Results and Rankings.

[andy]

Do people actually change their orienteering habits based on whether they will get ranking points?
using list as motivation to train more/get better: yes
change course to increase your chance of getting points: umm, please don't

[AndyC]

Do people actually change their orienteering habits based on whether they will get ranking points?
using list as motivation to train more/get better: yes
change course to increase your chance of getting points: umm, please don't

Given my claim in my signature I might be inclined to change courses to ensure that I DON't get ranking points

[andypat]

People have all sorts of reasons as to why they attend some events and not others - no reason why ranking points shouldnt be one of them. It is after all the best comparitor that most of us have against other orienteers we dont compete against regualrly.

One thing I dont understand is the concern about low numbers and anomalous results. Why was this not perceived to be an issue previously? Under the previous system there were often only one or two ranked people on M35s when I did it. On several occasions my ranking points for an event were simply an average of my previous points. At least that recognised the fact I completed the course!

I'd suggest its more anomalous for someone who wins a black course by a country mile not to get any points at all because the 10th and final competitor DNFs than it would be for someone to get extra points becasue they beat a few people who had off days?

[AlanB]

Do people actually change their orienteering habits based on whether they will get ranking points?
using list as motivation to train more/get better: yes
change course to increase your chance of getting points: umm, please don't

The rankings have certainly changed my habits. I came across them by chance as one of the SoSOL fixtures - Gullane Dunes - was a regional, therefore ranking, event. Noticing my score in the ranking list I then decided to seek out every ranking event to get more scores, including Lakes 5.

I'm not going to change course in an effort to try and win more points through an anomaly - I'm more interested in competing at my age class - but I did try a green at a recent regional SoSOL event. My score? More or less the typical score I get anyway.

As you say, the list has caused me to train more and try to improve my skills - definitely!

[peawet08]

Do people actually change their orienteering habits based on whether they will get ranking points?
using list as motivation to train more/get better: yes
change course to increase your chance of getting points: umm, please don't

I hadn't done but I had been targetting events to get me ranking points as I didn't have 6 qualifying results. I would have been a little miffed if I hadn't received points after doing an event specifically to target that.

[andy]

apologies to those waiting for Park World Tour rankings going in, I'm still waiting for the upload to be re-enabled, which I was told was sorted but actually was not. Not had any reply from bof hq yet, i'll let you know when it's done.

[superstartradesman]

Do people actually change their orienteering habits based on whether they will get ranking points?
using list as motivation to train more/get better: yes
change course to increase your chance of getting points: umm, please don't

I don't. But I would like two things:

1) to be rewarded with appropriate ranking points for my performance at all events of high enough quality to be considered a fair test of my orienteering skills relative to others. Like St Andrews on Saturday

2) not to leave an event realising that I would have received a substantially greater reward for the same level of performance on a shorter course. Like, it seems, Green at Tentsmuir on Sunday

[andypat]

apologies to those waiting for Park World Tour rankings going in, I'm still waiting for the upload to be re-enabled, which I was told was sorted but actually was not. Not had any reply from bof hq yet, i'll let you know when it's done.

Thanks for the update Andy - you have been a busy bunny on our behalf lately!

[mharky]

Will we get 2 ranking points, from qualification and the final? I hope so, that'll give me 6 scores for the first time in about 4 years!

Just went up 713 places thanks to the Tentsmuir SOL, I'm officially better than my mum now!

[Spookster]

Will we get 2 ranking points, from qualification and the final? I hope so, that'll give me 6 scores for the first time in about 4 years!

You should do, as they were two different races. Also, everyone who ran the prologue should be merged into one upload file (PWT Invites, PWT Open and PWT Open Saturday morning) as they all ran the same race. Same for Saturday afternoon Final (merge the top 30 race with the "others" race).

[mharky]

aye, sounds complicated, so no wonder it's taking andrew a while to sort out. i know it was easier to set them up as seperate events, so combining them must be a bit of a mare...

do we have to have GG though, that's gonna kill my points!

[andy]

PWT Open Saturday morning

Saturday morning not included, completely different day and event, the rest is 'everyone'

[andy]

combining them must be a bit of a mare...

yes it is/was, I'm still not sure if I've got it correct (and won't really be able to tell until I get access to the upload facility!

[Spookster]

aye, sounds complicated, so no wonder it's taking andrew a while to sort out. i know it was easier to set them up as seperate events, so combining them must be a bit of a mare...

No, it's a doddle. Unless you have nightmares about the terms "text file", "CSV" and "spreadsheet".

do we have to have GG though, that's gonna kill my points!

Including GG will at least increase the mean previous score of the ranked runners!

Saturday morning not included, completely different day and event, the rest is 'everyone'

Now you are making it complicated, because now you're going to have to set up a new Regional Event in order to attach the results of Saturday morning . Apart from it being "a very long start time window", what else differed on Saturday?

[andy]

Now you are making it complicated, because now you're going to have to set up a new Regional Event in order to attach the results of Saturday morning . Apart from it being "a very long start time window", what else differed on Saturday?

The big difference is that it didn't count for anything, no pressure. It's comparable to running WOC qualification the day after having had a chance to get a map, then doing a top15 placed time and expecting to run the final. (i.e. It's not going to be included in the rankings.)

also:
turns out it wasn't even registered (it was a completely separate event)

http://www.britishorienteering.org.uk/e ... rch=Search