Vizionteering

[andypat]

Anyone know anything about this?

http://www.run4it.com/vizionteering/

[plain lazy]

I got an email about it from Run4It yesterday and was intrigued. I will pop round and ask them in the Aberdeen store later and report back later, it's about 2 mins from my office. The website doesn't give anything away, and as far as I'm aware there was no contact with Gramp about setting anything up so I've no idea what they are using as controls.

Actually, I wonder what they've done about insurance for organising an event in and around busy streets at the end of rush hour? (start is at 6pm)

[Sunlit Forres]

Could this be the thin end of the wedge? SAF are giving a permit to the Baxters Loch Ness Marathon and 10K in 2014 despite it falling on the same date as the one allocated to Forres Harriers for their annual 10K that has been going for donkey's years. This year their attendance was 20% down because Loch Ness was the following week (almost all the reduction in numbers was unattached runners, clearly attracted by the tin of soup afterwards and the t-shirt despite the £25 price tag). That's how much SAF values all the volunteers who are doing the coaching that produces the best runners in the area, and puts on all the training sessions on those dark winter nights.

If this turns out to be orienteering, our NGB needs to grip this before it becomes a threat to our bread-and-butter events run by volunteers. Or even, better, work in partnership so we promote each other and make sure we complement each other which does not appear to be the case with running in this area.

Think positive though. Could it be that orienteering is starting to get noticed at last?

[andy]

talking to them is good. getting people to turn up, wear their O kit (win?) and talk to people at the race/event/whatever would be good too, surely?

[Red Adder]

Although its got "eering" in the title it reads like a simple run being used to help Ron Hill products with everyone putting a few quid in the pot to offset any organises costs.

[plain lazy]

Although its got "eering" in the title it reads like a simple run being used to help Ron Hill products with everyone putting a few quid in the pot to offset any organises costs.

It's almost exactly as Red Adder suggests. I spoke to Run-4-It last night and they said it's a Ron-hill product pimping night. A rep comes along with loads of shiny Hi-Viz winter kit, you try some stuff on, take it out for a run and then get chance to buy at discount.

The orienteering part is merely a few of the staff standing around at "strategic locations" in the city and you run round getting your card stamped each time you find one. No idea if maps are involved. Nothing to do with British Orienteering though, just a spin off idea it seems.

I might try and see if I can get the shop to stick some flyers for the club into goody bags or hand them out on the night. I don't think I'll make it along sadly. Does sound like a good opportunity to flag up the sport to folk though.

[Paul Frost]

We did this last night in Inverness.
Pretty much as described above. There were 5 controls (people) located at points vaguely marked on a printed Google map with a clue to the exact location, do them in any order (score), as a pair. We ran about 6km and got all 5 in about 39mins and were far from last and we didn't have the advantage of local knowledge.

Not orienteering as we know it, but then there is a lot of "not orienteering" being promoted by many clubs and British Orienteering.

It was a good opportunity to chat to a few people and spread the word about orienteering and it was fun to do.

I think there is some mileage for clubs to contact their local shop and perhaps arrange a series of easy urban type events, use street furniture if you don't want to risk electronic controls. The shop can provide a base of operations that's warm and dry. I was speaking the the Run 4 It MD and he sounded very keen to do something like that.

The winter nights are a good time to run round the streets. It's also an easy option for non orienteers to get a feel for the competitive aspect of the sport whilst staying within their normal environment. Whilst orienteers can get a quick O fix and keep fit without getting muddy. You don't need a powerful headtorch either, so it's less of a barrier for people trying night-O for the first time.

[roadrunner]

I think there is some mileage for clubs to contact their local shop and perhaps arrange a series of easy urban type events, use street furniture if you don't want to risk electronic controls.

Before there were "proper" urban events (not counting the long-standing ones like Venice) my club would sometimes arrange training events like this, using a fairly crude black and white map. The controls would be things like the number on a BT/cable box, or a fire hydrant sign. The only problem we had was when one control was the telephone number of a phone box and someone was using it at the time

[SeanC]

I think there is some mileage for clubs to contact their local shop and perhaps arrange a series of easy urban type events, use street furniture if you don't want to risk electronic controls.

I agree with that. The shops benefit by bringing the customers direct to their shop and orienteers benefit by selling orienteering to one of the easier markets - runners. You can be sure that the running shops will do a good job promoting their own event. Speaking of making it "their" event I don't see any reason why shops can't use Open Orienteering Map (see http://oobrien.com/oom/) to make their own map and do everything themselves. There is a new version due soon which should be more user friendly. The local orienteering club could be there for the first event or two to help get them set up and offer to help publicise (which wouldn't be a problem since some members will always want to do this sort of thing) and maybe lend SI kit.

If the shop is next to a decent pub with good cheap food then it's the complete winning combination.

[NeilC]

The controls would be things like the number on a BT/cable box. The only problem we had was when one control was the telephone number of a phone box and someone was using it at the time

We have run events where the organiser would regularly ring the public phone box. If a competitor happened to the there at the time, and picked up the phone, they would be given bonus points. Most members of the public seem to ignore a ringing public phone.

[Glucosamine]

Still a staple in many parts. Using existing features has many advantages, but carrying and successfully using a pen is possibly not one of them. But are the 'crude' maps so much worse than ISSOM? Maps are by definition an abstraction of reality - so are simple black lines so much worse than labour-intensive detailed maps when it comes to route choice and execution?

[andypat]

Still a staple in many parts. Using existing features has many advantages, but carrying and successfully using a pen is possibly not one of them. But are the 'crude' maps so much worse than ISSOM? Maps are by definition an abstraction of reality - so are simple black lines so much worse than labour-intensive detailed maps when it comes to route choice and execution?

It depends what you mean by worse and what you are trying to achieve. Orienteering is about map interpretation - If you simplify so much there's no orienteering challenge left and you may as well just run round the block...

[Big Jon]

I can remember many street events in the late 70's in Aberdeen - streets mapped a thick black lines, paths as dashed lines. Controls were hydrant codes, telephone box nos etc - good for route choice and more interesting than a road run. Maps quick to survey & draw. A completely different game to ISSOM maps!

[binman]

I can remember many street events in the late 70's in Aberdeen - streets mapped a thick black lines, paths as dashed lines. Controls were hydrant codes, telephone box nos etc - good for route choice and more interesting than a road run. Maps quick to survey & draw. A completely different game to ISSOM maps!

We're looking to resurrect this - trying to find a compromise between the old-style maps (we've still got a few int he archives) and the full-bifta ISSOM map might be the way forward. Those who know better than me might be able to source data that allows quick preparation of all the roads and buildings but without the fine detail that can only be derived by careful surveying.

The aim is to have autumn/spring evening races in urban areas between the summer 'day'-O and winter night leagues, so we can offer a competitive outing every Wednesday evening of the year.

[Wayward-O]

We're looking to resurrect this - trying to find a compromise between the old-style maps (we've still got a few int he archives) and the full-bifta ISSOM map might be the way forward. Those who know better than me might be able to source data that allows quick preparation of all the roads and buildings but without the fine detail that can only be derived by careful surveying.

For a quick-fix, look at OpenOrienteeringMap using the Pseud-O Map type.