Longer Courses

[PorkyFatBoy]

Very impressive that PorkyFatBoy is so conscientious though.

Thanks - it's because it's my first proper event and I have a newly appointed controller too, so I thought I'd better be up to speed on these things. Our club only puts on four events a year, so we try to make sure they're good ones.

From another Nopesport source, and for everyone's benefit here are the new (and old) course lengths from 1/1/06 (unless your planning to too far advanced).

Yellow 2.0-2.9km (1.5-2.5)
Lt Green 3.0-4.0km (2.5–3.5)
Red 5.0-7.5km (3.5-5.0)

Target times remain unchanged. And remember 10m climb = 100m on the flat.

Now, let me extend my Red course onto a second map....

[gross2007]

Not too much to get heated about I think ...

David

But I think it's worth noting that BOF Rules Group seemed to have changed things but not told people about it. As previously mentioned as a G1 controller I've not seen anything about changes... might be me of course & I just missed it

[awk]

I hope you're not turning into a softie!

I don't think so! I think your point about a short Green being needed in TD5 areas is the most constructive way forward. When I wrote the original proposals for junior badge courses, they included a general shortening of colour allocations, so that Green would be used as a short TD5 course (same distance as current LG), and Black would get used more often. I still regret that something along those lines was not followed up.

Obviously, the issue is not so important in sub-TD5 terrain, where the progression is made much smoother by Green and upwards being no more technically difficult than LG (at least theoretically).

[Guest]

Gross writes : But I think it's worth noting that BOF Rules Group seemed to have changed things but not told people about it. As previously mentioned as a G1 controller I've not seen anything about changes... might be me of course & I just missed it.

Gross hasn't seen anything because there is nothing to see!
Over the past year BOF Rules Group have been looking at the inconsistencies between the different Event Guidelines, and even within the Guidelines themselves (just take a look at the course lengths and course ratios in the Colour Coded Guideline as an example). There have been consultations with the Elite and Junior Competitions Groups, and Event Operations to ensure the respective groups were happy with any proposed changes. As and when any changes are put in place the new Guidelines will be published on the BOF web site, and fully publicised both there and in Focus.

Barry Elkington
Chairman, BOF Rules Group.

[gross2007]

Ah... faith in BOF restored.... there are no changes to guidelines so various comments above are just fueling the rumour machine:)

[ryeland of doom]

While you are on the subject of green , due to being somewhat lame at the moment I have run a few green courses recently.

I have to say that it was a shame so few experienced the green course at Scolty yesterday. It was a work of sheer genius- and a pig to run technically


I am siding with the view that there need to be 2 shorter TD5 , if you can get it, either side of the current guideline. There appears to be a big jump to blue, which my knee has just noticed, and a gap awaiting older competitors needing about 3km of mental workout.

Still buzzing from yesterday - moving back to Scotland was such a good idea.

[Red Adder]

I'd agree that there can be too big a jump between Green and Blue. I'm convalescing / pot-hunting on Green and yesterday did 4.7km course whilst the Blue was 7.4 km. Both within guidelines and appropriate to area, but I (and I think several others would) have liked something at 6 km. Trouble is this is a big ask for planners for yet another course.

[Tatty]

Must agree with you Red Adder. I often would like longer than the green butno way can I do a blue. Bee a Light Blue? Could it just be a mixture of the Green and Blue, to put less pressure on the planner?

[Guest]

AWK: A short Green being needed in TD5 areas is the most constructive way forward.

AWK: and Black would get used more often.

Tatty: I often would like longer than the green but no way can I do a blue.

Which just leads to more and more courses being planned so that everyone gets to run just what they want to. It's hard enough getting planners as it is. This would just make it worse.

However, I do think that both the Green and Blue courses seem to be getting longer over the years. By my reading of the rules the Green should only be 5.0km if it is on flat, easy parkland. In somewhere like the Lake District then 4.0km is probably nearer the mark.

[NeilC]

To cater for those (few?) that see district events more as training exercises than competitive runs then how about having a PC running OCAD and connected to an inkjet (or even colour laser) printer at an event. Competitors can then design their own course from the all-control file, print it off and run it.

Alternatively just pre-print all-control maps and let people do their own thing - just like at JK/BOC etc training events.

[graeme]

Re Short Green.

When I was designing the Scottish Relays, among the many complaints was the lack of a TD4 Light Green course. It was pointed out that LG is popular at colour codeds in
Scotland (although all Championships courses are TD5).

So I duly asked around these "light green" competitors. It turned out that most* of them didn't want to do TD4, but chose LG simply because its shorter. At badge events they were more than happy with short TD5s

Obviously, its not an issue in regions with TD4 forests, but there does seem to be a
market for a short green in TD5.

Graeme

PS: Design your own course is a bad idea. Good course design requires careful consideration of setting route choice options, providing attackpoints etc. etc. Not to mention avoiding OOB, sensitive areas, dodgy map, unmapped unpleasantnesses etc. etc. If you plan your own course carefully, you've done half the orienteering before you start! And if you don't plan your course carefully, its not likely to be any good!

* May be some sample bias here as I'm more likely to speak to those I know, who in turn are less likely to be novices.

[Guest]

Graeme wrote: Obviously, its not an issue in regions with TD4 forests, but there does seem to be a
market for a short green in TD5.

If there is a demand for a short green TD5 course, then events on those areas which are really of TD5 difficulty can offer one. However, please don't impose this requirement on the 95% plus of colour coded events which aren't.

[FatBoy]

..and indeed good score courses require good planning.

"Short green" is probably needed to fill a hole, although on many UK areas it would be the same as light green anyway.

While I like standards (really?) I'd be all for each event putting on a range of colours (or whatever grading you want) suited to the area, how many people are likely to come etc. Many areas can't sustain a brown yet have one put on which is too short - why not be brave and not have one? If you're having an event in an area of high orienteer density (e.g. West Midlands) then why not ease congestion and have a course between blue and green?

[NeilC]

PS: Design your own course is a bad idea. Good course design requires careful consideration of setting route choice options, providing attackpoints etc. etc. Not to mention avoiding OOB, sensitive areas, dodgy map, unmapped unpleasantnesses etc. etc. If you plan your own course carefully, you've done half the orienteering before you start! And if you don't plan your course carefully, its not likely to be any good!

Naturally agree completely, however how many regional/badge event courses are planned by joining togther controls used on other courses? The more courses a planner is asked to put on the more likely this is to happen and the overall quality of the event will suffer.

[stodge]

If you're having an event in an area of high orienteer density (e.g. West Midlands) then why not ease congestion and have a course between blue and green?

Trouble is the west midlands has this daft west midlands league thing - a bit like the individual gallopen competitions in other regions but done as a club team.

Nice idea though - the green course at Birches valley had 130 competitors