can anyone advise - in competition area prior to event

[nooomember]

As a Noo member, can anyone please advise me... On the day of an event level B or C, if a person is in any part of the competition area, between the start and the finish, even as a helper of the event, should they be running non-competitive; or is there a rule about this?

[graeme]

There is no absolute rule. It depends if they're authorised by the organiser (e.g if the walk to the start goes through the area, or there's a spectator control in assembly). Officials, helpers and marshals will often have to be in the area, and DQing them at minor events will pretty soon lose you all your helpers - especially in urban races where you need to monitor controls.

[nooomember]

What about level B; and in middle of forest?
I can understand helpers at Starts / Finishes are ok, but Within the competition are, surely the individual volunteering would know and declare themselves Non-competitive; or the organiser tell them beforehand?
Can't a protest be made without having to pay the obligatory £5?

[andypat]

Tend to agree with Graeme's common sense approach, and would go further to say that I think in all but championship events, the embargo rule doesnt make sense. A lot of sports have a home advantage and most small clubs need all their members to help out at their own events, especially in urban events where controls may need tending. I dont have any particular objection to either having or ceding some sort of local advantage depending on who's putting on the event.

A couple of years ago my area was organising the Scottish Champs. I was a day helper at the individual. Found out on the morning I was manning a drink point. Cost me £15 or so to enter and would not have been happy to be noncomp!

Suspect you have a particular individual or situation in mind so be careful!

[nooomember]

Be careful.... why?

[Oldman]

...without having to pay the obligatory £5?

I am open to correction but I think the £5 fee was done away with some years ago.

[graeme]

Sure, no harm in telling the truth. I'll bet half a lemonade most people on here wont regard them as a cheater.
Level B is a second rate event.

[Red Adder]

I think some people are really worrying about nothing - especially at a B/C event. In order to gain any real advantage you would need to be very familiar with a forest- say as mapper or planner/controller at a recent event, or use it as a regular training area.

Just visiting a small part of the forest as a helper where you may encounter one or two of your controls but would not have fore knowledge of the course would make no difference (in fact you are more likely to be more tired before your run than a non-helper).

[nooomember]

Sure, no harm in telling the truth. I'll bet half a lemonade most people on here wont regard them as a cheater.

Because of who they are perhaps?

Level B is a second rate event.

[andy]

was it graeme?

[brooner]

nooomember, can you please stop making new usernames? I'll leave others to guess who and why.

[greywolf]

Have you asked the organiser and/or controller if the individual was authorised to be in the competition area (manning the drinks point, or whatever)? If they were then no problem (unless you have evidence that they were actively seeking out control sites) - as others have noted the sport would quickly grind to a halt if all helpers were to be DQ'd.
If they weren't authorised to be there and there's no obvious explanation then it might be better to discuss further with event officials (and then ask them to have a quiet word if necessary) rather than make accusations on Nopesport or elsewhere.

re some of the other comments, the relevant rule is "1.5.2 Competitors shall not seek to obtain any unfair advantage over other competitors." - so it doesn't really matter how big an unfair advantage is..., and whilst tis true that Level B is only the second tier of competition, it includes e.g Home Internationals and potentially the Scottish Champs (which isn't automatically Level A, just "when applicable")

[mikey]

nooomember, can you please stop making new usernames? I'll leave others to guess who and why.

Shouldn't this be in White Rose thread???????

[LostAgain]

nooomember, can you please stop making new usernames? I'll leave others to guess who and why.

When I started reading this thread, with White Rose just finished, I wondered!!

[AndyC]

As the White Rose seems to have been the only Level B this weekend I suspect it must be the event. On that basis I think I can work out from the start list who may be the "offender" but I'm wondering who the poster is - from brooner's comments ( I presume he can see IP addresses?) I jumped to a conclusion but I don't see that person in the lists.

Anyway if it is the WR the controller is a very approachable and pragmatic individual ( seen moving controls in the pouring rain on Saturday while I was peering through the rain to do the Trail O) and I would strongly suggest talking to him.