British Champions

[JEP]

BO policy is that BEOC and BOC should be combined unless there are strong factors that make it inappropriate. This is more likley to be date related than terrain related. This year the late February date for BOC meant that the elites were in general still in their winter training phase and some of those based in Scandinavia would not even have oreinteered at the time. The move to the earlier date in February made it inappropriate for BEOC.

[Gross]

I'm sure BOC / BEOC will produce the goods in 2010

[Sunlit Forres]

At a local event I'll often enter a shorter class. At the British Champs etc I will always enter the long for the simple reason that I expect the best orienteers in my age class to enter long. Even though I'm totaly pooped after about an hour I recognise that an orienteering champ worth the name must have 3 attributes - technical skill, speed and stamina. I don't enter my local half marathon and stop after 9 miles expecting to get a medal!

It's totally right to offer short classes (and colour code them in line with the new system) but if you expect to compete in a championship event you run in the championship class. If not you can still run on a top-quality course against like-minded opposition and enjoy the day just as much without expecting to win any trophies.

I've spent quite a lot of time bring newcomers into the sport in the last couple of years. Teaching folk how to orienteer is no problem - it's explaining the format of events that's my biggest challenge.

[IanD]

I am concerned about the introduction of full age group championships this year. Having middle and sprint on 2 different weekends simply means IMO that almost everyone will decide not to attend both, and many not bother with either. Small fields will then make the usual suspects claim that they are not valuable titles and argue to disenfranchise large numbers by starting large classes such as M/W55 - 80 all together - which of course would in turn mean that the oldder people are even less likely to bother to go ........

I share Eddie's concern. It's not that there are too many championships, but they are too close together in the calendar (without being on the same weekend).

This year, on consecutive weekends, I am faced with three major events all of which I would like to do, but all are at least 300 miles from home.

Logistics simply do not permit me to run the British Sprint Champs, the JK, and the Northern Champs. No disrespect to the Sprints, but it's the furthest event which I shall miss.

I do approve of events rotating around the country; we should have championships in Scotland (and Cornwall), but they need to be spread around the calendar as well.

Ironically, I shall probably run in the elite Sprint champs, although that is event is a very low priority for me as an M50.

[SJC]

It's not that there are too many championships, but they are too close together in the calendar (without being on the same weekend).

Agreed.

It was a mistake to combine the Middle distance Age Class Championships with the Elite. Much better would be to have a combined Sprint / Middle Age Class weekend in the Autumn. Leave the elite Championships where they are, so spreading the events out and giving those that want to try to compete against the Elites the opportunity to do so.