The idea is that on this trail challenge, should the competitor be fearful of getting lost (number 1 fear for many), they can eliminate all risk of that happening.
See attached map, SLOW area, can you guess where (apologies for resolution, Nopesport file size limitations
)? Please ignore the real orienteering course marked 1, 2 etc and instead look at the armchair planned course with letters as controls, A, B, C etc. Instead of a straight line connecting controls, the course has a wiggly line. On the ground this is marked by a taped route. Competitors can choose to turn off their brain and just follow the taped routes and enjoy a lovely off road run. But you'll see that the taped route is not the optimum.
Start to A: Most will pile off down the track, but the braver ones will cut the blocks to save time.
A to B, this follows a path all the way, but near B competitors save time by going straight off taped route.
B to C. Taped route goes through the forest to let competitors experience running across terrain. There are two path routes as alternatives, and the route can be shortened by those wanting to navigate.
C to D: Taped route goes a long way round the paths, hopefully some will be brave and cut straight across.
D to E: Much the same.
E to F: Down and up or around route choice.
F to G: Easy to finish.
This looks a bit short for many fit runners, so there could be a second or third lap of the same course. Even the map o phobics will be tempted to cut blocks to save time as they'll be familiar with the area and will have seen people saving lots of time this way.
Just like the SLOW trail challenges, I'd make this mass start, for the atmosphere and to give people confidence, and give maps out before the start (we want them to start using it). Running in teams would be encouraged.
This course gives route some aspects of orienteering we love, particularly route choice and terrain running, in a way that anyone can do even if they aren't confident navigators.
Problems - well lots of tape, but I regularly see 1km plus taped routes to the start. It would need good publicity so would work best where clubs have active publicity officers. Also it's best in a good area/good runnability so would go well with regional events, but organisers might not want the extra work or be worried about parking. So the start could be later, maybe 1pm. With the mass start format people would be back by 3pm so not much later than normal, and car parking spaces would become available from orienteers leaving early. It may be that a local running club, organiser of running races might be persuaded to co-operate in return for a share of the cash, and help with publicity.
Lots of people would go once or twice as an experience and never be seen again. They provide money (to subsidise classic orienteering) and a bit of atmosphere (maybe a younger crowd than orienteers?). A few will think that the navigation is too easy and they want something more challenging. In which case we know what to tell them to do next time......
No doubt someone has done something like this, if so please let us know if it worked. Otherwise, what do you think?
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