Getting Older

[AndyC]

As we all approach our collective orienteering birthday like racehorses (when I pass into being an M55 I'll be 54 + 362 days -anyone know of an older M50 or is my signature right?) and I read that selection policy is also skewed by age, I wonder if orienteers are really like wine and mature with age?
Because of the lack of M/W21's rankings may be distorted but for example the highest ranked orienteer in NEOA is Duncan Archer (followed by Pippa) and he moves into M35 on Jan 1st.
He is of course also Northern Champ after Ray Demense earlier in the year

[andypat]

He is of course also Northern Champ after Ray Demense earlier in the year

Dont you mean reigning "prima donna"?

[AndyC]

No- he was entered before all that started (I think the only one in M21E) and is definitely does not have an inflated ego (his parents wouldn't let him have one)

[Freefall]

What was that all about again?

[andy]

What was that all about again?

Someone tried to upset the elites (Mharky??) by calling them (him?) a prima donna. No idea who that could have been

[Mrs H]

Who's this Ray Demense?

[madmike]

It's Andypat's real name silly

[Tigger42]

I don't know about the oldest M50 but Saxons once had the youngest W35. Circumstances led to her running her first event as a W35 on her 34th Birthday.
"How?", I hear you ask.
Well, we planned to run a National event on Ashdown Forest and this was scheduled for the 1st January. The Conservators then requested a change of day from Sunday to Saturday. So the event went ahead on Saturday 31st December (Judy's 34th Birthday) but as National event 1 of the following year using the new year's ages classes for everyone.

[Mrs H]

While amusing for us oldies this factor can be harsh on juniors, the elder Miss H's Birthday is the 30th December (Happy 21st this year dear ) but that meant she was running in the New Year's Day Score as a W14 two days after turning 12 etc. Being extremely petite and with all the selection races early in the year she could never quite make up the ground

[AndyC]

Without being personal you should have thought of that sometime in February !

[andypat]

Please please please can someone post that picture of 180min man running the first leg of the junior relay please? Its hilarious and fits well with the theme of this thread.

Go on electrocuted - he'll forgive you.... eventually

[Copepod]

Without being personal you should have thought of that sometime in February !

More like Mr H as well as Mrs H, and more like end March than Feb (assuming normal gestation period), but your principle is right! Probably too personal, though, so no reply required from Mrs H!

[Electrocuted]

Please please please can someone post that picture of 180min man running the first leg of the junior relay please? Its hilarious and fits well with the theme of this thread.

Go on electrocuted - he'll forgive you.... eventually

I'm not sure he will. I'm off to Prague at 4am tomorrow but will trawl through my pc when I return on Monday to find it.

[Mrs H]

[ so no reply required from Mrs H!

Little ski-ing accident that's all (had another one 21 months later) made a nice change from the honeymoon accident we had 18 months before