Relay classes

[The Loofa]

Good thinking Mrs H. Will do

Back in the 1980s I recall there being 2 ad hoc classes at either the JK relays ot the British - and it may well have been at both. One of these was the mixed ad hoc - identical to the one we have now. The other was called Short Ad Hoc and conisisted of 3 short equal legs of maximum TD. So if that was resurrected could we then get rid of the present Short Open classes,

[madmike]

Loofa - isn't that just changing names and combining mens/womans short - is that really changing anything

All, - if short relays are popular classes why risk driving more people away from our diminishing sport. We could just have an elite relay which 3 or 4 teams could win and sod everyone else, that'll be progressive .

If it's not broken don't try and fix it cos you'll break something else unintentionally methinks

[Mrs H]

Still be interesting to hear the answer to Scott's question as to what it is about relays some people don't like.

So if you don't do relays - why not - we really would like to know?

[frog]

There's alot of hanging around, which can be great if a sunny day but dismal if rainy and cold and you have small cold children.
I also don't like the fact that if you muck it up it affects more than just you.
I usually find I enjoy relays more than I think I'm going to, but would happily see the 11 stage relay scrapped.

[SeanC]

I'd like to see a separate Ad Hoc prize in the mini-relays so that all M/W12's and younger can get a run.

[ba-ba]

Something like:
3 senior classes (A-C), 1 junior class (D).
A - Men's open; Men's Vets; Women's open
B - Men's Supervets, women's vets, Junior M16/18 Men
C - Women's Supervets, M16/18 Women
D - Junior (14s and under, although 14s can run in the upper class if required).
E - Beer Tent.

The leading team in each category on the eligible course gets the gong.

In the FRA relays (a big spread of competitor abilities!) everyone runs the same course and they work out the men's and women's senior, men's and women's vets and mixed team prizes from the overall results. Naturally with the fine Nav element involved you need more than the 1 course the FRAs gets away with.

I spent 6 hours or so hanging around a rather damp FRA relays in 2009 and thoroughly enjoyed it - do we need to work on our camaraderie? Or work on the taking part for enjoyment rather than feeling bad about not winning/mp-ing/having a bad run nature that appears to have become ingrained? Or just man up?

[Paul Frost]

I'm puzzled that it's not obvious why some people don't like running in a team.
Normally when you mess up only you suffer, in a relay you risk letting down other people.

Frog, not sure what you have against the Scottish 11 person relay, if anything it's less pressure and more fun. It was messed up last time by a poor decision about the 8 person winners, but that shouldn't happen again.

[Sunlit Forres]

Orienteers and team sports don't mix
The fact you like football shows you up as an impostor SF.
Next thing you'll be telling us you actually had a pint and a packet of crisps in the pub instead of a nice cup of tea and a slice of cake......

I'm with ba-ba. Let's all man up.

[Mrs H]

How many years now have I been trying to beef up the social side of orienteering? I grow old with the effort

I'm pretty sure it's the key to relay happiness - every club tent should be the orienteering equivalent of a street party at a relay. Something you want to be part of. The inevitable waiting should not be seen as irksome "hanging around" but the chance to socialise with your friends and support your club mates (spectator controls for all please).

I leave others to argue about the necessary courses but lets try and make sure that the opportunity for enjoyment is firmly in place before the racing starts. As I've said many, many times before if even we don't look like we're having fun - who is going to want to join us?

[AndyC]

For the answer to why I don't run relays read my signature.
No point in spoiling the run of other people (that's not to say that if I was asked as close to a last resort to complete a team I'd refuse as the balance of gain for the others moves under that circumstance).
Last year I was asked to be part of a team at the NATO club bbq in the shuttle relays I tried so hard I tore a hamstring - missed the orienteering proper and hobbled for a month! (I'm told the moment of the injury was spotted by all because of the scream involved).
To echo Mrs H I find the social aspect of orienteering very rewarding - after all there is little interaction on the course -a quick word perhaps a hand out of a ditch that's about it. I praise LEIOC (and HOC but I get there less often) for specifying the social venue on the flyer after evening events and I was glad I arrived for the wronfg start time for High Vinnals being too early I was able to chat with people before their run and some who'd completed (not on my course but...)

[IanD]

every club tent should be the orienteering equivalent of a street party at a relay. Something you want to be part of. The inevitable waiting should not be seen as irksome "hanging around"

It's not the hanging around in the club tent which is the problem. It's the hanging around in the change-over pen - stripped and ready for action, with just a cagoule thrown over the top, potentially in driving rain for an hour or so while your previous lap runner gets lost again.

[Mrs H]

That's one of the reasons you need a spectator control - and there's no reason to wear just a cag - you can have a full on goretex down filled puffa jacket if you like - you're going to hand it straight to your incoming runner

[seabird]

No point in spoiling the run of other people

This is the usual reason given by people who are reluctant to do relays. Second comes "hanging around".

Usually it's possible to match team members by ability (so no embarrassment factor) - but not always.

This year at BOC, two of our highflyers were lumbered with me (my phrase - not theirs). They were never anything other than supportive both before and after the race. We agreed that there were only two real strategies. Plan A: I go first and they try and recover the lost ground -or Plan B: they have 2 stonking first laps and I try not to lay waste too much of their glory. Plan B was agreed and hence I set off in 2nd place.

They were nothing other than supportive when I blew our chance of a podium position - and how! - after the spectator control. And that has always been my positive experience of my own and other relay team members.

Letting other people down just does not come into it - unless you don't run at all - and thus deprive someone of a team.

For most of us, just like with Individual races, it is the taking part that counts, along with the bonhommie with fellow club members and folks from other clubs.

[andy]

Relays are amazing. Fewer classes = more packs = more fun racing. Less puntering around on your own and more running with people of the same ability as you is a good thing.

[229]

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