Carlisle Urban Race

[Mrs H]

Why oh why do people insist on wearing O-suits at urban races? It's perfect opportunity to publicise the sport to the masses.

It's funny you mention that - by the time I'd got home on the train I'd written my April CompassSport column on very much that subject. I feel certain sectors are very badly letting the side down and an excellent opportunity is going to waste because of it. I think you'll approve

[andypat]

Not sure I understand the above posts - are you saying you publicise Orienteering by not wearing an o suit.? ie by looking like a normal jogger? I'm not saying I completely disagree with the point I think you are making, but surely the issue is deeper than that. If we are all embarrassed about O suits - whats the point in them?

[Mrs H]

yes you are missing the point - urban racing is (or will become) an entity in itself and does not need to be derivative - and it certainly shouldn't frighten the natives - you will have to wait for the magazine

[Fourth]

I couldnt go but it sounds an interesting area to run on, are borderliners going to be doing a route gadget, or is there a picture of the map?

[SeanC]

and I hope you will be giving some fashion advice for clubs designing their o kit. Even I can spot basic errors such as making the trousers the same colour as the tops. which makes them look more like PJ's.

A good modern style o suit top plus shorts is probably OK for urban racing????

[Clive Coles]

Perhaps folk wear O kit for urban races because it happens to be what the have in their sports drawer.

I thought things were looking up. The modern designs of O suits are certainly an improvement over tatty pyjamas ( casually ripped apart by encounters with brambles).

On the other hand would Beach Volleyball have ever become an Olympic Sport had it not been for the amount of flesh on display.

I will obviously need to start reading CompassSport again for some guidance !

[RJ]

.... and it certainly shouldn't frighten the natives....

Unfortunately they constitute 99.99% of the rest of the population, so we must be pretty extreme!

...... "He looks fast" and a "That looks fun" ..... shrieks of laughter when a chap runs round the corner to meet the said group wearing a full pink and blue O-suit .......

Quite a good series of comments. Will the pink and blue O-suit put people off? Or, by having a laugh at them, generate further attention. Suppose it depends on whether it was ridicule or surprise.

How do you react to the London Marathon and the enormous range of 'costumes' that you see, and all the inappropriate shapes and sizes squeezed into lycra?

What I find most off-puting is the tatty, torn, worn out, faded set of gear that folk wear. Have they no pride? I wouldn't want to take my newer O-tops into Setmurthy forest and tackle the fight..... but a race around Carlisle should be safe enough. No harm in being colourful so long as it is fresh and clean. Triathletes look fine in their fancy gear .

Wendles' pictures are fairly revealing.... the youth look great, and the OD top is very presentable as are our tops (well I think so!!). Yes we should be colourful and athletic..... but not a 0.01% of the population who appear odd and eccentric

[Becks]

Hear hear! I think a newer club top and lycra is fine city wear - my FVO top is more stylish than any of my running vests. Jenny looked fab in her Canada top, a great advert (but then it would be hard to make her look bad!) But there was a huge array of interesting choices out there that were more than a bit embarrassing. Wear what you like in a forest, but didn't you see the locals? It's important to get dressed up when you visit Carlisle on a Saturday!

[Angry Haggis]

The locals seem to taking a keen interest in my attire here (click to see full picture)

[Becks]

Simple sartorial elegance there Oli, I'm not surprised!

[Mrs H]

Now stop talking about it or you'll give the game away - RJ has already stolen half my thunder. Becks and I had a brief discussion about the state of various matters which started me thinking about the whole thing - and i will have some advice to offer - particularly for my fellow vets and super vets.

Angry Haggis - it's a bit worrying those boys are all looking at your nether regions

[easternmost?]

If anyone's run fell apart after contrtol 122 this programme may explain why :-

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00q2q87

Watch from 4min 30sec in. (available until Thursday 11/2)

Great day out, Carlisle was a real surprise for me.

[Roger]

On the other hand would Beach Volleyball have ever become an Olympic Sport had it not been for the amount of flesh on display.

I took tights + Helly to cope with the expected cold conditions, and T-shirt + shorts in case it was warm. The sunshine brought out the 'warm' option... and duly attracted a yell of "short shorts!" from the smokers round the back of the King's Head.

And they weren't even my short shorts.

[mappingmum]

Why oh why do people insist on wearing O-suits at urban races? .......Normal/conventional sportswear next time please...

Hear hear. Excellent. Well said, I can't understand it either.

[mappingmum]

If we are all embarrassed about O suits - whats the point in them?

O suits are a functional solution to having to cover up flesh whilst running through undergrowth in afforested areas.

You don't encounter undergrowth on urban-O.