IMPORTANT VENICE 2012

[Arnold]

Latest info from organiser is that Sunday will definitely go ahead, but they may delay starts by up to an hour. Info should go on the website later today.

[Spookster]

They got the tide forecast wrong. Instead of 120cm, it was 149cm the sixth highest tide since 1872. Even with first starts delayed an hour from 09:00 to 10:00, and then making it a punching start rather than timed, everyone that ran was running (walking, wading) in deep water.

And now apparently the event is cancelled, and the start closed at 12:50. Presumably too many shop-keepers and tourists have complained. Hopefully not too much community damage done...

A few pictures from yesterday the today's high-tide here.

[andypat]

Nice pics Martin - looks mental! Bad luck on the cancellation - I dont suppose there can be much complaint though looking at the water level.

[Mrs H]

I'm really sorry to hear that - I just can't believe the photos when I think about what it was like last year. It's such a shame for all the people who have made it over this year - but they have carried on uploading results at gone 3pm, so perhaps the event has not been cancelled

[mike g]

They closed the start at 12.50, just before Jon X and I got there. I heard afterwards the police told them to. By then most of the water had gone and it would have been fine to run.

[Arnold]

It was a really tough call to make for the organisers. Due to the record high tide even at 10am the conditions were awful - knee high water and heavy wind to boot.

But they were really keen not to cancel so they made the decision to allow starts from 10.30 with free choice of time. This seemed a sensible solution as it allowed people who needed to leave to run early, and others to wait.

By 12.30 when I started it was perfectly fine to run, only a few puddles except for St Marks which was ankle deep.

But indeed it seems the early starters caused so much annoyance that somehow police seem to have been persuaded to stop all further starts.

I'm surprised by that because normally the organisers have good political relationships so I would have expected them to be able to convince the police bosses to relent. Also by that time any more starters wouldn't have made a difference.

Overall it wasn't really a fair race especially for early starters so results are a bit indicative anyway - but a real shame for the third or so of runners who weren't allowed to go out.

I just hope this doesn't have any wider implications for the future and that this wasn't the last one!! The locals hate the race anyway so this could be a good excuse. I hope not.

[binman]

Hard luck guys - that must have been really tough to deal with.

Never mind the orienteering being under threat - what about Venice? How long can the place survive with inexorable sea level rise forecast?

Wouldn't have fancied wading about in some parts of Venice where there's no railings alongside he canals - would have to trust your map reading skills down to the metre in places!

[Jayne]

Real shame that it was cancelled for the late starters (I think they were only planning to start til 13:30 anyway). I ran at 12:15 and the worst places I went through were only ankle deep - much better than when we'd waded to the start, which was pretty hairy. Really hope it doesn't affect the race in the future. I was surprised they were starting people when it was really bad - we were getting yelled at by people for walking past so doubt the runners were going down very well with the locals. I hadn't realised it was so unpopular with the locals - why is that?

The other two races of the weekend were good fun - if not what we'd been initially expecting. I've attached the map of Palmanova. (NB. that didn't work, try sort it later)

[Arnold]

Well the "unpopular" bit is really just anecdotal, but every year I get shouted at for running past people. Don't think I ever had anyone give any encouragement...

[HOCOLITE]

Spookster
Lovely photos I presume the Costa Cruise Ship was meant to be there this time

[Angry Haggis]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/no ... ater-italy

'Secchi complained that a running event around the city had not been cancelled on Sunday. "As Venetians were trying to fix their homes and shops, people were running down the flooded streets splashing everyone with water," he said.'

[Mrs H]

.....yes that would be pretty annoying wouldn't it. To be honest given what Arnold said about the decision taken after the 2002 flood I'm surprised they didn't cancel the whole thing. We only do this for fun - and it doesn't sound much fun having to wade for ages to get there because the boats aren't running as described by Roger in the other thread even if the water had dropped by the time you start - but the locals have to live and work in these conditions.

I had assumed that computer modelling of things like the Aqua Alta were now so sophisticated that it would be possible to predict patterns into infinity, and while all conditions conspired to make the weekend particularly bad, isn't it possible to predict times when it's very unlikely to happen at all. The Venice race seems to be fixed to this weekend which must mean that from time to time as the lunar calendar shifts it is exposed to a higher degree of risk.

I'm now waiting for one of you science boffs to shoot me down in a blaze of derision

[Stodgetta]

The route to the start once starts were open


St Marks Square after starters had started


The run in at ~2pm


As someone who went out there to have a fun weekend (first time & injured), the flooding made it even more memorable. I do have sympathy for those who travelled a long way to get there & were prevented from starting (I believe the 4 favourites for the mens elite never started), & I have sympathy for the locals, too. It wasn't a fair race, by any means, but I'm glad we got the opportunity to run and the whole event wasn't cancelled. Fingers crossed there has been no lasting bad feeling & the race can continue - I want to be there next year!!

[Scott]

There are a few maps, SI cards and O-tops to be spotted in the video on the BBC News site.

[awk]

How do I post photos like the one above please? Have got some quite good ones of the last controls being put out!