CompassSport Cup Final

[buzz]

Well, the sun did shine, and I thought the planner did a good job of using the nice bits, and not forcing us to go into the grotty bits. It was a track run in places, but it was probably as good a course as was possible on that area.

Can't say I agree on the planning - the Blue Cup course was very poor even taking into account the limitations of the area.

The car park was nice though.

Hope Lesley's feeling better and well done on the golden boot!

[ER]

Picking up on some of the comments of this thread:

Great competition today as fast area, and people came together in a sport they love under kind October skies.

HOC was at the top of the leader board for quite some time; until overhauled by OD and SYO.

The planner took us into the runnable areas and challenged us where he could.

In the FRA relays the first three teams were disqualified because on the third leg the orienteering one, they missed out a control - it was misty in the west cumberland hills today and route finding was difficult for those who could not navigate. It meant the teams that did have good navigators ie orienteers moved up and took the places. Now if that is not a marketing opportunity for our sport I don't know what is.

[ba-ba]

slightly incorrect!
It was the people on the 4th leg who cocked-up - the first 3 teams couldn't find it (even though all the leg one runners found it..) and decided to carry on.
GG and Ian Nixon were on the O leg for 2 of the DQ'd teams - so they found it fine!
(although our experienced O'ers had a bit of a mare on leg 3, they still gained 12 positions!)
I think something else may have happened as well...
oh yes!
a certain bunch of students from South Yorkshire may have beaten a certain bunch of students from north of the border

[ER]

Thanks for the clarification Ba-Ba

Results at http://www.leioc.org.uk/results/finesha ... index.html

[Homer]

And I was just about to ask who won the Golden Boot and in what time, when a club mate knocked on the door and gave me... the Golden Boot!! Not sure what you young lads were doing on the run in...

I hope Arun also gave you your bottle of Champagne?!!

Well done yourself Spookster, I note you did count despite your prediction otherwise.

I got my prediction right though!
Three in a row on home terrain next year?!

[SYO Member]

Spookster, glad Lesley's OK (you've saved me emailing!)

As you probably know now, I assisted (or tried to!) when she was in the SYO tent after finishing and later spoke to her when she was in the ambulance.

Shortly after, seeing that the ambulance was no longer around, I asked St.Johns to confirm whether she had been taken to hospital so I could tell you if necessary, but they wouldn't say anything due to 'confidentiality'.

If they don't use third parties, I don't know how St.Johns would have identified you if you had started after Lesley had finished.

[RJ]

..... it was misty in the west cumberland hills today and route finding was difficult for those who could not navigate. It meant the teams that did have good navigators ie orienteers moved up and took the places. Now if that is not a marketing opportunity for our sport I don't know what is.

Unfortunately our CS team was severely depleted with those FRA runners in the 'west cumberland hills'. We really needed some further scores on the brown and blue.

BTW we make a good effort to attract those fell runners with a series of six fell race events in the spring. Some success over the years. But them thar hills today will have been very tricky for anybody.... great area!!

[Adventure Racer]

Maybe it was just Brown which was well planned then - was certainly a lot better than I was expecting from the map, with straight lines staying off tracks seeming quicker at least for me (at one point I recaught somebody who was running much faster than me by going straight through light / mid green whilst they ran round). Even the long leg through grot I had at the end was my own fault for being so committed to running straight that I missed the obvious route round! Might not have been the best orienteering ever, but neither was it awful, and as others have pointed out, it's the competition that counts.

Had to do a double check when I saw HOC were at the top of the leaderboard when I downloaded - we stayed there for a while too (and even moved back to the top after SYO knocked us off the first time)!

Did anybody else on here see the beautiful (and rather large) dragonfly perched on the box holding plastic cups after the finish?

[Jethro]

I thought the Blue men's trophy course was well planned considering the limitations of the area. (but maybe I'm biased) The area was actually better than I expected from the preview map, but in the end it's the competition that counts and well worth the 6 hour drive home.

[geomorph]

I watched the run ins for 3 hours and you could see why Spookster took the boot.
There were some fantastic efforts from folk of all abilities and fitnesses, and I was thrilled by the quality of many of them, but Spookster just seemed to keep getting faster without seeming to commit any extra effort, he also dibbed perfectly in a flowing move - excellent technique. Others showed amazing effort early on but just did not make the last 50 any faster.

From a spectator's viewpoint I really appreciated the presence of all those clubs who made long treks to be there. Without your efforts the day would have been much diminished.

Talked to the planner and he appreciated all the comments positive and negative; I thought overall that the better areas were well used, and there was as good a variety of intensity and concentration as you could get. It is an extremely difficult job to link together the localised patches of good forest/technical quality without using a lot of track stuff/low quality sites.

One sad bit of vandalism on the yellow course moved the control numbers on one control in sequence, leaving the first blank. The stakes/SI boxes were all in the right places though. Just taking the numbers off takes 1-2 minutes. This happened between 0930 and 1045. Strange how some early morning walkers spend their time!

[Mrs H]

Most enjoyable event and what a beautiful day. HOC were thrilled with the result - especially enjoying their brief spell at the top of the leader board.

Many thanks to all the SYO people who offered Young Neville a lift home - particularly Paul and Marcia whom i never managed to find in the tent(!) as I understand it would have been out of their way. He wouldn't have been very good company any way as he was kicking himself over the Golden Boot - he knew he had not won as he never felt he "got up enough steam" so well done to Spookster.

On another note - I know the caterer would appreciate comments as he is a contact of mine. there were a few glitches as he only took possession of the trailer on Friday and keeps it at our workshop. I heard the coffee was good

[Angry Haggis]

On another note - I know the caterer would appreciate comments as he is a contact of mine. there were a few glitches as he only took possession of the trailer on Friday and keeps it at our workshop. I heard the coffee was good

I thought the caterer was great - most unexpected and pleasant to get a proper cappuccino and a decent steak burger from a trailer in the middle of a field.

...I also enjoyed my (Brown) course a lot more than expected - the pre-race comments on this thread did help to lower my expectations to zero, but the planner got a good course out of it.

[Mr Chips]

I'm very happy to echo AH's comments, both in respect of the event and of the catering. I thought Fineshade was a lot better than we were led to expect. I also thought that the planner did well to make an interesting course (Green Men) out of an area with many constraints. The burger went down well too!

One very slight niggle with the map regarding the green screen with white stripes - are the stripes meant to indicate the more runnable direction or is it just a generic indication of non-uniform runnability? In the block just South of the Finish the runnable lanes seemed to me to be more or less parallel to the railway.

[HOCOLITE]

Spookster. Glad Lesley is better. Does she generally suffer like this. I have a tendancy to react to bites (I'm assuming the bites were of the insect variety). I have a fairly swollen and burning leg which I noticed before I ran and thought I probably got bitten at Cambridge but it could have been getting changed in the tent before the race. As I seem to have this reaction fairly regularly now I'd appreciate advice from any of you knowledgable Nopers. I think it's just antihistamine and bear it but you might know better

[Spookster]

Does she generally suffer like this.

No, not normally, which is why the St Johns lot got a bit nervous and insisted she went to hospital. It was an insect of some sort, that bit (or stung) her several times on the head.

I have a tendancy to react to bites (I'm assuming the bites were of the insect variety). I have a fairly swollen and burning leg which I noticed before I ran and thought I probably got bitten at Cambridge but it could have been getting changed in the tent before the race. As I seem to have this reaction fairly regularly now I'd appreciate advice from any of you knowledgable Nopers. I think it's just antihistamine and bear it but you might know better

Yes, antihistamine is probably best (and it eventually worked for Lesley).