Could England hold a WOC?

[andypat]

Heading off to cast my vote in the Europeans before heading to the excellent Erskine for CLYDE's evening urban event. Got to thinking if Scotland votes for independence, could England hold a future WOC? Presumably there must be a reason why all 3 WOC in the UK have been in Scotland and not the lakes, but would it be possible? Discuss...

[Gross]

England lost the bid to organize WOC99 because Big Jon & Me were smarter

It could quite happily have been held in the Lakes.

[DJM]

Got to thinking if Scotland votes for independence, could England hold a future WOC?

Isn't it a tad short-sighted to think that the UK minus Scotland equals England? Aren't some other countries involved too?

[Gnitworp]

Could you use open moorland in a WOC, in whole or in part?

[mharky]

There are IOF rules, it's a very high percentage that must be forested

[Gnitworp]

...which is probably why it needs to be in Scotland for the Long at least?

[Scott]

...which is probably why it needs to be in Scotland for the Long at least?

The long area needs to be big and mostly wooded, but it doesn't need to be particularly technical. I don't think it would be particularly great idea, but you could probably put on a WOC Long in the Forest of Dean.

[speedy123]

The Quantock hills and the new forest are nice in July.

[Gnitworp]

I think you need somewhere that hasn't been intensively used, particularly by potential UK participants.

[speedy123]

I think you need somewhere that hasn't been intensively used, particularly by potential UK participants.

Burbage ?

[greywolf]

I think you need somewhere that hasn't been intensively used, particularly by potential UK participants.

no you don't

[Gnitworp]

Had Glen Affric in 1999 been used much before? But then, I suppose it was then a 'Classic' Race and highly technical throughout, which supposedly 'Long' can't be any more.

[Tatty]

New Forest not available in July or August .......or September or October Hence the "November Classic"

[DJM]

England, in the shape of the SEOA, held a highly regarded World Cup Round in 2005 consisting of two Sprint races, one Middle, one Long and one Relay, which showed that virgin TD5 terrain is not essential for major IOF elite races.

It's definitely conceivable that a WOC could be held outside Scotland therefore - even more so these days where there is greater emphasis on Sprint terrain.

[graeme]

I think you need somewhere that hasn't been intensively used, particularly by potential UK participants.

no you don't

Yes, he does think that. So do I. It's only the IOF that don't
The requirement is that long route choices can be set. I don't think they specifically preclude it being technically hard (except by proxy via the map-scale). So, for example, a large, runnable, mainly flat area would not be regarded as appropriate. e.g. Culbin

There's no reason why England or Wales shouldn't host a WOC. They have much better areas than the North of Scotland. For sprint and sprint relay It's just that we're better organised - like gross said .