MEROC Regional event

[Rich R]

There was also a district event at the other end of NWOA with WCOC having a Galoppen. Seams strange that the same region has a district and a regional on the same day.

[RJ]

The WCOC Galoppen event was well over on the west of the county, always a difficult area to get to. So, not really much of a clash with the C3.

NW is a very large, extended N/S region with a large travel distance between BL and DEE. In this day and age we must stop thinking about getting in the car and travelling everywhere and anywhere to compete at an O event. Carbon footprint and all that! We need to keep things very much more local.

However, the C3 has a few drawbacks in its system that seems to restrict numbers entering. One of which is the closing date and inability of clubs to be flexible in taking late entries and having maps available on the day. Our District events have overprinted maps on demand on the day.... as do our Regional events. We can offer EOD and very late entry for our Regional events.... which gives us a higher turnout.

We need to look again at the way we put on our C3s. We need to offer EOD and late entry at NO EXTRA COST. The downside for the competitor is that they will have to settle for a start time they are given... rather than be able to choose one, as they can if they enter early. It is straightforward to be able to print maps on the day. We are selling a product to consumers.... we need to adapt and meet the needs of the competitor. If you can't do that then expect low entries for your C3, and accept the disappointment that brings.

[EddieH]

Two sunday's ago I controlled BASOC's didtrict event at Inveruglas (a great area). Maps are preprinted for anticipated numbers plus a bit. The weather on the day was poor, but exceptionally so further south resulting in very few travelling and probably BASOC' lowest turnout ever.
Suppose this were a new map - how can a club afford to take that sort of risk - I can see just why clubs want some guaranteed income for some of their events, particularly in outlying regions.
As it was I am sure BASOC made a loss on the event.

[DM]

RJ

Hear what you are saying about how it is possible to have EOD etc etc. But if you do this you also need to prepare for increased numbers and the load on the services, in particular the toilets. The event at Thirlmere earlier this year (sorry forget the exact name) was an example of how good weather brought out the masses with the result that painfully long queues built up.

[Rich R]

I do understand what your saying but this was a regional event i.e. for the NWOA so there shouldn't really be any other event in the region that day. People maybe slightly closer to the district event will go to that when people should be encouraged to go to the Regional event (and car share).

[RJ]

Rich R... are you saying that all orienteers in Cumbria should forsake all else and travel to MEROC for their C3!!!!!

ALL (well virtually all) of our problems in the sport are due to low numbers.... we need more people to come and enjoy the sport!

Back to MEROC..... they are close to several MAJOR centres of population and have a huge potential set of 'customers/competitors' available. Our efforts should be in keeping the sport 'local' and enticing new people to come and join from within a small radius of our own club. Travelling the length and breadth of the country is not going to solve the problem.... just burn a lot of petrol!

[RS]

MEROC is an extremely small club and do very well to put on such good badge events which run very smoothly with minimum help. They have enough to do I would have thought without the hassle of EOD. Incidentally some people seemed willing to travel as there were OD people in the results.

[Oldman]

Interesting comments! Should clubs however not be free to set their own policies towards EOD etc, and if they get that wrong (i.e. misjudge the market), they suffer the consequences.

I assume the Fixtures structure review that is going on will be looking at all this??

[Becks]

Some of us travelled all the way from Edinburgh! And were thoroughly rewarded with an excellent event.

[awk]

Interesting comments! Should clubs however not be free to set their own policies towards EOD etc, and if they get that wrong (i.e. misjudge the market), they suffer the consequences. I assume the Fixtures structure review that is going on will be looking at all this??

As you say, it's up to the club. I'm sure MEROC could have changed their mind and had EOD if they had wanted. For that first reason, it's not something the review group looked at.

[Scarpara]

My carbon footprint was non existent this event as I live a mile down the road in Ainsdale village and walked to the event and back. Does this somewhat offset the greater distances we travel to events such as Scottish 6 and JK etc?
Great event on home turf (or should that be sand) by the way. It was a lovely relaxed atmosphere and the course was challenging but surprisingly runnable (when I knew which direction to run in).
Congrats to all involved.

[RS]

But you are increasing your carbon footprint by not belonging to your local club

[Rich R]

Rich R... are you saying that all orienteers in Cumbria should forsake all else and travel to MEROC for their C3!!!!!

Well they are called district and regional events for a reason. I think large attendance at regionals should be encouraged they bring more appeal to the sport.

[awk]

Well they are called district and regional events for a reason. I think large attendance at regionals should be encouraged they bring more appeal to the sport.

I've always been against the 'protection' that C3s have received from competing events, as opposed to C4/5s, which have to my mind artificially boosted their numbers and led people to think that their structure is what attracts people. Some people are, no doubt, attracted by that, but talking to and listening to a large number of other orienteers, the real reason that C3s have attracted numbers is that (a) people want to orienteer (and a distant C3 is often the closest one can go because of that protection) and (b) the areas are attractive, the best being reserved for these events.

However, this has simply artificially boosted numbers at these events, and now the differences are lessening (pre-marked maps etc.), it's interesting to see how C4s in many parts of the country are gaining on, and in some areas proving as attractive (even more so sometimes) than C3s.

I see no reason why C3s should be so protected; all that does is reduce the number of events available, making the sport less attractive not just to newcomers, but to many (often previously) regular orienteers who simply do not want to travel the distances required every weekend.

Personally, I feel, rather than banning C4s, the C3 in its current format has long had its day, and is in need of major surgery. This is true even in parts of the country where numbers at C3s still look respectable - closer examination reveals significant decline in almost all except the older vets classes, and even the S classes in some of those.

[Snail]

Agree with much of what awk says.

But one advantage of the "protection" that C3s currently have is that in general it lets clubs put on one event a year with a reasonable income - and thus incur the expense of a new map / survey. If we had more smaller events would clubs commission fewer new maps?

However the surfeit of M50/55s should ensure a host of amateur mappers with time on their hands in a few years...