Hampstead & St Albans

[mikey]

Super events. Really good contrast between the 2 days, with some super intricate map reading in St Albans.

No traps either (as far as I could see)!

Thanks to LOK and HH.

[Glucosamine]

Second that. The cathedral city was very enjoyable - especially around the cathedral precinct. Did prove rather a rush to rise to the challenge offered to complete the hilly blue course at the HAVOC event and still make it to St Albans in time to find a parking place and enter before the deadline. Perhaps that is why the short first control bamboozled me so. No railings to reach through that I could see, having read the York thread.

[roadrunner]

I only did the St Albans event, but agree that it was very good - quite a variety of terrain for a city race, and some well-planned long legs. In fact, the length of some of the early ones gave me some problems finding the start on the map

Well done to HH.

[Gnitworp]

My St Albans course was an object lesson in flawless circle and line breaking, and I also liked the white borders to the carefully placed numbers.

[haloite]

Photos from prize giving at St.Albans

[Simon E]

Photos by me here.

Photos by Chris Bennet here.

[Gytaute]

and some more https://picasaweb.google.com/1069645271 ... nSCityRace

[Jayne]

Don't suppose anyone found a garmin heart rate monitor at Assembly after St Albans race. Seem to have lost mine

[Jayne]

Located, thank you!

[Muddy Boots]

Having pre-entered but due to injury I was forced to miss the St Alban's event. Looking at the courses later on routegadget I soon realized I had missed an excellent event. This morning however I received through the post, from somewhere, a copy of the map and my course. Looking at the map and routes I might have taken it looks even better and challenging as an event. Many thanks therefore to Simon (and family) and Happy Herts for putting on such a good event which I sadly missed. BML printed a very clear map which I am not sure looking at it closely if it was digital or litho printed?

[Simon E]

BML printed a very clear map which I am not sure looking at it closely if it was digital or litho printed?

It's digitally printed. I was very pleased with the quality of the printing, and several people commented about it on the day. BML have found a good combination of paper and laser printer and I'd definitely recommend them.

[Simon E]

In a tradition that seems to be dieing out, I have added some Planner's and Controller's comments to the St Albans City Race website. The normal sort of stuff, but interesting to look back on in 20 years time if nothing else.

If you don't feel like reading the whole thing, I think this extracted paragraph is of particular interest.

Many thanks to all of you who have put their route on Routegadget. I could try to guess beforehand where people might go, but seeing it for real is very interesting. It is also extremely encouraging that people were taking most of the possible choices I expected, as well as some I had never even considered. There are several fascinating things that Routegadget has shown. John Embrey and Gavin Clegg took almost identical routes and ran at identical speeds ending up just one second apart at the front of Course C having never been more than a few seconds apart. Course D was totally different, with Martin Wilson and Mick Smith taking very different routes but ending up just 20 seconds apart. Watching the replay of the second half of that course it is almost as if they are deliberately going different ways. But my particular favourite, and candidate for orienteering comedy highlight of the year, is the first control on Course D. Six of the top seven finishers on Men Ultra Vets have drawn their routes, and they all deserve praise for honesty if nothing else. Every single one of them turned right out of the start, and you can then watch them turn back one by one as they work out their mistake. Eventually just one is left, and he decides to do things properly and complete a full lap of the Sports Centre before heading to the first control.