M/W21s not interested in Forest Orienteering?

[mharky]

Yes is does, that's why I asked if you could refer me to it, as when I was skim reading this I didn't notice it.

[mharky]

Just because Dave doesn't like urban events, how does that make his comments elitist? Snobbish, yup. Elitist, no.

I don't like track cycling, does that make me an elitist cyclist?

[AndyC]

I'll agree with you -selective might- be a better term than elitist and I'm sure there are people who dislike Forest (or Moor) Orienteering but enjoy urban (Oh that is where we came in)

[Dave]

Apologies, maybe my phrasing wasn't best. I didn't mean to suggest that people plan urban races do so poorly, more that the general urban/city race format is dull, lacks the challenge that makes Orienteering exciting or requires a very special area to not be, in my opinion. Obviously I'm still missing something though as they are quite popular with M45+s
Maybe this is a snobbish view but I don't think you can say it's an elitist one.

[Gnitworp]

the challenge that makes Orienteering exciting

Epping East

[Oldman]

Perhaps the "divide" between younger and older competitors is due to the fact that for many, as you get older, you enjoy the running and navigation but not the steep and slippery slopes, muddy banks, stream crossings, brashings, barbed wire fence climbing, etc, whereas these are relished by younger runners as part of the "adventure".

[Gnitworp]

but I thought they were doing urban events

[andypat]

Mharky I was using the term elitist in the broad sense of looking down upon rather than any dig at "elite" orienteers, before this heads into prima donna territory!

[Oldman]

Gnitworp, my observation related to Dave's comment re popularity with M45+s

[awk]

more that the general urban/city race format is dull, lacks the challenge that makes Orienteering exciting or requires a very special area to not be, in my opinion. Obviously I'm still missing something though as they are quite popular with M45+s
Maybe this is a snobbish view but I don't think you can say it's an elitist one.

Horses and courses - quite understand why you don't enjoy urban races. I would agree with you on your criteria and reasons above (substitute "general terrain race" for "general urban/city race" above, and you'll get my meaning) - which is why we don't do as many terrain based events nowadays too, tending to select fairly evenly from both types.

[Mrs H]

I'm just waiting for someone to be stupid enough to trot out the "Isn't it a pity youth is wasted on the young" line so we can have some real fireworks!

[aiming off]

I didn't think there was an M21 or W21 competition provided at the Mitre.

The results of the last Mitre I could find just showed about 20 M/W21's diffusely scattered over 8 colour coded courses, mixed in with shed loads of old people.

No idea who won.

[graeme]

Now there's a nice elitist comment.

Elitist :"I don't want to be mixed in with all those nasty old people"
Elite :"The old people are so far behind me they're irrelevant to my race"

feel free to change "old" to "young" in the elitist line, according to taste.

[aiming off]

Data suggests that long established competitions, such as the Mitre, which have abandoned age-class competition and moved to colour coded courses have suffered a huge decline in participation.

Long established competitions such as the Scottish 6 day event, JK and November Classic that have retained age-class competition, have not suffered anything like the same decline.

[alanbrett]

Despite just about still being in the 21s category, and not very far from Epping I only just realised this event was on (so you'll be soon + another 1) - I'm guessing that means there's something to be said for the marketing of it. For example I got a FB invite for the CHIG street-O on Thursday but haven't for Sunday.

Spot on with your feedback on this one Jayne.

Re Facebook - I think a good approach here would be to create a South East League facebook group, with all of the events in the series included - a single event on a club Facebook group relies on club members inviting people on their friends list to come along to the event, something that can be a bit patchy, clearly.

BTW, in a first for us, we printed 2,500 A6 glossy postcards for the Mitre, and have been distributing them since May, including at the City Race last weekend.