Level 1 Regional Championships (trophies and titles)

[Gnitworp]

madmike suggested a poll in his thread, so here's at least the Nopesport version.

I've kept the options simple, rather than complicating matters with what exactly constitutes 'open', and regional eligibility.

[Clive Coles]

No ~ Restrict to members of the clubs in the region. Other orienteers welcome to have a non-competitive run.

Regions to decide if other areas are included within their boundaries.

The Welsh for example do compete in the Midland Championship events where they do not stage their own National championship.

But leave that decision to the region to decide. However ........


Our event restructuring has presented us with a communication challenge. The Federation is nor organised into regions ~ we operate through Regional Associations ! There is no regional forum ( nor do I need another committee).

Not sure thefore how successful a virtual organisation will be in coordinating anything. We will just have to rely on email and hope something can be sorted out.

Another bright idea that was not thought through.

[NeilC]

Our event restructuring has presented us with a communication challenge. The Federation is nor organised into regions ~ we operate through Regional Associations ! There is no regional forum ( nor do I need another committee).

Not sure thefore how successful a virtual organisation will be in coordinating anything. We will just have to rely on email and hope something can be sorted out.

Another bright idea that was not thought through.

So who looked after the regional championships before the restructuring? The communication challenge then was solved by regional associations and fixtures secretaries talking to each other. Now that these championships (at least the day ones) have been elevated to the status of major events then they can be overseen by the major events group. In what way then was this not "thought through"?

[SJC]

East Midlands Championships = only members of East Midlands clubs are eligible to win the trophies.

Midlands Area Championships = only members of clubs in WMOA, EMOA, EAOA are eligible to win the trophies.

British Championships = all members of BOF are eligible to win the trophies.

The current progression is quite logical so why change it.
(and the Midlands Championships seems to be quite happily sorted out by the three Regions involved).

[Mrs H]

There is no logic in making regional championships open over and above the profit motive of hoping to attract more people to travel. If they are open then they are just a series of national championships. you can't have it both ways.

[Gnitworp]

If they are open then they are just a series of national championships. you can't have it both ways.

Extending that 'logic' all events with trophies that anyone can win are 'national championships', e.g., Caddihoe Chase.

[Gnitworp]

There is no logic in making regional championships open over and above the profit motive of hoping to attract more people to travel.

Isn't it slightly cynical to ascribe this one motive? Couldn't the desire to attract more people be due to wanting to give more people more enjoyment?

[SJC]

If they are open then they are just a series of national championships.

i.e. no different to the National Events which they are replacing.

[Gnitworp]

Except that National Events didn't have trophies and titles.

[EddieH]

I suspect (maybe wrongly) that the vast majority of those voting NO were not around when the regional championships were open. The system was very successful, and if they are supposed to be 4 of the 6 most important (long distance) events of the year then what is wrong with an open championship.

Many sports have Open championships, and many closed ones. There is no lgically right or wrong - it comes down to what people prefer, and I am firmly in the Open camp.

[Mrs H]

Well if that's what people want, that's fine! but I cannot see how they can then be called Regional championships - they are national championships (or national events with titles and trophies if that's what turns you on) the regionality of them merely refers to where they are being held and as BOC moves around the country anyway the regional element has no meaning at all.

[Clive Coles]

I was asked to comment on why I thought the question of staging Regional Championships was not thought through.

In the Midlands region we just stage ( I think) a Classic distance Championship and a Night Championship. These have been held in the Midlands with varying levels of "participation" over the years. These events are however now to be the flagship events for the year ~ we need to reignite enthusiasm and persuade more folk to travel greater distances for the glory of being a Regional Champion.

I am though being asked by one club in EAOA "can we also stage a Middle Distance Regional Championship"? Extend that logic ~ what about a Midlands Sprint Regional Championship.

All great ideas but they require co-ordinating, funding of trophys, and organising etc. And we don't have a representative body to manage and oversee these events.

Someone needs to research the "need". Is there a demand ? Will these shorter distance Regional Championships attract sufficient interest to make it worth staging ? Is it worth being a Regional Champion when you were the only competitor in your age class ?

I did ask National Fixtures for guidance ~ it was bounced right back. Let the Regional Associations get together and sort it out.

I repeat the accusation ~ it ( i.e the implementation) was not thought through. The Rules for events are still not finalised. The ranking working party is not due to report until next year. We are still in a mess regarding Discounts for the old C4 events. And we are having this discussion regarding Open and Closed events.

We are trying to steer a boat without a paddle !

The working parties were set up to resolve issues ~ not create more unanswered questions.

[BandD]

Why not have open championship and closed championship winners from the same event?
It gives twice the satisfaction and twice the possible newspaper/ magazine/ website coverage.
And everybody who wants gets a run without feeling excluded.

[Neil M40]

Under the old system (ie up to this year), there were only two events per year that attracted most of the best runners across all the age groups - British Champs and JK. I would like the new system to provide more races that attract that sort of field. The old open regional championships used to (pre-1985). They were replaced with closed regional championships which nobody cared about winning, and too many National Events with diluted standards and diluted fields. A pre-1985 regional championship win was something worth celebrating. Since then it just doesn't have the same prestige.

So a relaunch of the National Events is required. There shouldn't be too many of them, there should be a bit of glory for the winners - a title and a trophy - and they should be spread around the country a bit. Which sounds like the open regional championships.

Obviously some people are attached to their closed championships. I would rather have events open to all the best people wherever they come from. BandD maybe has it right - a trophy for the real winner and a trophy for the local winner, but you would have to get more trophies from somewhere.

[IanD]

Why not have open championship and closed championship winners from the same event?

I have encountered this in Denmark while running in a "Nordic-Baltic" Championship. It seemed to work well. There was one set of podium positions and medals for overall ("open") winners, and another restricted to the Scandinavians & Baltic States. Of course, some people got two medals, but they didn't seem to mind.

Trophies don't have to be expensive, it's very nice to have a trophy, but to not hold competitions because of the expense of buying a stock of trophies would be to put the cart before the horse. Medals will suffice, and they're not too pricey.

So my vote would be for both Open and Regional medals at these new Regional Championship National Events. I won't worry if the old Regional Championship trophy gets presented to someone else as long as I get a medal for winning the open class (where's that 'pigs might fly' smily?)