New date for Cambridge City race

[mikey]

We're delighted to announce that The Cambridge City Race will now be
held on October 17th 2009.

This date was chosen as the first which didn't clash with exam season in
Cambridge, summer tourists or the busy spring orienteering calender.

We will transfer all entries to the new date and look forward to seeing
you there.

If you can't race on 17th of October, please email the organisers on
cityrace (at) cuoc.org.uk for a refund.

Refunds will be by cheque, please note that it will not include the
payment processing charged by Fabian4 (5.75%) or postage costs. An
additional 2% of the entry fee will be retained to cover non-recoverable
expenses.

Please note that because all refund cheques will need to be countersigned, refunds may not be immediate.

Clare Sutherland (organiser)
Mike Capper (controller)
Ben Stevens (planner)

[madmike]

WMOC 2009 ORIENTEERING
Saturday 10th October Sprint Qualification - Sydney
Sunday 11th October Sprint Final – Sydney World Masters Games Opening Ceremony
Monday 12th October Rest Day
Tuesday 13th October Model Event (AM) WMOC March and Opening Ceremony followed by Aussie BBQ – Lithgow Showground (PM)
Wednesday 14th October Long Qualification 1
“Long Swamp”
Thursday 15th October Long Qualification 2
“Clandulla” Masters Banquet – Lithgow Workmen’s Club
Friday 16th October Rest Day Free day to discover the mountains
Saturday 17th October Long Final Closing Ceremony & Presentation

Of course Mikey you didn't check out orienteering in the southern Hemisphere

you can never please more than one orienteer at a time

[Tatty]

Thanks for sorting it out so quickly. It's already gone up on our calendar

[Steve]

October is getting somewhat congested with city races isn't it? Unless I have missed something 11th is Chester, 17th is now Cambridge, 31st is Oxford. Could the city races not be spread out a little?

[Lumpy Lycra]

you can never please more than one orienteer at a time

think I might make those words of wisdom my signature.....

[Copepod]

Steve, give CUOC a chance - Cambridge University terms are very short! And if it helps, then come for the weekend and spend the other day at permanent orienteering courses at Wandlebury Country Park or in Thetford Forest, or punting / canoeing etc on River Cam, if that doesn't count as recceeing?!?

[PG]

Does anyone know when and where the CompassSport cup final is? It is usually in the middle of October, but doesn't seem to be in the national fixtures list.

[Pete_Bog]

Does anyone know when and where the CompassSport cup final is? It is usually in the middle of October, but doesn't seem to be in the national fixtures list.

I understand that it is on Sunday 18 October at Fineshade Woods near Uppingham (Level 1 - CompassSport Cup and Trophy Final)

Full details at http://www.leioc.org.uk/fixtures/lei_fixtures.php

[mikey]

Does anyone know when and where the CompassSport cup final is? It is usually in the middle of October, but doesn't seem to be in the national fixtures list.

I understand that it is on Sunday 18 October at Fineshade Woods near Uppingham (Level 1 - CompassSport Cup and Trophy Final)

Full details at http://www.leioc.org.uk/fixtures/lei_fixtures.php

if that's the case, then it is just a 45 minute drive from Cambridge.

[Steve]

Steve, give CUOC a chance - Cambridge University terms are very short!

I'm not having a dig at CUOC specifically, it's the fact that there are now 3 NUL events in the same month. Personally, I would have done all three of these if they had been spread out (planned) better. With two in a month (especially with that month being October) I would probably only have done one, and with three in a month I will probably still only do one - I like to do other things as well. This will jeopardise my chances of getting enough scoring events to be competitive in the NUL and will demotivate me from entering other more distant city races that I might have done simply to be competitive. The reason I'm moaning is because I want to take part but with this log jam of events it won't be possible. City races are quite high in my competitive priorities, but not the be all and end all. To be attractive for entering, the dates need to be planned better.

I wonder if there are others that feel this way? Overall it could reduce the number of NUL competitors with the minimum number of counting events, and reduce entries at this and other city races in October. There are plenty of dates in November that Cambridge could use - no major events nationally, and all local events and nearby regionals take place on Sundays. Alternatively, the number of NUL counting events could be reduced. Presumably CUOC discussed the date with the Nope boys?

[Blanka]

>> Steve

In November, there is a city race planned in Sheffield, as far as I know so you would still only do one of these (Cambridge or Sheffield). There is also Venice then, and some people would complain if that clashed with a UK city race.

Having dealt with Cambridge colleges in the past to organise something quite as simple as a dinner (!), I appreciate the difficulty of trying to sort out an event which involves about 5 different colleges as well as the city council. From speaking to them, I know that CUOC members had wanted to put on the race earlier if at all possible, but presumably one or more of the people whose permissions would be needed had to pull out if the rearranged date had been at short notice.

Cambridge University have a short term and finish for Christmas at the beginning of December. Apart from the rearranged City race, they will now also need to organise the SprintO (in November) and the Icenian for 2010 (January/February). So I'm sure *they* would have preferred it if the race had taken place this winter/spring!

Personally, I don't think there's a problem with more city races in the autumn - keeps them away from the busy spring season with the major championships event.

[seabird]

Well done CUOC for getting this re-organised. We competitors really need to stop nit-picking about dates.

If the non-college parts of the Cambridge map bear any resemblance to most urban areas, the presumably already printed course maps will need to be used at the earliest possible date. Urban developments often lead to significant changes to the map in a short period of time. There may be building still going on despite the imploding economy.

[awk]

Steve, it's inevitable that, with the growing number of urban races, there will be some months which get a bit busier than others. There may even be (shock, horror) a few clashes. Thus Edinburgh/Lincoln (although one or two managed both!). There's already a good spread; now the holes are being filled in, which is good as (a) it indicates there is a demand, and (b) there is a real programme developing. Go into September (not really possible for a uni) and there will be London, go into November there will Sheffield, and probably others as well (Oxford is only one day off November after all). As Blanka says, CUOC have got their Sprint-O scheduled for November too, so they'll be stretched that month anyway.

Congratulations to CUOC at finding a free date and getting it sorted so promptly. It looks as good a weekend as it could possibly be.

And if it helps, then come for the weekend and spend the other day at permanent orienteering courses at Wandlebury Country Park or in Thetford Forest, or punting / canoeing etc on River Cam, if that doesn't count as recceeing?!?

There's a really good mountain bike trail centre in Thetford too - that's where we're likely to be!

[Scott]

(Oxford is only one day off November after all).

Although it will all be out of my hands pretty soon, I'd quite like to see Oxford becoming established on the day before the November Classic - it tends to fit quite nicely with Oxford terms, and offers a bit more of a weekend for those travelling from farther afield. SOC have provisionally agreed to this for 2010 as well as this year.

[Mrs H]

talking of congestion/clashes - am I right in thinking that the Stockport race now clashes with the Harvester?