British Middle Distance Champs

[Mrs H]

I would just like to thank Leicester for a really good event today - most enjoyable - challenging courses in an extroardinary piece of terrain - great atmosphere both in the assembly field and the event centre - and the buses - what can you say ?(except the seats were a bit of a squeeze!)

The WI stall with cakes AND plants turned what was threatening to be a weekend of domestic disaster (Neville has tonsillitis and Miss R H. has injured her good foot) into a day of delight.

Well done to all involved.

[geomorph]

Thanks Mrs H - I thought LEI did a good job too.

Champions are

Sarah Rollins
Scott Fraser

great runs in tough terrain

Let's have more Middles - I need the practice (won't reveal my embarrassing time but I had great fun)

[DJM]

Today was just what a Middle race ought to be - technically challenging terrain and planning which showed what Middle race philosophy is all about. Let's hope that all those who think that Middle races are just Green courses which can be put on anywhere now know the difference!

<shameless plug>
We can guarantee another top quality Middle race at Clydach Terrace on Sat June 20th as well. It's a level 2 event which takes place before the start of The Harvester nearby and is well worth a visit in its own right!
</shameless plug>

[seabird]

All-in-all a top weekend from the East Midlands.

Both areas were brilliant for the event they hosted and were used magnificently.

Had great fun. Thanks.

[madmike]

What a great event- top planning and an area ideal for a middle race - well done to all involved

[awk]

I'd like/ to add to the thanks to LEI and NOC for an outstanding weekend of orienteering. Slick organisation, some superb courses, and some great spectating on Saturday. Loved every second of it! It'll be a hard act to beat this year.

We are getting a few more sprints now, but Sunday really underlined to me how enjoyable middle-distance racing can be. As DJM said, it's not just a Green course (anything but!), nor are the S classes anything remotely like it either. My plea to clubs is to think more about what events you put on what areas, rather than the churning out the usual, and rather mundane, fare of bog-standard regional/district type events. They have their role, but surely not week in week out.

[Duncan]

Anyone know where next year's British Elite Sprint and British Middle Champs are?

[madmike]

Anyone know where next year's British Elite Sprint and British Middle Champs are?

From Fixtures Minutes on BOF website:

British Elite and Age Class Middle Distance Orienteering Championships
NWOA 17th / or 18th April 2010
British Elite Sprint Orienteering Championships
NWOA 17th/ or 18th April 2010

[Marco Polo]

Routegadget and Splitsbrowser now available for BMDC

http://www.leioc.routegadget.co.uk/leioc/reitti.cgi

http://www.splitsbrowser.org.uk/splitsg ... entId=3378

[Knee Deep Mud!]

Nice area, nice course and a good fun event today. Thanks to all at LEI.

My only possible comment is a general one on the results which say I finished in 'x'th place in my age class, yet I was beaten by more than 'x' people eligible for my age class who were running the same course. Another anomally is that the person being shown as the 'winner' in one age class was actually beaten by two other runners in the same age class running the same course, but they are shown as having 'run up'. When you are running the same course should who wins a particular age class be determined by which box you ticked on the entry form, rather than by being fastest on the day?

[graeme]

As DJM said, it's not just a Green course (anything but!),

Can you enlighten us then?

I'm looking at M21 routegadget. Looks like a decent area, and good planning. Including pretty much the longest legs you can possibly fit given the nature of the terrain. But if a planner presented this to me as a green course, I''d be quite happy with it. What's wrong with it as a green?

TD5;
Planners must plan at the correct level as far as the terrain allows.

Significant route choices. Course should force regular changes in technique, e.g. long route choice followed by short intricate legs.
Any feature, particularly those demanding careful mapreading to locate

Maybe some of the shorter courses dont have the significant route choices and changes of technique? What else?

[redkite]

Really enjoyable weekend, particularly enjoyed the course yesterday.

Well done to both NOC and Leics.

Roll on Clydach Terrace and another great middle distance area.

[andy]

was a great weekend, especially the courses and areas!

commentary and download at the finish yesterday would've made it a bit more special though

[mharky]

Graeme>>> As a controller you may well have accepted yesterday as a green course, but would accept most green courses as the British Elite Middle Champs? There is a difference, it's hard to recognise, but there is one. Generally middle courses will have more controls, greens tend to have 15 legs of 600m

[Mrs H]

I think I read they couldn't have commentary because of the proximity of the houses - you wouldn't want to risk losing the area. The fact that download was back at the school may of detracted to the atmosphere in the field - but added to it at the event centre I thought - swings and round about really.

Have to say course 5 wasn't like any green course I've ever run - it was relentless fine orienteering and you were punished the moment you relaxed your concentration. I felt that the need to keep in touch with the map and mentally tick off every one of the myriad features owed more to sprint racing that a green course.

If only all green courses (and short courses) were like that!