Sprint attractive for the young?

[EddieH]

People are always claiming that formats like sprint are the way to appeal to the young.

I have just been onto the JK entries.

For M21 there are 26 entries for the long and only 17 for the sprint.

For M55 there are 34 entries for the long and 32 for the sprint.

Early days and only 2 classes looked at, but they do suggest that a lot of spouted truisms may not be quite as accurate as the spouter thinks.

[awk]

Of the entries currently on line, all the M21E entries for Day 2 and 3 have entered M21 sprint. Of the M21L and M21S entries, only a couple have entered M21 sprint, but all bar 3 of the others have entered MOpen, two of those being from abroad. I don't think you have taken this into consideration. Thus your figures should read:

For M21 there are 26 entries for the long and 23 for the sprint.

I also think you can't take the JK as an example - it's a weekend of 'conventional' orienteering with the sprint as an add-on. I went to the North East JK for the sprint alone. I wouldn't do the same in Northern Ireland.

[greywolf]

People are always claiming that formats like sprint are the way to appeal to the young. I have just been onto the JK entries. For M21 there are 26 entries for the long and only 17 for the sprint. For M55 there are 34 entries for the long and 32 for the sprint. Early days and only 2 classes looked at, but they do suggest that a lot of spouted truisms may not be quite as accurate as the spouter thinks.

The "claim" that "people are always" making, is rather more sophisticated than your version: namely, some of us believe that sprint and urban formats are more likely to attract younger newcomers to the sport or have increased participation levels by the younger adult age clases.
The problem with the figures you quote is not so much that it's just two classes and a long time before the closing date, but that a) the JK is not exactly aimed at or open to newcomers, b) the JK isn't scheduled to make it a choice of sprint or long, but rather long (x2) + sprint or just long (x2), and c) having the sprint on Friday in Belfast is not great for those of us with kids in school on the Thursday. What your numbers appear to demonstrate is that M55s have more disposable cash and more flexible schedules

Why not look instead at the entries from an event where entries have already closed - such as Edinburgh. As this is the first race of the Masters Cup you might imagine it would be top heavy with older vets, but in fact:
The most populous class is M21 with 45 entries - more than M50 & M55 put together (I know M21 covers 14 years rather than 10 - but when did this last happen at a big forest event? )
Likewise, the most popular women's class is W21, but there are also more W18/W20's (19 in total) than any 5 year women's veteran class (W45 has 17)
And these numbers don't include correct age groups for the "Newcastle Wilderness Medics" listed as M110.

Do these figures prove the hypothesis that sprint and urban are the way to appeal to the young? No - they could just be demonstrating that the majority of the old folk are stuck in their ways and are rejecting the new formats...but they at least indicate that the situation is rather more nuanced than your dismissal suggests.

[HOCOLITE]

Stats Grey wolf. Edinburgh is on the doorstep of EUOC where there are a lot of M/W students , that might perhaps influence the figures a touch
I think this is one for far greater statistical analysis, although I'd go with the theory that urban/sprint is generally more attractive to a captive 'local' M/W21 market. They live & work in the environment and haven't get had enough of cities. Us oldens like to visit them occassionally. I enjoy Urban races as a way of exploring the back alleys of towns and cities but I pick and choose to suit. I'd go to more if I could but the travel costs and time tend to prevent it.

[awk]

Stats Grey wolf. Edinburgh is on the doorstep of EUOC where there are a lot of M/W students , that might perhaps influence the figures a touch
I think this is one for far greater statistical analysis, although I'd go with the theory that urban/sprint is generally more attractive to a captive 'local' M/W21 market. They live & work in the environment and haven't get had enough of cities.

Our current series of midweek night mass start score events are attracting over double the number of M21s that we get to conventional Sunday events. Our last weekend urban race matched the score events.

A couple of years ago, we hosted the Northern Championships. We were attracting more M/W21s to our Wednesday evening sprint races that year than we got to the Northerns.

I think your analysis about local markets is a fair one Hocolite. Edinburgh might well attract students - but how and why are they attracting them? Again, I suspect from what I've heard from offspring that a lot of it is to do with catering for that local market. He's certainly not done a huge amount of orienteering outside Edinburgh this year.

[jjjl]

Edinburgh is on the doorstep of EUOC where there are a lot of M/W students , that might perhaps influence the figures a touch

Well sorry, but only 3 EUOC runners have pre-entered according to the startlist (and knowledge that everyone else is effectively EODing it) - suggesting that the stats pointed out by greywolf are not biased by students.

[RCB]

[quote="EddieH"]People are always claiming that formats like sprint are the way to appeal to the young.

Eddie, Rather than start a separate discussion topic, I thought I might add to the debate by including 'Maze O'. Have a look at the look at this bit of footage from the Outdoors show (ExCel centre London) - three Gloucestershire students (approx M18) were very competitive (as were others) as they first tried to beat each other and then the leading times on the results board.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3SafOGp ... er&list=UL

I think urban can/does appeal if we can get the image and marketing right.

[awk]

Well sorry, but only 3 EUOC runners have pre-entered according to the startlist (and knowledge that everyone else is effectively EODing it) - suggesting that the stats pointed out by greywolf are not biased by students.

Except that quite a few are registered under their home club: there are three Airienteers entries who are in fact all EUOC members for instance.

[graeme]

There are 126 people in my race at Edinburgh - pretty exciting in itself compared with the norm in Scotland! I don't give a stuff who they are: bring it on.

(its just a shame that poster-boy greywolf isn't in it)

[andypat]

Greywolf isnt a girl?

[greywolf]

Greywolf isnt a girl?

not until the reassignment's complete
but i will be in E'burg, just acting my age and trying to avoid the paparazzi

[Mrs H]

Don't let Graeme bully you Greywolf - in fact I'm surprised Lostlad hasn't had a go at him for anti-ageism or something

What do you suppose a Newcastle Wilderness Medic looks like? It's got a sort of rugged but intellectual and compassionate appeal about it - sorry was I drooling? Ooo I am so looking forward to the weekend

[Kitch]

People are always claiming that formats like sprint are the way to appeal to the young.
.

That would have been before the old fogies got "into it"

[Mrs H]

I see what you mean Kitch - the Newcastle Wilderness Medics all claim to be 110 How disappointing

[AndyC]

As the Newcastle Wilderness Medics are a Newcastle University Union Society (and judging by the photos of the committee) I think we can take it that they are M/W20& 21