Sheffield Weekend - Sat 30th / Sun 31st January 2010

[Scott]

Ah vicious tussocks... Hardly noticed them at the OMM

I envy you - I still wake up screaming from nightmares about area around control AS on the first day.

On the whole, it's probably for the best that I'm going to Edinburgh this weekend instead.

[Spookster]

Saturday (Middle Distance, Beeley Wood) start list is published. Featuring an elite start block in the first half hour. Should be quite exciting...

Sunday (National Event) start list coming soon.

[ba-ba]

It's all very elite apart from my name being in it

[ba-ba]

Just to add some EVO to the proceedings:
Sheffield's premier Running and adventure racing store accelerate are having an 'endurance day' going on all day Saturday (9-6), including runs, training and kit information etc.

Also, London Marathon Winner/LA '84 Olympic Marathon Bronze Medalist Charlie Spedding will be signing copies of his new book 'From Last to First' between 10-3.30.
Why not nip down after your course at Beeley!

[funnyrunner]

What a load of sh1t that elite start block is.

[ba-ba]

It ties in with a training session earlier in the day, and also frees quite a few people up to help on enquiries etc. later in the day so all volunteers get a run.

[ba-ba]

I regret my previous Tussoky bravado...

[DM]

Many thanks to all involved today, good organisation beforehand, car parking etc. Just what a major event should be.

Courses were good, straight into wooded area with numerous boulders, out onto the moor with scope for going off line and then back into woods just when you thought you were running for the finish. Our youngest was pleased to collect a trophy.

[IanD]

I thought the organisation was really excellent. Everything seemed to have been thought of, e.g. pre-start further from the start than it normally would have been so that it was sheltered (not needed as it turns out).

However, I, and everyone else from the older age classes that I spoke to, was not at all happy with the 1:10,000 map. The point of having a larger scale for the older classes is so that older eyes can read it. Shrinking the symbols back down to minute dots which are barely visible with a magnifying glass is not helpful!

And what on earth was the feature at control code 48 (#2 on M45L/M50L)? Marked on the map with a single tiny dot. Described as boulder field. On the ground, just some random point in a 2km long area of stones and boulders, not noticeably more rocky than anywhere else!

Enjoyed it thought, thanks for putting it on. Shame there weren't more people there, I guess many did want to commit to a long journey after the weather earlier this year, and there were other attractive events clashing.

[HOCOLITE]

This was the first event I've done where I felt I could not see the map. In the bolder area I was concerned as to what I could use to navigate. I accept there wew some wall etc but reading the bolders on the map to tick them off was impossible. My other half commented on the tiny dot that represented a bolder field. I came across the control and presumed it was a single boulder. My younger son had 1:15000 and felt the map was not too good in several places. He usually loves tehnical rocky hillsides and would prefer them to moors, but today said he enjoyed the moorland.... Mind you he then said it was because he was by himself for every leg on the moors and took great pleasure in the peace and views. Too much revision has got to him

[IkeySol]

It was definitley no better on the 1:15000 map.

I did course 6 and because I was ill ended walking round half the course and have absolutely no idea about the first three controls in the wooded bit. They appeared to be boulders of no discernably different size than any of the other mass of boulders in there with no visible attack points at all.

Generally I would class myself as pretty disappointed with the whole area and thought the course was average with very little route choice sadly.

[ba-ba]

After finding multiple boulder matching the one in my circle for #1 I decided to just run and managed to find everything quite well.
that #48 boulderfield was entertaining on the map, but I just ran straight into it.
the small sizes of everything was problematic even for my young eyes, which have had weeks of peering at post-it notes with miniscule writing on!
As first starter, once past the first 2 controls I didn't see anyone until nearly 80mins in. And then I started making mistakes!
Nice views but couldn't see the people doing Tigger's Todger on Burbage. Saw Deer though.
Hocolite - rob magically found a hired SI Card in 2 seconds that its owner had been searching for for 20mins!

Could link BogMoor, Longshaw and Burbage together to make a good one-day MM course. Certainly rough enough!

[Dave]

Could link BogMoor, Longshaw and Burbage together to make a good one-day MM course. Certainly rough enough!

and Blacka Moor / Ramsley Moor. that could be a monsterous long-o

[Spookster]

Provisional results are up, but there are quite a few anomalies to resolve before they will be finalised. I'm still hoping to get Beeley on Routegadget later tonight, and Big Moor tomorrow.

Thanks for the comments about the organisation - we certainly put more effort in to making it feel like a high-quality Level 1 event. Most things went well.

Unfortunately a few things weren't as good as we would have liked. For various reasons the starts weren't ready in time, so early starters were affected. Everyone's time will be correct (once all the slips of paper have been checked) but it won't have helped runners' concentration. Apologies for that.

There were 3 different versions of the map in use today. The larger area 1:10,000 map had a symbol set that was too small. Again, apologies for that, which will have affected a lot of the runners.

I can't comment on the planning as I wasn't involved, but Peter may, in due course.

[NickC]

Thank goodness, I had my suspicions about the symbol set used. At least I can now cancel the appointment that I had made for new contact lenses .

Many thanks for excellent events both days - it is a long time since I have run so "straight" at virtually all the controls.