London City Race

[Strider]

Lincoln's increase this year I think was also due to the fact it was advertised well in advance and in conjunction with Sheffield as an urban weekend, its inclusion on the front cover of Focus (yes, people do read it and in fact I think it's a rather good publication!) and also word-of-mouth. Certainly inclusion in the league will also have helped, don't get me wrong, but I don't think urban league point-collection is entirely the cause of the 100+ increase.

I think you've hit the nail on the head, there. All of those factors played a part, undoubtedly, and I think the Nopesport league 'double header' aspect encouraged a lot of people to travel and make a full weekend of it.

S.

[Tatty]

However ever, those of us who live in the south didn't have that many races in this year's league. Removing London would make it even more unbalanced

[awk]

However ever, those of us who live in the south didn't have that many races in this year's league. Removing London would make it even more unbalanced

No it doesn't! Blanka wasn't saying put less southern Nopesport events on, she was saying that it might be worthwhile looking for other venues - including the south!

Personally, I would retain London, simply because it is the 'big one'. If anything, I'd go the other way, and make it the season finale, or a 'special' event, with double points, and build the rest of the league round it.

[Roger]

...we shall be in the Barbican again on Saturday 10th September 2011

So that's both days that weekend booked up already, and at least I won't be carrying a cricket injury for my race around the City.

Although struggling to run properly, I enjoyed my tour of the sights and the housing estates. Thanks to the SLOW team for another excellent event. I'll even try to visit all the controls next year.

Re 16-year-olds and insurance: the new guidance means that I'll be recommending that M/W 18 are in the Open category for next year's Urban League and that Junior becomes M/W16-. And my feeling is that, unless there's a plethora of excellent southern urban races, London should remain as part of the league. The race may not need the kudos, but the runners need the race.

Speaking of which, I'll get back to working out the points.

[IanD]

Perhaps slightly controversial, but my suggestion for the Nopesport urban League 2011 (if it happens) would be not to include London because the event does very well as a standalone event and would probably still attract similar numbers of competitors even if not part of the league. Smaller events, however, can benefit immensely from being in the league as shown in the Lincoln discussion where the organiser suggested that inclusion in the league could have upped attandance by 100+ competitors.

I'd be inclined to argue for including London and making more play of the fact that it is part of a league. Then people running London for it's own sake might be encouraged to try other events in the league. In other words, use London as an advertisement for the other league events.

[Mrs H]

Yes I was thinking along those lines too - but having it towards the end of the season works against it in that regard - unless you can have a good part of the following year's programme in place ready to push to the London runners there and then

[Homer]

Re 16-year-olds and insurance: the new guidance means that I'll be recommending that M/W 18 are in the Open category for next year's Urban League and that Junior becomes M/W16-.

Roger, I was thinking along exactly the same lines.
I will recommend that Event Guideline E (Urban Events) is changed along similar lines.
I was thinking:
Course 1: Men Open (M18-35)
Course 2: Women Open (W18-35), Men's Vets (M40+)
Course 3: Women Vets (W40+), Men's Super Vets (M55+)
Course 4: Women Super Vets (W55+), Men's Ultra Vets (M70+)
Course 5: Juniors (M/W16-)
Course 6: Young Juniors (M/W12-)
All courses as technical as possible, except 6.

Obviously this is just a guideline and clubs can vary as they see fit (London may need more courses, others less). Comments?

[Mrs H]

Certainly go along with that in the older age groups but does it work for the 18s - as some of them will actually only by 16 years old anyway. The distances could be a bit daunting at the younger end of the class for anyone who isn't elite-ish - if there isn't an insurance issue might they not be better teamed up with the Vets and leave the open to 20-35?

[Timsands]

Mrs H wrote:
"I thoroughly enjoyed the race - but for me it was a lot less technical than the last two years - is this because I have gone up to super vet and this is the second urban race on the trot that my class has been combined with junior courses?"

Looking at this course, it appears it was planned to avoid crossing the busy roads to the south presumably for the benefit of the juniors. This constrained the course to a fairly narrow corridor and consequently has limited the planning options (and technical challenges). With hindsight, the planner might agree that the W55+ would have been better served with a separate course.

[Slowtochide]

Have you thought of doing (designing and selling) a commemorative "City Race" O top?

You are not the first person to ask that. I take it as a defnite plus - a sign that it is an event that people want to remember. I am working on it for next year - I just have to get over the usual problems such as what would be the best item and how many is worthwhile without the risk of being left wioth loads on unsold stock

[roadrunner]

Have you thought of doing (designing and selling) a commemorative "City Race" O top?

You are not the first person to ask that. I take it as a defnite plus - a sign that it is an event that people want to remember. I am working on it for next year - I just have to get over the usual problems such as what would be the best item and how many is worthwhile without the risk of being left wioth loads on unsold stock

You could offer a "pre-order" service with entries, which might help in judging the numbers.

[awk]

Obviously this is just a guideline and clubs can vary as they see fit (London may need more courses, others less). Comments?

Women's Ultra Vets??

Mrs H - perhaps not typical, but offspring ran the Open in the first London race as a second year M16 (before the insurance issue raised its very ugly and unwelcome face), and reckoned it the right distance. Could have separate prizes within the open race for younger runners.

[Mrs H]

Women's Ultra Vets??

.

Well at London there are enough to make both men's and women's ultra vets a competition - and by the time I get there I'll be demanding it

It's a moot point as to whether we would get more ultra vets if there was a shorter course for them - someone mentioned elsewhere that an older competitor had been put off another event because there was no suitable course.

It is vitally important that the older competitors take to the streets and as Graeme pointed out older former fell/road runners are finding they are pretty good at it.

As for the 18s - I was justing thinking Young Neville would moan like hell if he had to run that far - but then anything over 400m is too far for him

[epocian]

.[/quote]
Well at London there are enough to make both men's and women's ultra vets a competition - and by the time I get there I'll be demanding it

:[/quote]

Not sure I agree - there were only 7 ultravet men in London. At lesser races there would perhaps be only two or three (not much of a competition!). Personally I'd sooner run in supervets (although I get 'hammered') there's much more competition

[madmike]

well Epocian,
you can continue to run up whist offering those that don't want to get hammered a chance to run against a small group of peers. With the extra course you have the choice without it.........