To get people to try orienteering all we have to do is ....

[SeanC]

Stop the presumption that you compete on your own, and encourage people to compete in 2's, 3's, small groups?

After a bit of persuasion, 14 people from local running clubs are going to next Thursday's Kent Night Cup in Leybourne (street orienteering). None of them want to run on their own, they are all running in groups of 2 or 3.

Obvious really, for newcomers what on their own is a bit scary/lonely/not much fun, becomes a good evening out when done with your mates (especially if everyone else starts/finishes together and there's a pub afterwards).

So why doesn't the sport encourage people to run together?

(plug for event, 5 minutes from the motorway, 15 from Dartford Crossing/Surrey border, walkable from West Malling station).

[Gross]

Previous thread refers:

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=14091

A good little mention for orienteering on Eurosport this morning with Martin Johansson skiing for Sweden in the Tour de Ski

[AndyC]

As my last act with NATO I organised a promotional event in cooperation with a Northumberland Sport exercise where they had "teams" from local companies trying a number of sports over a day and they gave us a 45 minute slot with each company. We therefore gave them a modified Harris Relay format allowing them to run most of the course as a group, with the faster (younger, more confident , cocky...) members running off to get the outlying controls. Seemed to work well because the more timid were supported and the "stars" could show off. Add to that good planning (not mine),urban setting, electronic punching and slick administration and there have been some returners to try orienteering as a solo sport

[Sunlit Forres]

Totally agree. Make staggered starts optional. If half a dozen folk want to start on the same minute at a Level D or C why not let them? And encourage it for novices. The good orienteers will still win.

Let us know what they make of it next Thur.

[Clive Coles]

Quite agree Sean

We ( well some) orienteers get so hung up with rules, formats and "fairness". In the early days it's far more important to fit the event to the expected participant. Isn't that what level D is all about If newcomers want to go round as a small group encourage and be flexible.

I frankly wouldn't rule out groups at level C events either

[graeme]

I frankly wouldn't rule out groups at level C events either

Indeed, you'd find it rather difficult to find a rule that would allow you to "rule out groups" in any non-Championship event. Of course, you would be entitled to make a special rule to ban groups (teams in BOFspeak), but I've never seen anyone do it.

[SeanC]

I wasn't thinking that orienteers overtly discourage people running in groups, more that we don't actively encourage it. One area we can easily improve on is our event fliers. Picking unfairly on the Saxons event next Sunday at Tudeley and Pembury (see http://www.saxons-oc.org) you'll see a flier just like many others, and (probably unintentionally) the language suggests an individuals only event ... it talks about "competitors" and "juniors and seniors doing courses" but not teams/groups.

Another more tricky problem is our competitions which are nearly all for individuals. Kent is typical.. Kent Night Cup, Kent Orienteering League, Sunday Series League, South East League... all for individuals. But I suspect many of the people who would be interested in orienteering occasionally, perhaps half a dozen times a year, would rather do it with their friends in a team. Being non-competitive for these competitions isn't a problem, but the subtle message caused by a lack of a team competition is that running together isn't the done thing.

Apologies to Saxons, I can make up for it by saying that next Sunday's event features a completely new (to orienteering) wood, and a new map made by Andy Pitcher, who did a really good map of Mereworth Woods a couple of years ago. Enter online at fabian4.

Fabian 4, Ah, no running as a group option.

[Gross]

I don't think it's ever been an issue with beginners running as groups, it's happened for years & long may it continue

Different issues with groups running on competitive individual courses which seems to be the suggestion here?

[Mrs H]

Yes I agree with Gross if you look back at the early MADO results half of them were groups, mainly family based. it's the way families start off in the sport and is an organic way to start orienteering (that's why I used o charge per map not entry - but only paid levy per entry - Oops shouldn't have said that )

I don't see a problem with groups running at level C or D events as long as it is clear in the results that is what they are - beyond that would need thinking about.

[DaveK]

I wasn't thinking that orienteers overtly discourage people running in groups, more that we don't actively encourage it. One area we can easily improve on is our event fliers. Picking unfairly on the Saxons event next Sunday at Tudeley and Pembury (see http://www.saxons-oc.org) you'll see a flier just like many others, and (probably unintentionally) the language suggests an individuals only event ... it talks about "competitors" and "juniors and seniors doing courses" but not teams/groups.

Sean - I believe that Saxons has a vacancy for a Development Officer at present.

[seabird]

Some positive figures from a Level C event at Esholt yesterday, a small woodland area.
166 Senior entries, 69 junior entries plus up to 25 other non-entry payers/non-levy payers who ran with the person with the map, plus 53 on the String Course!

A wonderful junior to senior ratio.

Despite being the event organiser I'm still not entirely sure how we achieved this There were hints that a good word of mouth network had developed.

[andypat]

[quote="Mrs H"]Yes I agree with Gross if you look back at the early MADO results half of them were groups, mainly family based. it's the way families start off in the sport and is an organic way to start orienteering (that's why I used o charge per map not entry - but only paid levy per entry - Oops shouldn't have said that )

[quote]
Mrs H dont think thats against the rules is it? I think for a family group you only have to pay 1 levy. All you were doing was effectively charging more for the group (by giving them more maps)

[graeme]

A wonderful junior to senior ratio.
I'm still not entirely sure how we achieved this

Let me take a guess...
Being New Year, all the kids activities around here are in abeyance. We've been looking more widely for different things to do. Other families are similar, where "orienteering" is the different thing to do. Next week the routine will start up again.
If you don't know what you did, chances are you didn't do anything.

[SeanC]

There were 14 from running clubs at last night's event*. I'm quite happy with that as there were only about 8 at the last Larkfield AC Thursday evening club training night I went to a few months ago.

All but 1 of the runners ran in a group. They were quite competitive with the orienteers which must be something positive.

Saxons and DFOK have definately got a good formula for getting running clubs to street score events, I might post it later.

Results: http://www.dfok.co.uk/content/results/2 ... esults.pdf

*ignoring Bohdan who ran as Maidstone Harriers but is a Saxons member.