Park Races

[johnloguk]

I hope this doesn't sound like too stupid or obvious a question, but here goes anyway.

Our club are looking at putting on a major City Park Race next year. We're busy confirming permissions etc and are trying to save ourselves a lot of work. We know that others have successfully done this sort of thing before and have approached some of them already, but any other help/ideas/advice most welcome.

Particularly, how did you placate people like the Police and local Councils, especially allaying their fears of loads of runners crossing roads? Obviously avoid big busy ones, but some people see risks everywhere and want to totally eliminate all of them, which is impossible. We have already thought of lots of answers oursleves but we're basically trying to avoid re-inventing the old wheel etc, especially re-discovering other peoples mistakes when we could avoid them.

And from a competitors perspective, what things do you love/hate about Park races?

There, I told you it was a stupid question!

[awk]

Why not talk to Ebor, who must have built up loads of experience putting on their Spring Bank Holiday York Park Race?

I've loved the park/sprint races I've done up to now. Short, fast, loads of decisions all flying at you without a break, high density of controls, great atmosphere, spectators, small number of classes leading to bigger than usual fields (over 200 at Temple Newsam!).

Hope that helps!

[johnloguk]

Thanks for that Awk. Yes we've been in touch with EBOR but they have been rather caught up with the JK. Several of us will be taking part this year as well to see how they do it.

[Simon E]

Seems an ideal opportunity to remind people that the closing date for the British Sprint Orienteering Championships is fast approaching. Postal entries close on Sunday, and internet entries a week later.

Speaking as Controller I can say that Campbell Park in Milton Keynes will offer some high-quality sprint orienteering, with spectacular spectator facilities. It's certainly the first time I've ever known of an event which has been test-spectated as well as test-run.

If you liked Battersea and Guildford last year then this is a race definitely not to be missed.

With regard to the original question about safety concerns, it really comes down to looking at each situation individually and trying to do something sensible. Putting a control right next to and just before any major road can help since it slows people down and allows you to determine exactly where they will cross. This is what we did at Guildford and will do again at Milton Keynes. Other than that it helps if you can try to explain what the sport really is to the people who are objecting. We ended up losing a control site at Battersea when the park people decided that the spur it was on was too steep and brambly for people to run on. We didn't have time to argue, but clearly they had no idea of what orienteering involves.

[Becks]

We ended up losing a control site at Battersea when the park people decided that the spur it was on was too steep and brambly for people to run on. We didn't have time to argue, but clearly they had no idea of what orienteering involves.

It's a shame you had no time for persuasion, sounds like an all expenses paid trip to Llyn Elsi was what's needed! I still have nightmares about that place and memories of school swimming teacher asking me whether I was an abused child the day after!

Back to the original question, I'd talk to the planner of the Guildford course in particular. Good planning with devious route choice tends to be what makes a park/street race for me, and that was one of the best planned courses I have ever run. I'm afraid I don't know who it actually was, but I'm sure Simon E can tell you.

[Simon E]

I'd talk to the planner of the Guildford course in particular. Good planning with devious route choice tends to be what makes a park/street race for me, and that was one of the best planned courses I have ever run.

Andy Jones of SLOW is the man you need (and he planned Battersea as well).

From the planning and controlling point of view you might want to read the article I wrote afterwards that describes some of the problems we had to deal with at the two races.

[johnloguk]

Excellent stuff guys, thanks. We hope this comes off as we would like it, a historic city with lots of little alleyways and steps, plus a steep hill (the cobbles will play havoc with spikes!), and maybe even some castle battlements, fingers crossed.