Sprint races at Urban Leagues 2015

[Scott]

Don't underestimate the number of units you'll want at that first common control, and think about the likely flows of people into/out of it - particularly on the first visit - when positioning them.

As actual finishing time in the chase is less important than finishing order, you might want to consider having a clearly marked finish line, followed by a funnel leading to the (single) finish punch, with a marshal or two to keep people in order and adjudicate on any sprint finishes. If you go with this set up, make sure it's clearly explained in the final details.

Unless you're doing loose descriptions, which is challenging, consider printing the control codes next to the control number on the map, Scadinavian relay style. This saves the competitors a lot of irritating unfolding.

A couple of more organisational points:

The chase start is a lot easier to manage if you can get hold of a big digital (including seconds) clock, so everyone knows what "race time" is.

Make sure your SI guru has practised generating the chase start list, as you always feel rushed doing it on the day and it can be tricky if you've not done it before.

[Spookster]

The chase start is a lot easier to manage if you can get hold of a big digital (including seconds) clock, so everyone knows what "race time" is.

Make sure your SI guru has practised generating the chase start list, as you always feel rushed doing it on the day and it can be tricky if you've not done it before.

And make the chase start times = a base time plus a runner's prologue time. That way, all runners know what time they start the chase, regardless of how far behind the winner of the prologue they are, and hence the SI guru is under less pressure to get the chase start times list published.

[Dave]

The chase start is a lot easier to manage if you can get hold of a big digital (including seconds) clock, so everyone knows what "race time" is.

Really easy if you or someone helping has an android phone/tablet: https://play.google.com/store/apps/deta ... lock&hl=en

[ruth]

Yted this sounds brilliant - can't wait!
Are any of the other urban league races includig sprint races this year?

Thanks

[nooomember]

[quote="ruth]
Are any of the other urban league races includig sprint races this year?
[/quote]

Hopefully not! By all means have shorter or sprint urban races , certainly NOT chasing starts - totally unnecessary and not what orienteering is about; but ideally most should be town or mixed terrain urban please.

[Simon]

Ruth - Wimborne Orienteers are hosting the South West Sprint Champs in Wimborne on 16th May.
(Note, this is separate from our urban league race, which is in Sherborne in June.)

[graeme]

Are any of the other urban league races includig sprint races this year?

If you mean "Do the urban league races include a course planned to be as difficult as possible, on an ISSOM map, which will take elites as long as the WOC sprint?" then the shortest course (short green) should suit your needs. In practice, it may not have as many controls as you would like, but if you can pressurize planners to add more controls and technicality you'll make most of the WSVs happy too. If you can also get them to respect the IOF rules for sprints not interacting with traffic, you'll make the U16s happy too.

Not that I'm planning any sprint races this year.

[JamieP]

Are any of the other urban league races including sprint races this year?

the shortest course (short green) should suit your needs. In practice, it may not have as many controls as you would like, but if you can pressurize planners to add more controls and technicality you'll make most of the WSVs happy too. If you can also get them to respect the IOF rules for sprints not interacting with traffic, you'll make the U16s happy too.

Last time I spoke to the planner, this was the idea for the Oxford City Race (7th March).

[awk]

Hopefully not! By all means have shorter or sprint urban races , certainly NOT chasing starts - totally unnecessary and not what orienteering is about; but ideally most should be town or mixed terrain urban please.

It's not often nooomember and I agree, but I'm with him on this one, especially for an event that is meant to be a championship. Sorry, yted, but even with the loops, I'm really disappointed - the YHOA Sprint Champs has had a chasing sprint final in the past (with butterflies), and it still had loads of following it was much better when it was done without (I'm thinking of Hull). There's just no need - sprint racing can be and is just as exciting (in fact I think it more so) without gimmicks like chasing finals - OK for a bit of fun, but not for something like this.

[andy]

gimmicks like chasing finals

A 'race' isn't a gimmick, it's something we're sorely lacking in orienteering

[Dave]

Hopefully not! By all means have shorter or sprint urban races , certainly NOT chasing starts - totally unnecessary and not what orienteering is about; but ideally most should be town or mixed terrain urban please.

It's not often nooomember and I agree, but I'm with him on this one, especially for an event that is meant to be a championship. Sorry, yted, but even with the loops, I'm really disappointed - the YHOA Sprint Champs has had a chasing sprint final in the past (with butterflies), and it still had loads of following it was much better when it was done without (I'm thinking of Hull). There's just no need - sprint racing can be and is just as exciting (in fact I think it more so) without gimmicks like chasing finals - OK for a bit of fun, but not for something like this.

If we don't have any well planned chasing sprint events on, where are our best sprint-o athletes supposed to train for the sprint relay?

[Mr D]

Don't underestimate the number of units you'll want at that first common control, and think about the likely flows of people into/out of it - particularly on the first visit - when positioning them.

Manchester Twin Peaks, Day 2.

The first control was on a lamp-post about 300mtrs ahead of the start, it appeared all courses visited this control.

Being a punching start, and a gentleman. I let all the "old folkes" punch the start, and collect maps. I then proceeded. What then happened was that there was a formal queue for Control 1, i felt that i had to join the queue to punch the first control instead of pushing past....

Therefore for me, Control 1 should have been 2+ controls if visited by all courses..

[DavidHH]

Dave wrote:
If we don't have any well planned chasing sprint events on, where are our best sprint-o athletes supposed to train for the sprint relay?

It will be interesting to see how many of them enter these events this year.

[graeme]

where are our best sprint-o athletes supposed to train for the sprint relay?

Edinburgh .

[Len]

It's not often nooomember and I agree, but I'm with him on this one, especially for an event that is meant to be a championship. Sorry, yted, but even with the loops, I'm really disappointed - the YHOA Sprint Champs has had a chasing sprint final in the past (with butterflies), and it still had loads of following it was much better when it was done without (I'm thinking of Hull). There's just no need - sprint racing can be and is just as exciting (in fact I think it more so) without gimmicks like chasing finals - OK for a bit of fun, but not for something like this.

Agreed. Hull was ideal. There's a space now and again for a chasing start but it seems to becoming the favoured option?

If we don't have any well planned chasing sprint events on, where are our best sprint-o athletes supposed to train for the sprint relay?

If they enter, I'm sure they can work something out on the day on whatever courses are planned without dictating the format of the whole event for everyone else!

But maybe this needs a vote?