London City Race

[awk]

Awk
SLOW is putting on a long distance multi-loop race on Longmoor later this year - another variation on distance

Absolutely - I'm not just talking shorter distances than the standards (and one day, maybe, with the ever-growing map of London, maybe a London Marathon-O of 26.2km??!).

[PG]

I for one would love to see just that - more variety of distance of events available in orienteering - not more choice of courses at one event (diluting the competition side of things) but more competitions with fewer courses but greater variety of distances (one of the reasons I find urban races so attractive).

Am I being old fashioned in thinking that one of the main differences in orienteering is that following is not encouraged. If awk's ideal was one course for seniors, perhaps with 30-second start intervals, then it would just turn into a road race, with great bunches of runners forming.

More courses means people heading to lots of different control sites. Some of them are doing it right, some are taking a longer than necessary route. You can't easily just follow unless you recognise the individual. Any orienteering event with only one or two courses is at risk of becoming a following exercise. Maybe IOF and World Championships organisers think this is the way orienteering should be going, but I suspect I'm not alone in preferring avoiding following. Would we need to take SOFT's approach in Sweden and disqualify anyone who punches several controls behind another competitor?

[RJ]

Yes, PG, but there is a happy median. Currently there are far too many courses in an orienteering event of regional status and above. Several decades ago we had much broader age groupings, which gave better competition. Then we moved to 5 year age bands and ended up with a handful of people competing on the same course.

The new colour coded structure now helps. But I don't think that explains the popularity of the Urban-O. Granted it is the proximity of the terrain, but it is also the nature of the competition set up with fewer courses.

CompassSport, just arrived, has a great article on the Jukola. Why do you think so many people, and I mean SOOOOO many people, take part, and all on the same course? Do they mind they are effectively following....! No, because I reckon most of the runners are not actually in the hunt for the winning podium position, but are merely 'fun runners', taking part in a great race.

Yes there are folk who want to win, and race in O to win. But most people are there to have an O experience and enjoy the terrain and the challenge. A course with an appropriate length and technicality is all that matters. Urban-O needs to stick to its winning formula and just offer a VERY limited number of courses. And it makes prizegivings shorter..... on its own a great leap forward!!

[easternmost?]

I've just looked at the League which now shows the scores from London. looking at M40+ it would seem that the following rule hasn't been applied :-

If the last-placed finisher in a given class scores fewer than 10 points, then all scores in that class will be increased by a multiple of 10 points so that the last-placed finisher scores between 10 and 19 points. So in a race with 87 finishers, the score for last place would be augmented by 10 points from eight to 18 points, and the winner would get 110 points.

With 139 finishers I would have thought the scores should have been boosted. 94th equal has been given 0.5 points, everyone below is excluded.

[awk]

If awk's ideal was one course for seniors, perhaps with 30-second start intervals, then it would just turn into a road race, with great bunches of runners forming.

RJ sums it up perfectly - I'm not averse to more than one course, just want less courses than we currently have. One course could be more than enough for some events though! It's pretty easy to distinguish who's on what course now at races like London, and there doesn't seem to be overmuch following - I certainly hardly saw anybody on my course, apart from one or two speeding past - no way was I going to be able to follow even if I could have!
A couple of the other appeals that RJ only touches on, is that of being able to travel easily by public transport (Saturday races help here!), having places to eat and socialise immediately available, and being able to go to the event without a car load of gear, which we usually seem to need with terrain events. Terrain events always seem to be such hard work after an urban race (although they can be worth it!!).

[Roger]

I've just looked at the League which now shows the scores from London. looking at M40+ it would seem that the following rule hasn't been applied :-

If the last-placed finisher in a given class scores fewer than 10 points, then all scores in that class will be increased by a multiple of 10 points so that the last-placed finisher scores between 10 and 19 points. So in a race with 87 finishers, the score for last place would be augmented by 10 points from eight to 18 points, and the winner would get 110 points.

With 139 finishers I would have thought the scores should have been boosted. 94th equal has been given 0.5 points, everyone below is excluded.

That rule created too much distortion (excessive emphasis on the very large events) and was dropped; fairness was seen as more important than inclusivity. All winners now score 100. As someone noted on another thread, the non-forum Urban League links and pages are / were a little out of date.

[madmike]

and a second quicker would have got me the whole point

[Roger]

and a second quicker would have got me the whole point

A second slower and you'd have beaten Lester but been 'rewarded' with the same number of points!

[madmike]

there's always a bright side

[mappingmum]

Can you translate that to the cake/red wine exchange?

[madmike]

Mrs H is getting her recipe book out

[madmike]

And here is the wine and cake changing hands at Warwick today, which was a toptastic event even in the rain

[mappingmum]

I hope that's a "proper" bottle of wine and not a screw-cap.

[Blonde bombshell]

I don't hold out much hope for the cake - it's upside down! Let's hope it's not iced.

[Mrs H]

I hope that's a "proper" bottle of wine and not a screw-cap.

I'm not sure - but it's certainly a proper cake (always put it in the tin upside down then you don't have to struggle to get it out - didn't you know that? ) A recount on the supervet women saw me take my first win of the season - but Glenys finished one second behind me so took the series - really enjoyed it all - thanks everyone