British Sprint Championships

[MarkC]

I accept complete responsibility for missing the entry date for this event... The rules are clear and the organiser's are very strictly adhering to them...

Given that you accept this I find it hard to believe that you're making such a fuss about it - what's the point of having rules if they are not adhered to? If the event was really so important to you why not just enter anyway and take the chance that you might have to pull out?

If i were the organiser i would have... allowed me to run on a provisional basis provided that i gained written confirmation from the start list approver that it was OK for me to swap with Ant Squire. If i couldn't receive this confirmation then i couldn't run.

As the controller has posted on this thread to say that he agrees with the decision I'm not sure why having the organiser pass on the task of saying "no" to somebody else would make you feel so much better.

I hope that i never have the displeasure of dealing with this organising team again.

I'm sure that they hope not to have the displeasure of dealing with such an obnoxious competitor either.

[DIDSCO]

Road runner > with all respect why bother writing when you admit than your experience is at a lower level of athletics/road running? Only write when you actually know the facts for what this debate is about e.g, elite level competition for the absoloute best runners.

Elite athletics / road running is very different to the rules for everybody else. At the elite end competition organisers/promoters will do almost anything to get the best runners at their event. The British Sprint champs is an elite competition and should be treated as such.

Mark C > your attitude makes me laugh, and unfortunatly its exactly your type of attitude that is so detrementable to the development of orienteering as a 'respected' elite level sport. Hello everybody, wake up its 2006, times have changed, its time to change, take the chance, and enjoy the feeling

[jezedwards]

to the person from farnham;

i made a fuss because i wanted to run and was disappointed/angry. I have already acknowledged that this was my mistake in missing the entry date, there is no one else to blame for what was clearly my error. My point is that by being helpful someone could have allowed me to run, as far as i'm concerned they chose not to be. I wouldn't have chosen the same approach and have stated what i would have done. However everyone is different and you clearly fall into the rule abiding world that never questions or makes decisions. I'm sure that to you i would be an obnoxious person/competitor but fortunately we don't know each other.

My experience of this event has been a displeasure and i feel that i'm entitled to express that, I would imagine that over the weekend the races will be very enjoyable for those taking part and i'm sure they will report back on the fact.

[Nails]

and the competition won't be as good as it could have been!!!

[Gross]

Jez.... if you can get to Vilnius in the next two hours I'm sure you can get a late entry in the WRE this afternoon. A quick friendly phone call should fix it ok:)

But it's on the same map as the GBR Test races from last year.................

[RJ]

The sport is full of rules... and various people officiating at an event put many of the rules into operation. Often many are not adhered to at various levels of event!!

Personally, I would always like to think that rules are examined to see why they are there. On the question of eligibility for entry to an event why are they there??? To maintain fairness.... to create a seeded start list.... to make the organiser's job straightforward.

Is it a "shall" rule or is it a "should" rule?

I feel that one of the things that puts people off taking part in the sport is the level of regulation and pettiness that happens at events. We could do with a more relaxed attitude out of the forest.... just make sure rules maintain fair competition in the forest.

[RJ]

It is unfair to those who entered on time to allow late entries or substitutions.

Specifically... why is it unfair?

[Supersaint]

This is one of the reasons i prefer fell running to orienteering - you can just turn up on the day to most races and get a run, no need to know a few weeks beforehand what your schedule is.

I would have liked to have gone to the British Sprint Champs (had i been fit), and hope that it is a good event, but wish to express my disappointment that one of our top runners (the kind of person who makes this race a good standard race worthy of its British Champs status) isn't allowed to run, just because of some rules which really don't affect the competition.

One question - what are the event organisers going to do with the spare maps which obviously aren't going to be used (a few people have already stated on here that they won't be running)? Would have made sense to let someone use them rather than letting them go to waste.

[HOCOLITE]

Is anyone going to text nope the results from the heats, they must be coming to a close soon, how long will they take?

[Lil' God'rs]

It is unfair to those who entered on time to allow late entries or substitutions.

Specifically... why is it unfair?

If they "think" it is unfair then just ask the other competitors if they mind. Scottish relays a couple of years ago - SYO ladies didn't have a team entered whilst Interlopers had a spare entry. SYO could win the the UKRL, in front of Interlopers, by just turning up. Now, if you apply the same rules then SYO cannot run. Interlopers gave over their entry:

http://www.nopesport.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1177&highlight=

...not that everyone seemed to agree.

Whilst planning the Scottish Relays last year we printed enough maps to have a few spare entires for each class. Personally, I would have been marking up maps on the morning of the race if we ran out - but then maybe I'm just too nice and want to have a good competition.

distracted mentions seeding - check out elite results from this year, I'd say Ant's seeding is almost perfect for Jez.

Jez fully admits it is his fault for not entering in time, but why penalise him (and have even less top runners) for a completely understandable reason.

I hope the officials always have their entries in on time

[buzz]

Provisional results from the Finals....

Mens:

GG
Nails
NickB
Sprotty
Duncan
RobB


Womens:

Sarah
Pippa
Rach

[buzz]

GG said:

I rekon heat C is the toughest -and i think Sprotty should be on your list. He's been a bit of a track and xc fiend over the winter and spring and terrain should suit him!.

Well spotted!

[Wendles]

Results here http://www.cix.co.uk/~neper/bsc06/index.htm

[Simon E]

A few photos now up.

[PMG]

A few more pictures here

Peter

http://www.pgopage.btinternet.co.uk/sprint_2006.htm