Run Challenge

[deebee]

From the results - 5 events in Cumbria, 21 competitors.

[aiming off]

The Focus update really brings home where the Board sees it's main accountability.

What appears to be being said is that essentially Run Challenge and Xplorer are funded by Sport England. So it's none of the Club's/Members business what is being done to increase participation. You are not funding it and we have chosen not to draw on your volunteer effort.

Equally there is in the talk of an annual self assurance audit where British Orienteering is required to provide evidence of good governance against a list of criteria. Clearly evidence to Government to a list of criteria set by Government for recipients of Government funding.

This does not line up with my view of good governance of a sporting governing body. The prime focus should be on being accountable to the membership, to whom the Board is ultimately responsible at an AGM.

[Sloop]

My understanding is that attendance at Xplorer events is exceeding expectations, but attendance at RunChallenge isn't.
Maybe one success out of two isn't bad for starters.

[denbydale]

This is the map for a recent Huddersfield Run Challenge. Assuming a competitor is unfamiliar with an OS map the legend is completely blank....the scale on the bottom bears no relation to the map distances..according to the blurb in Focus 'should have a good network of paths' ...this one is mostly on roads.

One wonders who chose the activator for Huddersfield ....He runs his own commercial adventure company...If a participant did the course and wishes to progress further it's more than likely he/she will be directed to the activator's own events!

[Sloop]

My understanding is that attendance at Xplorer events is exceeding expectations, but attendance at RunChallenge isn't.
Maybe one success out of two isn't bad for starters.

[SeanC]

Well if Mr Huddersfield is commercial he may respond to a recruitment bonus. £5 for every IND he refers to the local club. £50 if one of these joins the O club.

Out of interest, what kind of numbers are we talking about at Xplorer?

[MJG]

Are these Run Challenge and Xplorer Events paying levy?

How will using basically photocopies of OS maps play with the BOF/OS agreement that was based on orienteering maps that had very little OS content?

[denbydale]

Well if Mr Huddersfield is commercial he may respond to a recruitment bonus. £5 for every IND he refers to the local club. £50 if one of these joins the O club.

Does this recruitment bonus apply to activators of the X-plorer as well?

[SeanC]

Why not? If people are being paid why not give them an incentive. Lots of people have an element of performance related pay.

For juniors you might give a different incentive as I suspect recruitment amongst juniors might be easier in the short term. Say £50 if they end up joining the club's junior squad.

I know it wont happen any time in the near future as the rows in club committee meetings etc wouldn't be worth the hassle.

Slightly more realistically, so Xplorer is doing OK, are local clubs taking advantage? How about sections within clubs for families with children of this age eg 'Epic Valley OC Mini Navs' or something like that). Then roll up to xplorer events and give out free membership (gathering emails etc. The club could then organise coaching or extra follow on events, or at least arrange for all these new juniors and families to meet together at mainstream events when they're ready to move on.*

* at the designated 'parents with children' parking sections which I hope one day will become commonplace.

[bewildered]

In the last Board minutes it says

It was asked whether there had been a conscious decision by staff not to advertise the Xplorer and RunChallenge websites on the British Orienteering website. MH explained that this had been a decision that staff had thought long and hard about and noted that it was decided the target markets were actually different and therefore the website connection was not necessary.

So that is OK then, it must be a different sport with no plans for any crossover into our sport of orienteering?

[daffdy]

So that is OK then, it must be a different sport with no plans for any crossover into our sport of orienteering?

Not quite - the question was about how there are no links from the British Orienteering site to RunChallenge and Xplorer. The target markets are different - the two new sites are aimed firmly at attracting people who do not orienteer yet. But there are links at the bottom of every page from the RunChallenge and Xplorer websites to British Orienteering.

[Sunlit Forres]

The target markets are different - the two new sites are aimed firmly at attracting people who do not orienteer yet

If Run/Xplorer Challenge is worth 3 pages in focus I don't see why it shouldn't be on the web site as well.

I applaud BOF for trying something a bit different - if it doesn't work out at least they've had a go. I quite wish there was a run challenge event round here - I'd certainly give it a go.

[bewildered]

I enjoyed the RunChallenge I did quite a lot. It is no coincidence that the people at the top of the results are often orienteers. It helps to be able to navigate. If there are orienteers there and doing well, and they get chatting to the other participants, then there is a slight possibility of bringing them into our sport. Of course, you might not want any old orienteer chatting to new participants, and that might be BOF's point.

I will have upset BOF because I am not their target audience, and, Sunlit Forres, neither are you.

When I have looked around, no other sport has attempted to hide the fact that their participation versions are linked to their sport. Is there really research that shows orienteering to be so unpopular? If so, then why aren't BOF working with schools and outdoor centres, which is where most kids will encounter the sport to encourage better delivery?

[SeanC]

The most natural, productive markets for recruiting new orienteers is probably a) junior school aged children* and b) fit, active adults aged 30+. People like Sunlit Forres, Bewildered and me.

But remember that the money is from SportEngland. Their aim is to get more people doing sport, so they are unlikely to give a big wedge of money if it's used to attract people who are likely to be involved in some other sporting activity, ie the type b)'s

Of course there is nothing to stop orienteers starting their own paid project aimed at the over 30's at club, region or national level.

*simpler, safer versions only

[Glucosamine]

"Tonight (Thurs 18) we have a RunChallenge starting at Tarns Hows, Ambleside at 6.30pm. Further info at http://www.runchallenge.org.uk"

from Facebook

Just like the early days, running on OS 1:25000. Might almost be a risk of doing some actual orienteering?