British Relay Classes

[mharky]

This might have been resolved a while ago, but can anyone tell me what the situation with the British Relay classes is?

[distracted]

Classes are shown in the entry form at

http://www.lifesci.susx.ac.uk/home/Neil ... 06/BRC.pdf

I think they've combined a few classes since last year - just 16 relays now with no separate class for 35s and 45s, or the old M/W55 class any more...

[tendon]

Yup, fewer classes, and slightly shorter leg winning times. A new version of the guideline came out for this year.

Classes on the same courses are to be run concurrently as well, so fewer start times (10 in total) and bigger fields

[mharky]

3 x 6km for the Men's Premier, are they having a laugh...??? Middle distance races are longer than that, and I'm not even being sracastic.

Looks like a good set of classes. Don't see why the M40s can't run men's premier, it's only 6km... that's the length of the M65L at last years BOC, and I guess this year won't be much shorter...

I wonder if we will see an increase in older and younger participants in the Men's Premier from clubs who never represent???

[tendon]

Guideline says 3 * 32mins - so length will be area specific.

[Schnitzy]

For the cost of entries I hope the courses are longer than that!!! Not very good value for money.

[Gross]

Big problem with GB orienteering... equating course length with value for money.... a 3 x 6km relay that produces top quality head to head racing with good numbers running is much better value for money that a 3 x 12km course with only a handful of teams & little competition....

[Becks]

Hear hear Gross - exactly the reason it was changed. I'd much rather run in a bigger Women's Open field over a shorter course then run all alone on last leg like I have for the last few years because the top three have already finished and there's about 4 other teams. I think this will be a welcome change.

[Supersaint]

it should make it a lot closer race as well as time differences will be less over a shorter race, and a lot of clubs should be able to fill a few teams.

[graeme]

Looks like a good set of classes. Don't see why the M40s can't run men's premier, it's only 6km...

Although the numbers don't support multiple age classes at JK and Scottish and BRC, I do think that there should be a British Relay Championship for age classes somewhere in the calendar.

You might be able to do 6km in 32mins, most M40-49s can't: so you're saying that M40 should be longer (timewise) than open. Admittedly, at 40+ its much *harder* to run the higher speeds required on short courses, than to maintain distance.

Won't stop me trying though