British Relay Classes

[LostAgain]

I'm not so sure that the British or JK relays should have a handicap system....

No problem with the Scottish format, but would prefer a modified JK format for inclusiveness. This could well be merged with JennJ's 6 race format.

I lie the 40-, 48+, 120+ etc etc. It should be possible to shoe horn them in to 6 races..

[awk]

but we've been trying less course at the BOC and JK for a couple of years now - we were promised it would lead to bigger fields, it hasn't. Isn't it time to go back to decent lengths?

M
Well, we wouldn't go for starters. They're decent lengths now (except, perhaps, MAH).

Once upon a time, the British had a "Handicap" class. Teams given a time allowance of up to 60 minutes depending on age/gender of each team member, which defined how many minutes before base start time you started (3xM21s started at base start time). First across the line won. It was brilliant, and I'm a bit mystified why it was abandoned (organisational problems??). I'd love to see that brought back, and the age classes massively simplified. Oh - and the MAH got rid of - run non-comp on the Handicap instead if without an eligible team.

[HOCOLITE]

I would certainly not do the relays if you went for more length, I'm sure that would definitely reduce numbers they are a fun event where the fast guys and gals can shine and the slower one can take part and not feel too inferior add length and that would alienate a number who give it a go. I ran a British W40 one year to make up the numbers and I think the winners who had three international W40's had finished before I crawled into the finish. This year I ran as a W40 and as it was shorter did not feel too out of my depth particularly as I was running up- not good enough for my age class

[graeme]

Well, we wouldn't go for starters.

You always went until the courses were shortened a couple of years ago - so I don't believe you. We were told that loads of people were put off by the length and that shortening all the courses would increase the numbers. Didn't happen - presumably the people who expressed that opinion were just lying and the policymakers got taken in...

Once upon a time, the British had a "Handicap" class.

Yup, sounds fantastic to me. And as I understand it you'd end up running the same course as mens open (see above)

I floated this idea when designing the Scottish. Although the idea one-handicap was popular, it turned out that the older classes expressed a preference for taking their handicap as shorter distance rather than extra time.