Harvester 2025 and JOK chasing sprint

[SeanC]

With my club captain asking for availability, I thought it would be a good idea to give a plug for the Harvester 2025 in case you missed it (not listed on the SEOA website for example, possibly because it's organised by JOK?)

Sat 28-29th June at Kings Wood on the Kent Downs. The runnable bits tend to stay runnable late in the season. See https://www.jok.org.uk/harvester_relays_2025 and route gadget https://www.saxons.routegadget.co.uk/rg2/#73

Previous day is the JOK chasing sprint at Addington Hills, Croydon with some good contours if you've not been there. And possibly the only UK orienteering area with a chinese restaurant in the middle? See https://www.jok.org.uk/chasing_sprint/2025 and routegadget https://www.lok.routegadget.co.uk/rg2/#60

[Jon X]

I see entries are starting to come in for this - good to see SAX fielding three teams, SeanC!

The more teams entered the better of course! It would be great to see the Harvester re-establish itself on the calendar - it has a long history, and seems perfect to offer those graduating from the Peter Palmer Relay a similar night/day event to compete in thereafter.

So any nopesporters reading this, please do try and make sure your club is sending at least one team!

Also note that fees (for both the Harvester and the Chasing Sprint) increase after today, worth getting those entries in now…

[Snail]

..It would be great to see the Harvester re-establish itself on the calendar - it has a long history, and seems perfect to offer those graduating from the Peter Palmer Relay a similar night/day event to compete in thereafter …

Totally agree.

Entries might be limited by the restricted facilities at assembly: no guarantee of having a car nearby, and unclear if club tents are allowed or if they are excluded by the "no camping" rule. So people have to be prepared to be up all night with no protection against inclement weather. Although fewer entries increases the likelihood of having a car available!

[Jon X]

unclear if club tents are allowed or if they are excluded by the "no camping" rule. So people have to be prepared to be up all night with no protection against inclement weather.

I checked this with the organiser last week, no problem with club tents at the race site. No small camping tents.

[SeanC]

Good to see it's up to 16 teams. The 'off forest' campsite does make things more challenging - but if you're after an easy event probably an all night orienteering relay might not be for you

I wonder if a 'team bike' might work for some, since the campsite is a shortish 3.6 miles cycle away? Ie leg 1 runner finishes, cycles to campsite, wakes up leg 3 runner who cycles to assembly leaving bike for leg 2 finisher etc.

One thing I forgot to mention about Addington Hills - it has a great view over London. Helped by quite a lot of scrub burning down in the 2022 heatwave.

Rain - we've had hardly any rainy days in Kent for months - but I've probably jinxed it now.

[DaveL]

DFOK are just about to put an entry in for the A Race! And if we can do it then I'm sure most other SE clubs should be able to pull together a team.
Would be great if the Harvester could regain the prestigious position on the calendar it once held.

[SeanC]

When DFOK have entered looks like all the SEOA clubs will have teams apart from GO, LOK and CHIG. I think the rules allow 'combined club' teams if they are in the same region or adjacent, so GO/LOK/CHIG - you could combine?

Maybe there should be prizes for the top club from each region as well to encourage those from further afield?

[DaveL]

We're in !!!
I'm expecting at least 1, maybe 2 and possibly 3 runners in the mini mass start but it's the taking part that countrs and maybe we have a chance in the handicap !

[Jon X]

Nearing last chance time for entering these two events - please do come along and help re-establish two competitions which have long and impressive traditions.
Entries via Fabian4, deadline tomorrow, end of Sunday 22nd.
(Both events have distinctive and unusual trophies for the various categories too, worth winning!)

Well done Dave and DFOK for raising an A Course team for the Harvester, great to see a small club doing that - and indeed well done all clubs who have already entered at least one team for either the A or the B Course.

And yet… just 14 of all the clubs within British Orienteering are responsible for all the Harvester teams entered to date, doesn’t seem very many clubs!
(Yes I know it is not a very central location this year).
Maybe a few more clubs can yet rustle up at least the five runners needed for a B course team? Please encourage your club to do so if you can!

[NeilC]

unclear if club tents are allowed or if they are excluded by the "no camping" rule. So people have to be prepared to be up all night with no protection against inclement weather.

I checked this with the organiser last week, no problem with club tents at the race site. No small camping tents.

The final details contradict this statement. Let's hope that the weather is OK.

[Jon X]

unclear if club tents are allowed or if they are excluded by the "no camping" rule. So people have to be prepared to be up all night with no protection against inclement weather.

I checked this with the organiser last week, no problem with club tents at the race site. No small camping tents.

The final details contradict this statement. Let's hope that the weather is OK.

Indeed they do, it changed this week apparently. Along with a need to move the assembly/chanegover location. Not ideal at a late stage! However I believe this does mean changeover is close to the car park, which is helpful.

[distracted]

Thanks to all for putting on the events. Harvester was a fair bit rougher and tougher than expected with some tricky control sites in the dark, not sure anyone could claim to have had a clean run. Hoping someone will take it on again for next year!

[IanD]

Thanks to all for putting on the events. Harvester was a fair bit rougher and tougher than expected with some tricky control sites in the dark, not sure anyone could claim to have had a clean run. Hoping someone will take it on again for next year!

I second your gratitude that someone put these events on, and hope they will revert to be annual occasions.
I would however suggest that if an event attracts some of top orienteers to an area which looks relatively simple from the map (no really complex contours for example), then nobody having a clean run is a negative and not a positive.

[SeanC]

Thank you as well for a really well organised event. A very warm and humid forest at 2am. There was some high bracken if you went off your bearing, and on some of the rides - pretty difficult to avoid at this time of year. Long track routes were a good option on some legs making for quite a long run, but also I did quite a bit of straight running in the runnable bits. It was very sociable watching the sun rise and cheering the teams in, helped by the warm June weather.

BO events page has the 2026 event as 21st June 'date saved no host', but I heard a rumour that it's going to be in Scotland next year. If so I hope Saxons can gather a team since FVO and EUOC made it all the way to far Kent from Scotland.

[IanD]

FVO and EUOC made it all the way to far Kent from Scotland.

Indeed, congratulations to FVO and EUOC!

However not all clubs have enough individuals enthusiastic enough to travel hundreds of miles for night events. It might help Harvester attendances a lot if the rules were made more tolerant of competitive multi-club teams?