S6D start times

[DJM]

NeilC wrote:

see David Rosen's article on the BOF news page

Having spent some time looking for this, I finally found it embedded in the advice regarding using SI.

[afterthought]

The S6D is a wonderful thing, and on a scale that I find hard to imagine, and I know that its 35,000 runs far outweighs WOC in many respects. But I have a hunch that many of the 2166 WOCSPEC entrants incl the one on my form, perhaps especially overseas ones, will keenly have in mind watching the whole of the women's relay. That is, WOCSPEC expect early rather than late starts that day.

So I echo NeilC's hope that a way is found for such people to be able to finish their runs by 13:45 or so, so they can settle in with their friends in front of the big screen for the afternoon. They will mind much less about having starts balanced across the 6 blocks I would think, so were it me I would sacrifice that if necessary.

Now I have realised how many WOCSPEC requests there are I am feeling uneasy. How will it be at the Event Centre with what might be several hundred pretty reasonable requests on Saturday 1st? e.g. There's been a mistake: I explicitly said I wanted to watch the relays and you've given me a start time for my own run partway through the first one!

[edit: number of WOCSPEC requests, and last paragraph added.]

[Arnold]

31 comments on the "S6D start times" thread and 1 comment on the "Countdown to WOC" thread...

[Domhnull Mor]

It may be worth noting that the demands for "entry on the day" courses may be quite high too. I know of at least 5 members of my club here in Sweden who are not entered at all for the 6 days but who were planning to run an open course before the relays.

[Sloop]

OK, things are beginning to be explained - club start blocks mostly exist but fell apart on days 3 and 5.

eg. My start blocks are 6, 3, 4, 1, 5, 2
My club-mate and travelling companion has been given 6,3,1,1,1,2 - we're well over 2 hours apart on days 3 and 5.

So, the pushing of WOC Spectator requests into late blocks on days 3 and 5 has caused him to be bounced out to block 1 on both days. This seems patently unfair, is extremely inconvenient for our logistics, and apparently is going to cost us £8 to rectify (should that be anywhere near possible). What did he do wrong ?

Not lovin it.

[Snail]

demands for "entry on the day" courses may be quite high

With no charge for switching from an age class to a colour-coded (open-start-time)course, compared with £4 for changing an age class start time (with no guarantee of a suitable time being available), the demand for Light Green & Green on day 3 could be very high - particularly for those age classes where the course lengths are similar.

[Roomungous]

Just a gentle reminder that Day 3 is Middle Distance Day for S6D, so people shouldn't be in the Forest nearly so long. You may also 'rob Peter to pay Paul', by all entering Colour-coded. Lt Green and Green courses are pretty busy already and you are quite likely to be queuing for some time to get an Open Start on those courses, especially if you all pitch up for an early start.

[Sunlit Forres]

Personally I'm happy to share my start time with anyone else on my course. We'll soon go our own ways or I'll more than likely be trailing in someone's wake..

Given that S6D is a holiday festival, I think we should atry our best to be relaxed about accommodating people wanting to squeeze in earlier starts. I feel a suggestion coming on to the organising team to encourage start officials to exercise discretion.

I'm not saying that two top-end W35s or M21Es should start together but I see no harm in people starting at the same time if they're obviously of different abilities and are both happy to do that in the interests of letting everyone spectate at WOC who wants to.

[Mrs H]

Err! can I just stick up for the people who are there for the S6D rather than to WOCspec.

By all means double up the WOCspeckers so they can get ring side in time - infact I think that is the answer to the problem - but for those of us with a different priority don't expect us to share the start box with someone else on our course!

[widdershins]

> eg. My start blocks are 6, 3, 4, 1, 5, 2
> My club-mate and travelling companion has been given 6,3,1,1,1,2 - we're well over 2 hours apart on days 3 and 5.

No, this is not a failure of the block system, but yet another twist on the start allocation to accommodate WOC. Both you and your travelling companion will have started with your club pattern of 6, 3, 4, 1, 5, 2. However, your travelling companion will have been nominated to us as a WOC helper and on days 3 & 5 we were asked to give WOC helpers early starts. So,
6, 3, 4, 1, 5, 2 --> 6,3,1,1,1,2

The same happened for the other block patterns as well.

[Sloop]

Sorry, not convinced.
We are both WOC helpers - and we're both helping on the Rest Day.

Something is wrong here.

[Arnold]

I am in awe of both the thought that has gone into producing these start lists, and the patience shown in explaining it!

In Sweden they would have just pressed the "random allocation" pattern and then you can like it or lump it...

[widdershins]

I am not going to deny what you say or enter into personal cases, but

everyone (except people on BUS blocks) was given a pattern of 6,3,4,1,5,2 or a cyclic permuation thereof;

the BUS blocks were different and fit into the bus schedule

thereafter changes were made to the allocated blocks for

* special requests;
* the WOC helpers we were notified of;
* split starts

But that's the process of how a pattern of 6,3,1,1,1,2 would be generated. It is clearly possible that a mistake has been made somewhere in the process of identifying WOC helperes - but that is certainly how a block of that pattern was generated.

[Sloop]

Thanks very much for your patient and progressive explanations.
Should it be accepted that a mistake has been made, is there any chance of improvement without us paying £8 and hoping to get lucky a week on Saturday ?

[daffdy]

From the WOC side of things...

There are over 600 WOC volunteers, many of whom need early starts.

To make life even more fun, we have ~100 volunteers who are orienteers that haven't got around to telling us whether they've entered the 6-Days on a day they are volunteering yet, despite a lot of reminders, and so won't have been given an early start.

Then there's those who told us late, after the first batch of data went off for processing, who won't have been given an early start yet.

Chuck in WOCSPEC and a massive entry, and I start sympathising with the 6 Days start times team!

Hope there's very wide start lanes this year...