Nopesport Urban League 2009

[graeme]

I was just pointing out that you may not get many competitors from south of the border...

Or JOK helpers . We'll have to think about this . Don't book your tickets just yet

[The Loofa]

Too right, Graeme
There's far too many JOKers required at Leith Hill that day
(including the club captain)

[graeme]

edit:

The EUOC Street Race and JOK Chasing Sprint will be the weekend after Burns' night (30/31st), not the weekend before.

[NickC]

CHESTER CITY URBAN RACE

Please note that the "Nopesport Urban League Update" page has the wrong date.

The race is on Sunday, October 11th. Come and enjoy the walls, parks, meadows and streets. Entries are open on http://www.Fabian4.co.uk.

NickC

[Mrs H]

Well London has really fired up my enthusiasm - and yes I know there are plenty of Urban League events to do yet this year.

But I'm already thinking about next year when I make my super-vet debut

Somehow or other, and I don't really know why, being part of the league really makes a difference so I want to know
A. Will there be a Nopesport Urban League next year?
B. Which events are likely to be included? (yes I know it's early days yet but there are so many things to organise around)
C. And most particularly at this stage - will the Edinburgh JOK Chasing Sprint be part of it? (the sooner the better when it comes to booking flights/hotels)

[graeme]

C. And most particularly at this stage - will the Edinburgh JOK Chasing Sprint be part of it? (the sooner the better when it comes to booking flights/hotels)

Maybe I should have come back with this. Now confirmed as the weekend AFTER Burns' Night:

EUOC Edinburgh Street Race Jan 30th. New extended map
EUOC Ceilidh Jan 30th.
JOK Chasing Sprint Jan 31st. Smallest amount of climb ever. measured as percentage of descent

So, don't wait around to find out whether you can get into Roger's [nope]ing spread sheets: just sign up for a cracking weekend of racing and dancing.

http://orienteering.eusu.ed.ac.uk/bigweekend

[Homer]

So now it clashes with the Northern Champs....

Before you go and commit yourselves to Edinburgh that weekend you should know what is happening in SYOland at the same time:

Sat 30th: Middle Distance race at Beeley Woods. Intricate mine workings as used for BUSA relays 2008.

Sun 31st: Northern Champs. The Gritstone Edges and Big Moor. New area of open moorland and semi-open/wooded slopes incorporating intricate rock detail around and below Baslow, Curbar and Froggat Edges, Peak District National Park. Mapped by Peel Land surveys.

[distracted]

So now it clashes with the Northern Champs....

and... the problem is?

For far too long, organisers/clubs have just expected people to turn up to their event because of its status. This holds for all level of events, including the British and JK. Forcing the need to market an event properly, so that people will turn up in the first place or choose it over another, should I hope drive up the quality of our events. If you don't market things well, the punters will go elsewhere!

A good example is the JK 2011 flyer - it certainly puts the 2010 marketing to shame...

[zulu_warrior]

It is not just the quality of the marketing but past experience of areas clubs etc that helps make the choice.

I'm afraid Edinburgh wins - nice friendly relaxed atmopshere plus just over an hour away on the train witha short walk from the station.

[madmike]

[and... the problem is?

The problem is we have abolished national events on the grounds that the upgunned Area Champs take their place. I.E. a level 1 event in the new scheme. Having an attractive race like Edinburgh on the same day/weekend seems to defeat the purpose of the new event structure having area champs as level 1.

PS I'm going to Edinburgh

[rob f]

Meanwhile back to this year, the event finale in Sheffield is well under way as far as preperation goes.
Entry Details

Sheffield University Orienteering Club invite you to the Sheffield City Chase on the 21st November 09, the final round of the Nopesport Urban League. With assembly at Hallam University Hubs, this will be the first chance to race around the streets of the steel city. With many intricate estates, underpasses, alley ways and squares, the centre of Sheffield is a tricky urban environment, and the courses should provide a challenge as well as taking in many of the city's landmarks. The event is a chasing sprint with two events, the prologue between 10am and 12am in the west of the city, and the chase in the centre at 2pm.


Google Maps Link. http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=hallam+union&sll=53.377492,-1.466074&sspn=0.005901,0.021136&ie=UTF8&ll=53.379156,-1.466074&spn=0.005901,0.021136&z=16&iwloc=A

Course Lengths (Provisional)

A Open Men Prologue: 3km Chase: 4.3km
B Open Women, Veteran Men Prologue: 2.5km Chase: 3.2km
C Veteran Women, Super Veteran Men, Junior Men, Junior Women Prologue: 2.1km Chase: 2.6km
D Super Veteran Women Prologue: 1.9km Chase: 2.1km


Junior is M/W18 and younger, Veteran is M/W40 and older, Super Veteran is M/W55 and older.
Due to the nature of urban orienteering, the straight-line lengths given are significantly shorter than the shortest feasible route.

Please note: All Courses will cross numerous unmarshalled public roads, some of them quite busy, and competitors will be responsible for their own safety when crossing them. For this reason, all M/W16's and below should only enter with parental permission, and we do not recommend any M/W12's or under entering.


Map
Mapped at 1:5000 to ISOM 2007 by Oli Johnson. Updates by John Rocke and David Schorah

Punching
SI

Entries
Entries via fabian4 at http://www.fabian4.co.uk/default.aspx?EventID=241
There will be very limited EOD if and only if Maps are available.

Travel
The assembly area is less than 5 minutes from Sheffield Station, and about 5 minutes walk from Castle Square Tram Stop, part of Sheffield's efficient Park and Ride system, described in detail here. We recommend using park and ride, however there are also many city centre car parks which will also be open.

Officials
Planners: David Schorah and John Rocke
Organiser: Robert Farrington email saveus@hotmail.co.uk

With help from Sheffield City Council, Hallam Union, South Yorkshire Police.

[Mrs H]

I've been banging on about marketing for years - and there have been some spectacularly good examples in recent years - but a lot of people still seem to think its unnecessary.

You need to get the events out there in the public eye as early as possible - particularly if you are expecting folk to travel long distances and stay over the way the pricing works these days.

Mmm Edinburgh or seeing the kids in Sheffield - it's going to be a tough choice - if only i knew if Edinburgh was going to be part of the urban league

[awk]

The problem is we have abolished national events on the grounds that the upgunned Area Champs take their place. I.E. a level 1 event in the new scheme. Having an attractive race like Edinburgh on the same day/weekend seems to defeat the purpose of the new event structure having area champs as level 1.

Not really. Partly, it depends what you mean by 'attractive'. City races still appeal to a relatively small proportion of orienteers. Many have yet to see the attraction. So to clash a 'low grade' (level 3?) street race with a level 1 terrain race some 200 miles away is a relatively minor clash, given there are a very limited number of weekends a year, and that clashes are going to have to be inevitable especially if the various different disciplines develop to any great extent. Indeed, many would say that it is the Edinburgh race that is more likely to suffer (I doubt it somehow though).

I'd be a wee bit more worried about the clash between the Sheffield races and the JOK Sprint.

My preference is for Edinburgh too. Will have to see what the rest of the family think.

[madmike]

You may be right AWK.

However, I'll be interested to see the proportion of Northern Area Athletes who go to Edinburgh; particularly the 21Es i.e. those who would be contenders to be Northern Champion.

Also interested in your definition of realatively small? Urban O is a growth bit of the sport when others are in decline - methinks.

Urban O is an excellent marketing oportunity and races like London (and maybe Edinburgh) seem to attract the 21s we can't get to try traditional terrain orienteering.

Time will tell

[Angry Haggis]

Meanwhile back to this year, the event finale in Sheffield is well under way as far as preperation goes.

Thanks for the heads-up, trains from London KX currently just £22 return, so no excuse for southern-based urban racers!