JK Relay

[Kitch]

one word on the changes

Pathetic

[Tatty]

As a club team manager the Ad hoc is needed often to ensure all runners, both men and women get a run. It's unfair if 2 women get left out and their only option is to run in a men's class. The Ad Hoc at least gives them a chnce for a competitive run for their club and makes them feel more valkued.

[HOCOLITE]

Ad Hoc is my choice of relay particularly after two/three days of competition. I would run any of the legs and have done over the years but prefer LG or Orange, due to the length of them. I don't refuse to run in other relays but state my preference. It looks like this year I may be running age class in both the JK and British. The British worries me as the length always seems to be that of the long course. But is all right I'm on last leg so I can come back as they are clearing the tape away and all the tents are taken down.
I've done this before as has my other half, he was a little disappointed at that scenario as he had had a good run but everyone else had cleared off to get on the road back south before the traffic built up

[EddieH]

I emember my forst relay really well - it was a Mammoth weekend and I was last leg and very excited. My second leg runner was at least an hour longer than anticipated but I was still keen. I finished in the fourth fastest time of the day - the organisers were packing up and not a single club member was still there

[andypat]

Eddie - theres definitely a case for mini mass starts a decent interval (say 10min) after the leading team (or 3rd if theres a 1,2,3 podium) hands over. Its only natural that people want to pack up after the winners are announced but its embarrassing for those still competing if the place looks like the aftermath of Glastonbury when they cross the finish line! Everyone should feel involved not just the first few.

[mharky]

10 minute is a bit soon. Nearly all the teams finished within 30mins of the leaders last year in the Trophy, that seems like a more suitable mass-start time

Oh, and if you start in the mini-mass start, does that mean you can no longer beat people who didn't start in it, even if you catch them up, because you have essentially been timed out?

[Scott]

theres definitely a case for mini mass starts a decent interval (say 10min) after the leading team (or 3rd if theres a 1,2,3 podium) hands over. Its only natural that people want to pack up after the winners are announced but its embarrassing for those still competing if the place looks like the aftermath of Glastonbury when they cross the finish line!

Mini-mass starts are also good because they allow last-leg runners in slower teams to do a bit of head-to-head racing, rather than trudging around the forest on their own.

[SIman]

A reminder that cheap(er) relay entry closes tonight.

[Tatty]

Thanks Siman - just got ours done!!

[andypat]

10 minute is a bit soon. Nearly all the teams finished within 30mins of the leaders last year in the Trophy, that seems like a more suitable mass-start time

Oh, and if you start in the mini-mass start, does that mean you can no longer beat people who didn't start in it, even if you catch them up, because you have essentially been timed out?

Fair point Mharky - a suitable interval for the distance. I suppose the idea (and its just a suggestion) would be the the interval is long enogh that mass starters shouldnt trouble the podium but still get round while theres some spectators left. I suppose that answers both issues, but since the time round is counted I suppose if you over took someone who was just ahead of the mass start it would depend on time for placings. Presumably they also wouldnt have much chance of a podium either.

[Dave]

Mini-mass starts are also good because they allow last-leg runners in slower teams to do a bit of head-to-head racing, rather than trudging around the forest on their own.

I trudged round on my own last year, and we were in 5th! there's not a lot you can do about that really

[Scott]

Other than finding a way to get more teams onto the open classes, obviously .

[The Malcy]

Talk about making things complicated... Gaffles (wasn't he the woodpecker in Bagpuss?), spectator controls, multi age class combinations, blah blah blah

We orienteers really are so guilty of shunning the simple in favour of the complex. Plan some courses, stick the controls out, run the bloody race!

If a spectator control compromises the course(s) then ditch it - apart from at the sharp end they are a waste of time and IMHO demotivating - who wants to be the one walking to the spectator control?

The courses are generally shorter and there is so much more of a buzz at the relays. And for once the bloody PA actually serves a useful purpose.

So get out there, HTFU and take part.

[Steve]

I haven't read all through this very long thread, but I picked up on something Distracted said a few posts back - Mens, Womens and Ad-hoc courses.

Along this line, why not have all men running the same course (since relay courses are short anyway), all the women running the same course, etc, but divide the results into a number of (or a few) age group classes.

All start at the same time as well. Then, lots of people will be out on the course at the same time, everybody will get the relay buzz, and it won't matter if you finish 30 mins down on the winners because a load of teams will be around you doing just that. There will always be stragglers.

JK Trophy prizes can go to the first three teams back, irrespective of actual age. Everybody runs in the same race. It's pretty much how the FRA relays work.

That's the basic idea, may need some refinement to actually work, e.g. two mens courses and two womens courses.

Apologies if somebody has already proposed this.

[Guest88]

remove the criteria that all 3 runners on the mens open must be from the same club, then you would get more teams that can compete against SYO / SHUOC/ EUOC.