st andrews race

[andy]

Results/Routegadget/Winsplits up now, hope you enjoyed it

http://www.esoc.org.uk/home/results/st- ... n-results/

[frog]

That was fun, and much harder than I expected. Alot of route choice, and I think too often I went for the fiddly "clever" route that sometimes went a bit pear shaped rather than a longer but probably faster route sticking to obvious paths. Thought I had taken my self into a dead end when I emerged from the subway to be faced with a load of black lines and olive green and took me a while to spot the way out.
Definitely one to be revisited regularly, although I still like the Ed map best.
One day they'll do the sensible thing and extend the railway line all the way.

[andypat]

excellent event - I actually thought it was tougher (although less hilly) than Edinburgh - the pressure felt more sustained, particularly for the first half. Really enjoyed it - well done guys.

[Mrs H]

Fantastic. The best urban race I've done all season. Very tricky. What a lovely place St Andrews is? Even RJ would have approved. Only two urban courses on offer!
Will you be doing it again ? I want to spend at least a week up here !

[andy]

Will you be doing it again ?

I hope we do, an excellent town for a race, I spent 4 years at uni there wishing there was an o map, now there is
there's always the saturday before our SOL next year again (in October slightly further north up the A9)

[andy]

also, routegadget now up, link on the results page: http://esoc.org.uk/results-files/2010/s ... index.html

[frog]

Coming first in the short urban and saying you were a "bit slow" does sound like you think the rest of us are really crap...

[Wendles]

Easily the best urban race in this year's league! Fiendishly tricky in places and post mortem discussion revealed different route choices. My eyes could have been better in some places e.g. the route through the shubbery to the left of the row of houses, but that's down to age and I wouldn't want to 'run' with a tablecloth. Thankyou to all involved, first visit to St Andrews and lots of interesting things to see (and enough golf shops for each member of the population methinks!)

[ryeland of doom]

Really enjoyable, and tricky. Enjoyed walking roughly half my course afterwards looking in the museums and a tea shop.
Such a big map, so potential for new challenges to come.

[Freefall]

Fantastic race and I am pleased to hear so many positive things about the town I grew up in. From a local knowledge point of view here are my race comments:
Start Athletic Union. Never one for team games but it did have a climbing wall which I used
Start - 1 University Hall. My first girlfriend lived in the Annex I ran past
1-2 Kinburn Park. Used to climb the tree near the entrance.
2-3 MacIntosh Hall. Never knew any girls here but stayed in the end room this summer (very good B&B away from term time)
3-4 Down to the old Step Rock swimming pool (now Sealife Centre) via Gillespie Wynd
4-5 Fence by the beach (Elephant Rock and Lizard Rock)
5-6 Golf Museum opposite the R&A
6-7 Up the lane by Ma Bells (parent's house is about 100 metres from here)
7-8 Didn't know this Department
8-9 I should have known my way through the University Library but wasn't very studious
9-10 Some more obscure Departments and a new Museum
10-11 Through the grounds of Sally's (St Salvators, home to the Hooray Henrys)
11-12 Unknown
12-13 Around to Biochemistry (missed my Geography Dept by the Quadrangle)
13-14 Past Pete's down the lane to South St and the Byre Theatre
14-15 St Leonard's at last! Never saw into the inner sanctum of this Girl's School when I was a teenager
15-16 So that's how they get out.
16-17 Past the Cosmos Centre then past the putting green to the East Sands
17-18 Nice spot the Harbour
18-19 To the old coastguard lookout (my father's grandfather worked there)
19-20 Pity no shortcut through the cathedral. Nearly went wrong as I thought it was Madras College and only realised as I ran past it was St Mary's. Down past my old botany department.
20-21Along past where my doctor's surgery was
21-22 Down to the Kinnessburn, near where we used to live.
22-23 The back lanes I used to travel up to school. The very low roof at Lowden's Close seemed high enough when I was 10. West Port couldn't be missed.
23-24 Never knew what was behind Bell Street
24-25 Came out by what was Madras Primary over the wall from my parent's house. Cut along by the bus station, over what was the railway line (now a car park) then along Jacob's Ladder.
25-26 That building wasn't there in my day
26-27 neither was this
27-28 Knew the way but don't know what that fenced in building was
28-Finish That final short hill

Maybe I would have orienteered more as a student with such a great map and race format

[andy]

Coming first in the short urban and saying you were a "bit slow" does sound like you think the rest of us are really crap...

um, as someone who should be competitive on the long who is recovering from injury I'm feeling very slow at the moment, sorry!

[andy]

also tentsmuir SOL results here: http://www.esoc.org.uk/home/results/ten ... l-results/

I'll do the rankings tomorrow (as well as pwt rankings to those who're super keen for them!)

[frog]

I was joking, it seemed quite a funny thing for the guy who came first to say.
Were you "slow" round the green today as well?

[andypat]

Think his injury is on the mend!
A wee word for the tentsmuir event too which was excellent as usual from the planning to the parking. The forest wasnt as bad with the bracken as expected and its generally good running underfoot anyhow. Really enjoyed the blue. Cheers ESOC.

[EddieH]

St Andrews was the best urban race in the UK to date? Anyone that hasn't tried it and assumes it's easy doesn't know what they are talking about. It was really challenging.

Regarding bracken at Tentsmuir, is there any? I can't recall meeting any. There are areas of ferns which, whilst they conceal the forest floor, they do not tie you up. Also I believe they are evergreen and will be the same all year round meaning that Tentsmuir is an ideal area for summer/ autumn orienteering even though a late start will always be an advantage.

Anyway congratulations ESOC - one of the best ever months of Scottish orienteering, and I think I enjoyed this one even more than the others.