request received by me and even so it was an unrealistic expectation that people will spread their arrival time. There is always a peak arrival and departure at big relays .

My, and others, rough calculations suggest that they had approximately half the buses they needed at JK.

I understand they knew they didn't have enough buses but could not get any more despite their considerable efforts to do so.

A great JK, well organised but with a bus faff at the end that definitely wasn't the competitors fault nor necessarily the organsier - may be just one of those things that happen sometimes

[JennyJ]

I'm going to write in to complain about being described as 'an orienteer' that Oli Johnson married.

[Mrs H]

Yes Mike I agree that the JK was a good event and it was an excellent Easter holiday - but Boris IS blaming the competitors for not doing something which as far as I'm concerned they were not asked to do - it would have made a difference if they had been asked.
I would definitely have turned up early with my brood - particularly with the younger Miss H still being disabled rather than have her stand around in a queue for half an hour or longer and I suspect other families and groups would have done the same.

I understand and sympathise with the organisers over the problems they had both with parking and sourcing of buses - but I don't like the accusation that we as competitors were deliberately unco-operative. In my experience orienteers are extremely good at answering the call for help.

As with many of these things - it comes down to poor communication.

Jenny - well you can write to Nick then! He put that bit in - not me! I wouldn't have dared!

[Scott]

These claims from the organisers aren't new - we've had them on here earlier in this thread.

[madmike]

Mrs H,
agree completely that it is unacceptable to blame the competitors.

Not my intent to defend the comments in CS. Furthermore, I remain to be convinced that lots of orienteers would have been as co-operative as the H's. And of course there would still have been the huge mob trying to leave at the same time to deal with if everyone had spread their arrival times.

More could have been done to cope with the predictable surges in arrivals and departures even with the limited number of buses they had - imho

[EddieH]

The thing I found a bit sad about Boris's article is that despite the huge overall success of the weekend it read to me as though he was focused on the few things that didn't go quite so well. I do hope that he felt the satisfaction that his report fails to show - a really good job I thought.

[madmike]

Eddie,
it probably stems from his Military background where good things are taken for granted and things that don't go perfectly are a reason for self flagellation or, in this case, competitor flagellation

[Duncan]

I'm feeling stung by JK co-ordinator Boris Spence's comments re the bus problems in the new edition of CompassSport.....

Why is all this being dug over again? I thought it had been pretty universally agreed that the bussing strategy at the JK relays wasn't adequate, and that Boris's co-ordinator's comments were wrong when they claimed people had been explicitly requested to turn up early. I don't think CompassSport is adding anything new - it just seems to repeat Boris's comments direct from the JK website. Of course if, after all the post-JK debate, CompassSport has since gone to back to Boris and confirmed he still stands by his comments, then that is admittedly a bit odd and its reasonably for you to feel "stung". Otherwise the lesson has been learnt so just move on.