Really the Nopesport Urban League 2010

[Spookster]

So how come Warwick urban was allowed to enter M/W14s but St Andrews wasn't? I'm completely confused now. Were there no roads on the Warwick urban?

Correct. There were no roads in the Warwick park in which the under 16s course was planned.

[Scott]

We are finalising plans for a St Albans City Race next year...

Highlights of your tour of St Albans may include the Cathedral, the oldest pub in Britain, various bits of Roman wall, and the prison gates that feature in the opening scenes of Porridge.

Having spent the afternoon exploring St Albans after the Verulamium Park event on Saturday morning, I reckon it has the potential for a great city race

[frog]

If the under 16s course at Warwick got Nopesport urban league points then why didn't the under 16s course at St Andrews? For children in particular it would be nice to have some consistency. No-one doing the park course at St Andrews got points.

[AndyC]

Highlights of your tour of St Albans may include the Cathedral, the oldest pub in Britain, various bits of Roman wall, and the prison gates that feature in the opening scenes of Porridge.

It's a very long run from St Albans to the Ye Olde Trip To Jerusalem in Nottingham!
but then there are another 18 claimants to that title

[Roger]

If the under 16s course at Warwick got Nopesport urban league points then why didn't the under 16s course at St Andrews?

There appeared to be no under-16s course at St Andrews. The 14s and 16s were split amongst orange, yellow and Park Long. I wasn't there, but the final details provided no real illumination so I decided that I couldn't allocate scores. If there was some pre-event information stating that under-16s should enter a particular course to be eligible for the Urban League then I'll gladly score it.

[frog]

Most of the competitive M/W14s did the park long. I agree there was no pre-race info saying this counted for the urban league but maybe the St Andrews organisers were confused by the new info re under 16s and thought they'd been excluded from the urban leagues since the insurance regs changed.
It wouldn't change the final standings, but this was the only race in the set where M/W14s weren't allowed to score.

[andy]

If there was some pre-event information stating that under-16s should enter a particular course to be eligible for the Urban League then I'll gladly score it.

It was actually Urban Short, but then some stupid rules meant that 14s couldn't run it

I'm glad I'm not under 16 and I hope stupidness has stopped by the time I have children (hah, fat chance)

[madmike]

Having spent the afternoon exploring St Albans after the Verulamium Park event on Saturday morning, I reckon it has the potential for a great city race

We did mention the embargo to you, didn't we?

[Adrian]

If there was some pre-event information stating that under-16s should enter a particular course to be eligible for the Urban League then I'll gladly score it.

It was actually Urban Short, but then some stupid rules meant that 14s couldn't run it

I'm glad I'm not under 16 and I hope stupidness has stopped by the time I have children (hah, fat chance)

With my organiser hat on, I don't think I'd allow any under-16 course at any competitive event I was organising to cross an unpatrolled road. Urban orienteering is a form of jaywalking; the races rely on the goodwill of road users and I think that goodwill would dry up eventually if there were too many instances of teenagers dodging moving cars. After all, car drivers can just about live with the prospect of knocking down a peculiar man or woman, but injuring a kid is something no-one wants to contemplate.

[RS]

Only one word to describe Adrian/Adrian's post - PATHETIC. Doesn't deserve discussion.

[youngladdie]

I am quite sure that 'Juniors' / under 16's have been running across roads with traffic at many events over many years. And if talking specifically about 'Urban Orienteering events', then one of the first in the UK, the York Park Race has had Juniors on courses crossing roads with traffic.
I say ignore what BOF (British Orienteering) say, and go ahead and plan junior courses to cross roads if you wish.

[awk]

the York Park Race has had Juniors on courses crossing roads with traffic.

Well, offspring (now a second year M18) spent several years not being allowed to run anything but the junior race at York as it was deemed unsafe for him to be crossing roads, even when other races did allow it, so think that's not quite right.

I say ignore what BOF (British Orienteering) say, and go ahead and plan junior courses to cross roads if you wish.

You might say that. but then I suspect a responsible organiser might be a teensy-weensy bit reluctant to risk their event insurance and the adverse publicity that any untoward incident might bring. Would be interesting to see what the reaction would be if their defence was "But youngladdie said it was alright."

[yted]

I am quite sure that 'Juniors' / under 16's have been running across roads with traffic at many events over many years. And if talking specifically about 'Urban Orienteering events', then one of the first in the UK, the York Park Race has had Juniors on courses crossing roads with traffic.
I say ignore what BOF (British Orienteering) say, and go ahead and plan junior courses to cross roads if you wish.

As I plan the York event, I can categorically state that the above post is untrue. I believe and have always believed (ie from before the recent insurance ruling) that it is immoral, irresponsible and stupid to have juniors crossing roads against the clock. Consequently I have spent an ENORMOUS amount of time searching for ways to plan technical courses without road crossings because I believe that, for urban events, the junior courses should be just as technical as those for the seniors. In York, I mostly use the snickleways and pedestrian streets but next year I've (just) received permission for two new campus areas adjacent to the city centre so the 10th York City Centre event will be the best yet for all ages!

[madmike]

looking forward to it already yted