UK Relay League 2010

[LostAgain]

[quote="Homer]...but does (s)he know your best runner doesn't actually study at Sheffield University?[/quote]

Which runner does not study at a Sheffield University?

or are you suggesting that teams should actually only compose members from an individual University?, in which case how do you cope with the college system? and why would you want to alienate students at Universities with virtually no orienteers but affliated to one with plenty?

[ba-ba]

This 'problem' has been sorted out, keep your eyes on the next compass-sport.
The union know about GG being at Hallam - and other Hallam students who are members of union clubs.
As far as not being recognised as for the 'club of the year' award within the uni, it would appear that being British champions counts for naught. (I fully expected JK/Harvester champions meaning nothing to the sports officer/manager, despite explaining to them several times how big the former is in terms of British Orienteering achievement, but everyone should realise that being British Champion in any sport is an achievement, and we managed it with 3 undergrads!)
The fact that I'd written a glowing summary of Ralph's achievements for his sportsperson of the year nomination, and they read out the 'filler' I'd used, just leads me to further abhor the acknowledgment the most successful club in the union gets, as it competes in a sport many see as bobble-hat and not a sport.
The fact that in the 3000m at the Sheffield Varsity athletics the top 4 were GG, Ralph, Dave Abrams and a Fell-running ShUOCer (not a single athletics club member in sight) should show we're a 'real sport'
Needless to say I was mightily p*ssed off not getting recognition within the university community after a year of hard work from all within the club. Hell, Korfball got more recognition! Just means we'll have to do it all again next year...

</rant>

[Becks]

That really sucks - coming from two universities where we felt highly valued (Oxford and Edinburgh) as sportspeople, I'm amazed that you have so many difficulties getting recognised. Keep plugging away - one day it will happen!

And the not at Sheffield thing comes and goes - Oxford has the odd person from Brookes and Edinburgh gets the odd one from Napier, Heriot Watt. Keep it pure at BUSA but for the rest, it's fair game I reckon! It's been an impressive season SHUOC - nice work!

[DaveR]

there was talk about a cheeky attempt at the quadruple, but alas we're smack in the middle of exams at the moment.

Shame, I don't think it's ever been done.

Well, some really old people remember all the way back to 1992 when CLYDE won the Harvester, British Relays, JK and Scottish Relays


Posted to keep Donald Petrie happy

EDIT:
Donald keeps excellent records:

British Relays, Brandon Park 22.3.92
Leg 1 Dickie Jones
Leg 2 Steve Nicolson
Leg 3 Dave Peel

JK Relay, Bigland Tarn 20.4.92
Leg 1 Steve Nicolson
Leg 2 Dave Robertson
Leg 3 Dickie Jones
Leg 4 Dave Peel

Scottish Relays, Anagach Woods 24.5.92
Leg 1 Dave Peel
Leg 2 Dickie Jones
Leg 3 Steve Nicolson

Harvester Trophy, Devilla Forest 5/6.9.92
Leg 1 Patrick Walder
Leg 2 Steve Wilson
Leg 3 James Cunnane
Leg 4 Dave Peel
Leg 5 Steve Nicolson
Leg 6 Dickie Jones
Leg 7 Donald Petrie

[SYO Member]

SYO also did it in 1999.

[SYO Member]

And here are the SYO details:

British Relays, Holker 5.5.99
Leg 1 Martin Ward
Leg 2 Bill Edwards
Leg 3 Jamie Stevenson

JK Relay, Hawley and Hornley 5.4.99
Leg 1 Mark Chapman
Leg 2 Charlie Adams
Leg 3 Dave Peel
Leg 4 Jamie Stevenson

Scottish Relays, Kirk Hill 30.5.99
Leg 1 Martin Ward
Leg 2 Charlie Adams
Leg 3 Jamie Stevenson

Harvester Trophy, Blakeney Hill & Soudley Wood 11/12.9.99
Leg 1 Martin Ward
Leg 2 Dave Farquhar
Leg 3 Dave Peel
Leg 4 Mark Chapman
Leg 5 Bill Edwards
Leg 6 Charlie Adams
Leg 7 Tim Tett

[Tatty]

Dave Peel gets around then - he's in both club's teams

[Spookster]

Right, as promised: who needs to do what at the Scottish Relays this weekend. And to clarify, if any teams are tied on points after this weekend they'll be separated using countback (scores from best event, and if those are equal then scores from second-best event, and finally scores from fourth-best event if necessary).

The full standings, as always, are at http://www.ukrelayleague.org.uk
Women's League
It comes down to a straight battle between EUOC and SYO for the Women's League title: whoever finishes ahead this weekend will win the League.

FVO won the race, but EUOC in 3rd beat SYO in 6th, so EUOC win the league.

Men's League
ShUOC, who don't have a team entered this weekend, already have the Men's title in the bag, so it comes down to a four-way battle for second and third between SYO, INT, FVO and NOC.

EUOC won the race, INT took 2nd so got 60 points total, SYO couldn't improve on 60 but hold onto 2nd in the league on count-back. FVO and NOC also tied (54 points), but FVO take 4th place on count-back.

(unofficial league scoring - I'm sure Scott will check the maths soon...)

Scottish relay results

[graeme]

Interesting that nobody ran in all four SYO relay teams.
So for the record keepers ... Has anyone simultaneously been BOC, JK, SRC, Harvester and UKRL Champion?

(Obviously the answer is yes ... )

[Scott]

Yes, I think Spookster has it right (thanks!). Full official results may have to wait until I get home from the Tamar Triple tomorrow night, but here's the top of both tables (best consider these provisional, as I'm pretty tired and the maths part of my brain may not be functioning correctly).

Congratulations to ShUOC and EUOC on their victories, and to South Yorkshire for taking second place in both competitions. Special mentions to the men of SYO, FVO and NOC, who managed to field teams at all four events.

Women's League

Code: Select all

                              JK   BRC  Harv SRC  Total
1    Edinburgh University     22   25    —   20   67
2    South Yorkshire          25   22    —   15   62
3    South London             12   13   25    —   50
4    Edinburgh Southern       15   15    —   14   44
5    Forth Valley              3   12    —   25   40
6    West Cumberland          18    0    —   22   40

Men's League

Code: Select all

                              JK   BRC  Harv SRC  Total
1    Sheffield University     25   25   25    —   75
2    South Yorkshire          22   22   16   15   60
3    Interløpers              20   18    —   22   60
4    Forth Valley             14   11   22   18   54
5    Nottinghamshire          16   13   18   20   54
6    Bristol                  18   15   13    —   46

[Scott]

Okay, the above results still look correct to me, and full results are now up in the usual place as promised: http://www.ukrelayleague.org.uk

As usual, please let me know if you spot any mistakes, or have any queries: sjcollier@gmail.com

Congratulations once again to the winners, and thanks to everyone who took part. Look out for news of the 2011 UKRL in the next couple of months.

[jac]

Well, some really old people remember all the way back to 1992 when CLYDE won the Harvester, British Relays, JK and Scottish Relays

Can some really really old person remember whether SN won the Scottish Relays in 1982? They won all the other relays.

SimonE has a list of British / JK / Harvester champions at http://www.maprunner.co.uk. I failed to find any list of former Scottish individual or relay champions. Perhaps we should make and post a list before our really old memories fade.

[SYO Member]

Although I'm not 'really really old', CompassSport reported that EUOC won the Men's Open in the 1982 Scottish Relay.

In 1994 SYO Ladies also achieved the grand slam:

British Relays, Midhurst 20.3.94
Leg 1 Wendy Smallwood (now Billing)
Leg 2 Kirsty Bryan-Jones
Leg 3 Jenny James (now Peel)

JK Relay, Big Wood, 4.4.94
Leg 1 Kirsty Bryan-Jones
Leg 2 Gill Wainwright
Leg 3 Wendy Smallwood

Scottish Relays, Airds Park, 29.5.94
Leg 1 Kirsty Bryan-Jones
Leg 2 Gill Wainwright
Leg 3 Jenny James

Harvester, Star Posts 7/8.5.94
Leg 1 Sally Soady
Leg 2 Monika Cooper
Leg 3 Clare Barnes
Leg 4 Wendy Smallwood
Leg 5 Jill Gorvett
Leg 6 Janet Deakin (now Adams)
Leg 7 Gill Wainwright

[Ravinous]

Apols for only reading this thread and replying now.

Scott - many thanks for co-ordinating the UKRL. It is a fine League and one which needs our support.

To return to several comments made earlier and perhaps some background, re: Harvester.
Farsta is a part of southern Stockholm and the birthplace of a type of gaffling which is perhaps the most common type of gaffling.
Farsta Gymnasium (Sixth Form College for 16-19s - they do 3 years in Sweden) is a regional centre of excellence for Orienteering and 6 other sports. (Sweden has 2 National Orienteering Gymnasiums and SOFT have recently accredited 10 regional ones. Although Farsta has been in existence since 2005, this regional accreditation has just come in.) The basic deal is that the school timetables in, like any other subject, 3 lessons of Orienteering. More about this in a CompassSport one day...
Currently I am one of 2 paid coaches/trainers there. We have 22 students.
Last year I thought it would be fun to go to the Harvesters. We got enough students together for an A and a B course team plus 2 parents and a coach. They did pretty well to considering they were mixed 16s, 18s and 20s - even coming 3rd on the A with a girl in the team too. They have been inspired and are keen to come in 2011 also.
However, Andy Robinson, SLOW club Captain (Loofa)'s comment of 'they were not a club' is incorrect. If Ulverston Victoria High School turned up and won, would he make the same comment? Farsta OLGY is a closed club, just like in the UK. You have to be student at the school, which they are. (As an aside, World Schools, School Teams Class, the National OL Gymnasiums usually go and wipe the floor which is a bit unfair IMHO). So it is no great surprise that on the other races that weekend, which they entered individually, they entered for their usual open clubs. (All are students stay and live at home and come to Farsta Gymnasium just like any other school.) They normally run for their open clubs.
The parents and coach I managed to slot into the SYO team as they were struggling. They are not that great orienteers so we were never going to win. But we played by the rules and these 3 joined BOF Local membership (free) and SYO (very reasonable £). It was a shame a lot of the SYO regular 21s didnt want to come but a relief that we could field a full team and come 5th. If people don't like the current rules, which were followed, you can try to get them changed of course.

Harvester.
I like the Harvester and would like to see it grow in numbers again. As it was Saxons organising (one of my clubs ) I did help with advertising and we had a modest effort at getting fliers out to events. These were black and white photocopies. Of course what we needed was colour glossy and a much wider effort. It doesnt help having different organisers every year and a volunteer to help drive/promote/oversee the Harvesters would be good - a Harvester Co-ordinator. (Existing Events Managers Peel/Errington have too much to do elsewhere).
I have no problem if a club turns up and wins our Harvester from overseas. It might make some more of our top runners come to it if they know there will be good competition. Afterall, why doesnt a bunch of O bloggers from the UK get together and win the Jukola. (Yep I know Team Nopesport have tried )
In fact, the issue of 'being a club member' is a bit of a nonsense. Anybody can get together anyone and call it a club and run under that name. There are rules for British Champs etc., but for Harvester, Jukola... there arent.
If the same effort was applied to Harvester promotion as London City race and many others, especially abroad, I think the event could get much more overseas interest.
(Denmark has the Spring Cup relay yet we have much better terrain (arguably) here in the UK. I think there is a gap in the market - if anyone has been to the Spring Cup in recent years will know it is dying. Numbers have decreased, quality and 'extras' at the event have not really changed for 10 years (like your splits not telling you your time to the first control still! unmarked felled areas, don't let me get started!) and the cost is obscenely expensive - £24 to run the relay - EACH! No wonder the real season opener has become the Portugal O Meet and next years Mediterranean Open Champs (MOC) will clash with Spring Cup to get some of the Spring Cup disillusioned.
I guess I am asking why there hasnt been a big international relay race in the UK like Jukola/Tio/Spring Cup/O-festivalen (ok, last one not a night relay.)? And is it time to have one? And could we do it with the Harvester? Well, at least we can start to build it up.
If we want to 'go international' with the event, changing the date every year is probably not a great idea. Is ShUOC definitely doing it next year the weekend before Jukola? We need a good date which doesnt clash with other things abroad.

I'll stop there as this is getting long! Food for thought I hope.

[SeanC]

A Harvester co-ordinator might be too big a job to attract a volunteer, a Harvester publicity co-ordinator is probably more attractive, sounds like a managable job, particularly after year 1 when contacts and publicity materials can be reused*. Is this what you meant Nick?

If we were to have the same date every year, what date do people think would be best? That would definately help as publicity could start even without a confirmed venue.

* Please note I am not volunteering. Sorry.