Course length ratios, what to use?

[Paul Frost]

As I started this discussion I felt I should now let you see the end result and judge if we got it about right:
Loch Vaa Highland Wolf results, RouteGadget
I'm tempted to think the competitors did, as there were a lot of smiling faces at download. Most seemed to think they had done enough, except Hector Haines, who decided that after completing the Blue in 37:47 he needed to do a bit more, so then did Green in 26:03.

[Homer]

I'm tempted to think the competitors did, as there were a lot of smiling faces at download.

You did. Thanks very much.

Best Middle Distance race of the year (despite not being advertised as such).

[Paul Frost]

Thanks for the compliments Homer, but just to clarify.
It was never intended, advertised as, or planned to be a Middle Distance race.

The Planning Philosophy is clearly laid out in the Middle Distance Guidelines.

Middle distance orienteering requires fast, accurate orienteering for a moderately long period of time. Even small mistakes will be decisive. TD5 courses should be planned to be as consistently technically difficult as possible. Very long legs should be avoided but small and medium scale route choice is encouraged. The emphasis should be on high speed running where competitors need to adjust their speed for the complexity of the terrain. There will be a higher density of controls than for an equivalent long distance race.

But Loch Vaa would be an excellent location for a Middle Distance race due to it meeting the terrain requirements, maybe next time...

[Homer]

Which part of the quoted planning philosophy did the course not meet?
I thought Blue was a perfect Middle Distance race (for M21).

[Paul Frost]

Which part of the quoted planning philosophy did the course not meet?
I thought Blue was a perfect Middle Distance race (for M21).

There will be a higher density of controls than for an equivalent long distance race

And it wasn't planned with M21 in mind.

I'm no expert on Middle Distance planning but I understood they would be closer together.
But looking at the 2011, 2012 & 2013 British Middle Distance Champs RouteGadgets there is quite a wide variation on the technicality of terrain and control density. So I guess it's like many things in orienteering, guidelines are not rules and "it depends on..." is used frequently.

But the key measure as far as I'm concerned is did people get what they expected and "did they enjoy it?"

[Homer]

I'd count 21 controls in 6.5km as quite high density.

Especially compared with 15 in 7.9km the following day.

But like you say, everyone has their own interpretation. I thoroughly enjoyed the weekend. It felt like a Middle/Long combination to me. Just sorry that I didn't feel my body could cope with the urban race as well.

Thanks again BASOC. Next year?

[graeme]

But the key measure as far as I'm concerned is did people get what they expected and "did they enjoy it?"

Enjoyed, as expected. You called it a blue course - you could also have called it a "middle distance black course", though that would probably have confused people.

For practical purposes, control density is irrelevant to technical difficulty, e.g. elites need to prepare for stuff like the WOC selection race...

http://www.tulospalvelu.fi/gps/20130621mmkatsH21/

The planning guideline is a nonsense, if you accept "as consistently technically difficult as possible" any further requirements must be either unnecessary, or mean the course is less difficult than it would be without the extra constraints.

[Paul Frost]

Thanks again BASOC. Next year?

Yes, the Highland Wolf is here to stay.
Put 27/28th September 2014 in your diaries now.
The exact format still to be decided, could be a longer urban race, might offer a night event, but will have SOL 6 on the Sunday.

[andypat]

I understand there's likely a SOUL too...

[Sunlit Forres]

Should be a good summer up North then. There's a Moray Mix 21/22 June too.

[Gross]

Hope you got info out to WOC people already as they start planning for next year. WOC 99 we had loads coming to the Elite Tests in 1997, 98, 99

[Domhnull Mor]

That's the same weekend as the Swedish Middle and Relay Championships next year so that'll keep them occupied at least.

[graeme]

and MAROC/GRAMPs Race the Castles weekend over on Deeside at Balmoral and Forvie Oct 18 & 19th. Including the SHI and a relay option, so ideal for a spot of pre-WOC.