Oxford City Race

[cbg]

Since no-one else has posted yet, I will have the pleasure of commending Peter Hodkinson for a really excellent Course 2 at yesterday's Oxford City Race. 42 controls in 7.4km (my actual running distance 12.6km) gave a good mix of 'normal' urban orienteering combined with great use of the more intricate areas for 'middle'/control picking. It worked tremendously well and I certainly missed a number of the 'best routes'. The 'bite' in the course came towards the end with one raised walkway and underpass area, and then what I now know to be St Anne's College, where the paths are narrow, requiring much closer reading of the map. This latter was the only part of the map that was not clearly readable - but that was due to the narrow paths.
Thank you to those who manned the various gates/doors. Sadly there appeared to be a couple of running footmarks across St Anne's OOB grass - caused I suspect tby those who don't know exactly where they are (to the nearest 5m).
A really enjhoyable and worthwhile hour's race.

[King Penguin]

Delighted to have run up and got my money's worth on the excellent Mens Open course.

[roadrunner]

Agreed - a good event. My course (3) also had the hardest bit towards the end, my main problem was not so much interpreting the map as remembering which control I was supposed to be heading for. If I hadn't found the "wrong" control by accident, and realised it was actually the right one, I'd have been disqualified!

[Knee Deep Mud!]

I'll add another vote of thanks to OUOC. Thoroughly enjoyable event.

The only 'negative' was the point when I felt like I had run the advertised course distance, and then realised I still had another 22 controls to go!

Despite 42 controls, there were a lot more 'long' legs than I was expecting. A noticeably different style of urban course planning to the typical event. Long route choice legs interspersed with multi-control sprint sections.

[Tatty]

Must agree about the event. Very good planning - one of the best Urban I've done. You were certainly kept on your toes with the different techniques needed as you went to the varying areas on offer. Many thanks to Peter Hodkinson the planner, and all the organising team and marshalls. A great day out

[kedge]

I agree with all of the others. Even at my walking pace, course 4 demanded full concentration on almost every leg: really excellent planning.

[charles2]

Agreed, it was a well planned course. Did course 2 (42 controls), plenty of variety, long/short legs, the controls in the Parks were done in 4 sections leading to the variety. The hardest parts - the aforementioned overhead walkway and St Anne's college - occurring in the latter half of the race to really test concentration and eyesight!
A good day out in and around my old university.

[Little Hoddy]

Thank you very much, I'm glad you enjoyed the challenge. As a first time planner I have found the whole experience very rewarding. I'm looking forward to doing more in the future!

[graeme]

It found it very disappointing. That I couldn't come

[charles2]

Forgot to mention in my earlier post that my 15 yr old son enjoyed his course too. He said he liked it better than the one in London four weeks earlier.
Tricky to be able to put on a good course for 15 yr olds within the restrictions of an urban setting, but looks like the planner managed it.