Relay Tips

[SeanC]

Was this a relay with mainly yellow/orange standard controls? I guess it's harder to drop someone with the methods suggested in this thread on such easy courses?

[frog]

Agree, in the easier courses all you can do is put on speed bursts now and again and try and stay focussed on your own run and ignore them. I'd have thought spending alot of time thinking of how to drop them rather than where you are going will just slow you down relative to the runners in your class in a different gaffle who aren't fretting about followers..

[LostAgain]

TD4 aimed at 14-18

[Sunlit Forres]

I'm surprised that Greywolf hasn't come up with any tips yet. After his experience of being in 'the pack' at the Scottish Champs Relay it would have done him good to have been shaken off.

[madmike]

And of course it would be wrong of us to suggest as alast resort there is always the old Ovett trick (elbow in the diaphragm as hard as you can) just before the run in starts

[EddieH]

I'd not recommend this in a relay, but I once had a guy following me in a chasing start. We were going along a path, and were going to go left through a thin dark green patch to open ground. I turned in deliberately early (where the green went on and on) took a few seconds parallel to the path before re-emerging. As I'd hoped he'd turned off. He finished the race about half an hour after me

[Eeyore]

I do enjoy a good sprint finish

Me too. Especially when it's Rocky, Lorna or Chris Galloway doing the sprinting for us .

Just as well it was Chris on Sunday then.

Seriously, why, with 4 variations of light green available, did it have to be the same gaffle on the last leg for the two teams?

[Godders]

stop for a dump

[andypat]

At the Scottish relays i twice came across a group of 3 different juniors chatting to each other looking for the control I was leaving. They didnt sound like they wanted to drop each other!

[Spookster]

Naturally I said "more sprint training" not received with enthusiasm

Well, that's what's required. Slowing down to let the follower go ahead is no good if there are people running other gaffles who will then overtake you.

But you should try to play to your strengths on the run in sprint. If you think you are fast over 50m, then wait until the last 50m. But if you don't have that speed, then "sprint" from further out, perhaps the penultimate control if the last control is easy, and make it a 400m sprint...

[Roger]

But you should try to play to your strengths on the run in sprint. If you think you are fast over 50m, then wait until the last 50m.

You don't actually have to be good over 50m: just better than the other guy. Or even just good enough over the first part of your sprint to convince him that he has no chance.

[LostAgain]

Is Silver better than nothing?

Would it be better to purposely mispunch?

[madmike]

yes and no

don't forget orienteering podiums go down to 6th at some world level events. We are not like regatta rowing where there is only a pot for the winner and second is regarded as first loser.

[Mrs H]

Would it be better to purposely mispunch?

Why would anyone think that?

[King Penguin]

I agree, crazy to deliberately mispunch, but some people do retire sometimes just to avoid having a bad result.