BOC 2013

[aiming off]

Out of fairness, all future championships should be centrally located in Britain, and held in a field south of Calderstones Partnership NHS Mental Health Trust, near Whalley, Lancashire

[frostbite]

the best place to live in the long term (as far as travelling to major orienteering events is concerned, anyway) is probably somewhere round Manchester/Leeds/Sheffield.

Like most people my view of the country is somewhat skewed by having lived in one corner of it all my life. After extensive research I have concluded that the centre of orienteering gravity in the UK is actually somewhere in the southern part of Staffordshire. If your only criterium for choosing a place to live is ease of travelling to the British Champs and JK, you might like to consider Walsall.

[aiming off]

If you live in Walsall, and are prepared to travel 2 hours to orienteering events, that should get you as far as West Bromwich and Wolverhampton.

[Clive Coles]

I have always found the cost of travel to be more significant than the cost of entry. For us on the edge of GB a round trip of 100 miles is about average for even a level 3 event never mind BOC or the JK.

I still think if far more important to rotate the big events around the country on the best terrain that a region cam provide rather than to try to stage them in Walsall so that travel for most is a low as possible.

[Gross]

than to try to stage them in Walsall so that travel for most is a low as possible

Surely there are streets & concrete in Walsall?

[haloite]

Surely there are streets & concrete in Walsall?

Ummmmm, yum, yum "streets & concrete" - I'm in!
LOL
But seriously (sort of!) there are actually some good looking forest events this year, if, like me, you don't particularly like blundering around for hours in waist deep (I'm only 5'6") bracken/brambles/heather/mud - insert whichever appropriate impediment to progress you like least

[EddieH]

This year for me it's all a very long way. Even the Scottish is south of Glasgow.

As it happens I am having to spend time looking after my mother in Hampshire so both BOC and JK are surprisingly convenient.

More importantly I mustn't be negative about the terrain which is not going to suit me fantastically. And with not going to WMOC it wouldnt be a bad year to have that long awaited operation except that I don't have one

[awk]

or is this sport becoming exclusively for the well off?

I've just paid £30 to enter a sportive - one of the cheaper ones. Depends how you define well off, I suppose.

[haloite]

If you think Orienteering is bad you should look at the ridiculous prices some of the Trail races charge. I would guess the costs amount to nowhere near the amount that Orienteering has to fork out to even stage an event - maps cost money to produce!!

[denbydale]

Look at these for 'dozy' prices
http://www.ratracedirtyweekend.com/
£112!!
and
http://www.majorseries.com/events/north

£24 (early entry) to trog round Bramham Park - Madness!
Rising to £39

[awk]

http://www.majorseries.com/events/north

£24 to trog round Bramham Park - Madness!

Yes, suggests that their interpretation of the word 'free' is rather different to mine!
Also helps explain why Bramham Park is on the verge of being prohibitively expensive for anything but big orienteering races.

[seabird]

£24 to trog round Bramham Park - Madness!

As awk indicates Bramham now charge a minimum of £1200.00 for one day of orienteering. As the areas available, at best, only justify a Level C event, Bramham has now dropped off Aire's list of available areas. (Shame cos I've spent a lot of time mapping part of it)

With entries now averaging 200 (not all paying seniors) I'd estimate a BOF members entry fee of £11 to break even on the same entry.
Would people be prepared to pay this to orienteer at a venue like Bramham in a Level C event?

[SeanC]

To be fair to events like the major series, they're not trying to be a normal run, it's more like run + it's a knockout. These events seem like a fun thing to do with some friends, and the sort of thing most people can afford a few times a year (probably not most weekends).

Seabird - since you've mapped part of the area maybe you might want to contact the event organisers to see if they would like to use a bit of the map for their event (obstacle 10 and 11, orienteering?.... through the muckiest, toughest bit of course). There might be a deal to be done (let a small orienteering event on the same day share the fee?). And a good opportunity to publicise orienteering events ....

[seabird]

Sean

The entire course is on orienteering maps - minus a 200m section. Though, given it is a marked course, can't see much need for maps. Perhaps someone who lives less than my 60 mile round journey to the area might take up your suggestion.

I think the Major entry fee seems fair, given the amount of work the course seems to require to set up, the freebies and the access fees, which may well exceed what we have to pay.

[SeanC]

My idea (a little vague it has to be said) is to somehow use a bit of micro orienteering to promote orienteering to the runners... there will be a fair few who could get into orienteering since they like getting wet and muddy and like a challenge.

For example obsical X could be a short section of orienteering map, maybe 500M X 300M, simplified. Competitors have to visit 1 or 2 controls in the section and they are given 3 ways of getting there ... a long but physically easy marked route (marked on the map and marked on the ground with tapes), a short but physically tough taped, maybe a third taped route for route choice, and of course they could just go "off piste" and use the map which should ideally be the quickest option but ideally include some dramatic plundering through the terrain. The message could be "the tough and the skillful use the map".

There's a few other things that could be done instead... eg put in one of those taped mazes etc.

In return for adding some value to the event (and possibly some volunteers) orienteering clubs could ask for promotional material in the goody bags given to competitors. All those AIRE evening events maybe? . Also there could be a small orienteering event after the muddy race, and maybe if it was seen as a joint thing then just one land use fee would be charged (and some runners might want to try a short orienteering course).

Same comments apply to any of these muddy races near you? It might not be real orienteering but a way in to publicise to the ideal target market for orienteering. Possibly BOF would be keen to help if it fits in with the latest development strategy (eg if the "run challenge" could be promoted as well).

I went to a 10k muddy night race a few months ago (on a motorbike scrambling circuit). £25 but it was for charity. It was a laugh listening to all the screams as people ran into the first wet trench and thinking "we've got another hour of this". When you run into a freezing bog on Baildon Moor at an orienteering event no-one can hear you scream.