Orienteering and young families

[housewife]

I think people are seeking the perfect run these days keep getting lost in the forest, and see urban as an easy way to get that perfect run. They are also pretty useful in areas where there isn't any technical terrain nearby. Urban races are a useful way of training for international sprint races - on the whole british sprint races are way too technical to be of much use. Give me real orienteering any day.

[awk]

I think people are seeking the perfect run these days keep getting lost in the forest, and see urban as an easy way to get that perfect run.

As a regular urban orienteer, I don't know of anybody who runs urban because of that. I certainly don't.

I run urban because I enjoy the variety - by running more urban races, I've found I enjoy the terrain more as a result. In addition, most of the terrain around me is fairly ordinary technically, and I've orienteered in much of it so often that it doesn't provide the challenge I'm seeking. I also enjoy the high intensity style of urban orienteering (which is why I prefer middle distance when it comes to terrain), and, a bit ironic given the discussions about technical aspects here, the precision that can be achieved with urban maps, compared to the all too often bingo controls or dodgy mapping in terrain. It's also easier to pick up where you lose time - I've become much more aware of the seconds rather than the minutes, and that has benefited my terrain orienteering.

Given a high quality race on a top notch area (and, as noted in another thread, Craig-a-Barns jumps immediately to mind this year), there is no beating the original form, and if I lived in Scandinavia or Scotland, then the story might very well be different, but given where I live and what is available, I get as much fun, and sometimes more, out of urban as I do out of terrain. There are also the peripheral benefits: urban orienteering is generally more accessible and more public for advertising, and, given where it's situated, it lends itself more easily to the social aspects (thus, Sunday, we were sat outside a cafe, barely 20m from the finish).

The regular winter night street score events have proved popular round here. That is not because they are easier, but because they provide convenient, easily accessible, sociable orienteering which is easy to organise (the mass start means everybody is back at the same time, which, aside from the organisational benefits, leads to more socialising encouraged by a designated pub to meet in afterwards). Many of those who do them, don't orienteer at weekends. Quite a few, however, are starting to trickle through into weekend orienteering, including terrain based events. A substantial proportion are younger adults.

Traditionalists may look down their noses at urban, sprint etc, and are welcome to. But the fact of the matter is that these new styles have added a whole new facet to the sport which is helping rejuvenate and develop it in a way that said traditionalists have yet to find an effective alternative to. They do have their limitations though, especially noting the thread title (urban is not particularly family friendly, although some interesting approaches have been tried).

[RJ]

....... but because they provide convenient, easily accessible, sociable orienteering which is easy to organise ......

This notion is just so important as a development tool. For newcomers to the sport it is so important that they get the chance to develop their skills and learn about the sport in an atmosphere that is convenient, easily accessible, and where they can have another go soonish. Urban, Park and Sprint provide this door to the sport that will be seen in future years as the salvation of the sport.

So, all of you who denigrate this type of orienteering.... fine. It isn't for you and nobody is forcing you to do it. But when these new people turn up in the forest with the skills just hope that your 'O' is up to scratch and you can still perform!!

[70plus]

Maybe 70+was being ironic and I've just not had enough coffee yet to get it.

I couldn't possibly comment ...

[smf]

So true, at our most recent local event (which graeme was at I think) there were 7 entries on white/yellow out of the 60 or so at the event. We concluded afterwards it would have been better to have an 'easy' course that was somewhere between the two.

At out last event we had 52 entries on White and 38 on Yellow (out of about 250 entries); 25/21 were newcomers. Maybe the fact that we called the courses Boys/Girls U11 and U13 respectively might have had something to do with it.

What Andy didn't say was that the event was held on a Wednesday evening with starts from 6-7pm. The previous 4 events (Saturday's 2-3pm starts) had 30-40 White/Yellow entries out of 80-100. All these events have had White/Yellow/Orange/Green courses.

[Kitch]

I run urban because I enjoy the variety - by running more urban races, I've found I enjoy the terrain more as a result.

sounds a bit like the logic of banging your head against a wall
because it so pleasant to stop.

[DIDSCO]

So its possible to develop the skills you need to run well in tough technical (both detailed and vague) terrain by running round your local city....thats a new one for me.

Dont any newcomers want to take up orienteering because of the physical and mental toughness of the sport in wild terrain in the forests and moorlands?

[madmike]

Dont any newcomers want to take up orienteering because of the physical and mental toughness of the sport in wild terrain in the forests and moorlands?

Not the younger (non-orienteering family) generation cos they have been brought up to believe that something like this marketed as "physical and mental toughness of the sport in wild terrain" must contravene 'Elf and Safety rules. The smarter ones will probably try and take part to see if they can sue the organisers after feigning injury or am I, perhaps, getting too cynical in my old age?

[RJ]

So its possible to develop the skills you need to run well in tough technical (both detailed and vague) terrain by running round your local city....thats a new one for me.

That's why we have a colour coded system at most events. Fancy people running a White course and then, eventually, becoming an elite standard orienteer!! Can't think that that can possibly ever happen.

[Arnold]

The problem is that newcomers who want a challenge in wild terrain and moorlands will typically gravitate to other activities that are better publicised and easier to understand than orienteering. It really is a very complicated sport to explain to newcomers especially at the more competitive end ("final details" typically go on for pages on end, and there's a lot of jargon).

Anything from the "Tough Guy" race to the OMM to Canyoning to fundraising treks to quad biking etc. is just easier for newcomers to get into

So it seems we're having better luck with attracting newcomers to the "navigational race that you can do relatively quickly and nearby" and then trading them up to the wild forest and moorlands variety, than the direct route.

Whether that's good or bad I think is up for debate.

[Kitch]

" it really is a very complicated sport "
What tosh

are you claiming to be some kind of super genius ?
Am I some superbrained next generation human mutant that I can orienteer, no I'm not
dont be so condescending.

[madmike]

It really is a very complicated sport to explain to newcomers especially at the more competitive end

"

it really is a very complicated sport "

selective quoting perhaps Kitch? Not sure Arnold was:

" claiming to be some kind of super genius

[awk]

So its possible to develop the skills you need to run well in tough technical (both detailed and vague) terrain by running round your local city....thats a new one for me.

Not so new - I remember similar discussions when Heather was doing so much of her training in Cambridge, and Yvette talking about how her preparation for the WOC in Germany where she medalled included running round local parks practising compass bearings.

Most of these urban events are in addition to, not instead of, other forms of orienteering.

[mharky]

Yes, those two never spent any time in Scandinavia...

[Arnold]

I didn't say you needed to be a genius to understand it, or to be good at it (though I am willing to bet that the IQ of the average orienteer is significantly higher than in most other sports)

What I said is that for newcomers, understanding what the heck is going on at a "traditional" orienteering event is bloody complicated. We may have all got used to it now, but the sport is definitely full of jargon, special symbols, detailed little rules etc etc.

Not very inviting to newcomers even if you have someone standing there with a "I'm here to help" tshirt.