JK 2007 Review

[Simon]

The overall results that were displayed at the relay did not include all comeptitors. A number of late starters were not on that set and so, I assume, they were a set that had been generated late on day 3 but not after all people were back.

[Adventure Racer]

+ As I said, I thought my courses were superb, and one of the best was the relay. My run was marred a bit by what I'm 95% certain (having been assured by quite a lot of other people!) was a misplaced control (no. 90, cairn) which included some quite creative mapping, as both cairn and indistinct wall it was on were so indistinct as to be invisible (and I had time to look!!).

I presume that was in the woodland to the far East of the area, as I made a similar comment in the relay thread - though I had the knoll (v. small!) to the South of the cairn. Didn't really affect me as I followed somebody else into the control, but I definitely didn't spot the wall I was expecting to lead me in - though I was at full speed, so didn't hang around to check when I spotted the kite.

[awk]

I presume that was in the woodland to the far East of the area, as I made a similar comment in the relay thread - though I had the knoll (v. small!) to the South of the cairn. Didn't really affect me as I followed somebody else into the control, but I definitely didn't spot the wall I was expecting to lead me in - though I was at full speed, so didn't hang around to check when I spotted the kite.

That was the one. I attacked off the knoll twice (it was on my compass line from previous control on another cairn to the south), both times compass and pacing (but expecting to get stopped by wall), both times overshot. On second go, pulled into control whilst backtracking by other competitor who was doing same, and spotted control way over to the west, further down hill and much closer to fields than shown. Being later out on third leg, there wasn't the pack to suck in unfortunately, which I afterwards gathered had rescued some of our first leg runners. 4 mins lost (amazing how time flies when you're enjoying yourself!).

[Toni]

I'm not alone in allocating blame to the name that appears on the map - I should think that if it isn't the mappers fault then somebody should be stepping forward to clear his name as his reputation is being damaged by the problems with 'his' maps.

I understand that often clubs are looking for the cheapest quote but I think that cheap professional maps are often no better than amateur maps. I know that the professionals in the UK can produce excellent maps as I've run on them (and thought they were brilliant) but recently I don't think that all of them are producing excellent maps due to underpricing to be competitive. I do appreciate this is a business.

[harry]

Can't be bothered to read all the drivel but there seem to be a few grumbles and I'd just like to add that when you have 4-5 years to prepare a JK it should be perfect. But this year's team did not have anything like that.

I thought the weekend was fantastic and definitely stands out along with Graythwaite and Penhale as a memorable JK. Of course the weather helped but I think Mike Forrest had earnt the sunshine with all the work he has done as a regular planner/controller & organiser for over 20 years.

I didn't miss any of the things that were deemed "nice but not essential" and thought the organisation and planning were very good, and considering the amount of time they had, excellent.

[Electrocuted]

I really enjoyed the weekend and thought overall it was excellent.

I would agree that I found the map corrections a little distracting - it's one thing being shown map corrections on a map before the start but another remembering where they actually are once you're halfway through a course.

I also thought the relay run-out was a little disorganised. In previous years, there has been a 'holding pen' for people to wait for incoming runners and then a separate area they move into once their runner is seen. Yesterday however people were waiting along the whole length of the area and even once I saw my runner I couldn't get anyway near the front to tag them.

Finally one point about the directions on day 2. The signs to the car parks had coloured backgrounds depending on which car park you were going to. This was not particularly helpful to my husband who was driving and is colour blind - we briefly ended up in the yellow one instead of the green one! Perhaps the colour could be written on the signs too - I understand around 8% of men are colour blind.

Overall however a fantastic weekend and thanks to the organisers.

[FatBoy]

Harry - if you did read all of it you would see everybody is saying how good it was before adding positive feedback to hopefully improve further JK's. Some of these things aren't caused by lack of time, but lack of information. Hopefully by posting here we are giving information to future JK organisers to help them in their thankless task (for which I thank them in advance )

AWK - As per what Simon said the printed results that were up on the relay day were the same set as the "final" ones on the Sunday, which didn't include all finishers. For example I was 17th on those but actually ended up 19th. Perhaps a particular problem on M21L, M35L etc where combination of long courses and late starts (which you don't get on M21E) mean the last few finishers are always likely to be on these courses, and not necessarily that far out of contention.

[housewife]

I really enjoyed the weekend, especially the relay area, which I found very entertaining, and the prizes for first 3 on all courses, and again the short walks to the assembly.

My one major grumble was the drinks points. I usually run elite, but was running w21L for once. 8.4k each day, hot and hilly, we really needed drinks. There was one on the first day (day 2), miles out of any sensible route choice. Day 3 seemed better, with one drinks point on the way to number 5 (there was another one later, but again was in a silly place - lots of courses seemed to be taking similar routes as I was, missing out the drinks point by 150metres), but when I got there, it was unmanned, with just a pile of cups and barrels of water. Since when has a drinks point involved pouring your own drink? I have never seen that before at any level of event in any country in 20+ years of orienteering. To take a drink would have cost maybe 30 secs, which to me is not something I would do.

I accept that drinks points cost manpower, but if they are not going to be properly manned, what is the point of having them? It should at least state in the details that drinks would be pour your own.

P.S. I also got lost on the way to events. Found I was following the day before's signage, and didn't have some of the b roads and villages mentioned in the directions on my road map.

[epocian]

Quote
'Finally one point about the directions on day 2. The signs to the car parks had coloured backgrounds depending on which car park you were going to. This was not particularly helpful to my husband who was driving and is colour blind - we briefly ended up in the yellow one instead of the green one! Perhaps the colour could be written on the signs too - I understand around 8% of men are colour blind.'

Were you asleep whilst he was going to the wrong car park? If you know he's colour blind why didn't you say something when he took the wrong turn!

For me it was a brilliant weekend and many thanks to everyone who gave up their time to ensure the event went on

[Ed]

Since when has a drinks point involved pouring your own drink? I have never seen that before at any level of event in any country in 20+ years of orienteering.

You've been to different events to me then - we did that at my club's last event: small table, crate of plastic cups, barrel of water. No one complained - since it was an ultra-long then they were glad to get anything!

Back to the JK: apparently there was some problems with some maps missing a colour (specifically an M21S map or two missing the brown print). I guess an unforeseen problem with waterproof unbagged maps since there won't have been a pair of eyes passed (even quickly) over every map as it is stuffed in to a bag (and maybe the waterproof material is more likely to stick together than normal paper in the printing process?). Something unexpected with the new "technology" for future organising teams to be aware of at any rate - now it's happened they can't say it would be completely unexpected...

[stodge]

My first JK since the last one in the FofD due to injury.
Thoroughly enjoyed my courses and thought the planning first rate.
Great string courses, car parks, assembly’s, commentary, atmosphere etc etc

Only two bits of negative feedback
Having won a class (big thing for me after nearly 5 years in the injury wilderness) we just had to go eventually as an hour and a bit in to the prize giving they had only just got to M/W60 going back down the age classes again. Im sure this has been a problem before at events and there are ways to speed it all up.

Nothing for the little ones at the relays…

[Tatty]

Might have been possible if more helpers had been available on the day. Unfortunately there weren't enough.

[RogYoman]

a brilliant jk- and i cant think of one thing wrong with the organisation.

[distracted]

Back to the JK: apparently there was some problems with some maps missing a colour (specifically an M21S map or two missing the brown print).

Yep, I picked up one of them - there were at least 3 people that I'm aware of that were affected. Would have made the controls on the spoil heaps pretty difficult, although apparently someone managed them . And I was the person mentioned by Allan on the other thread who got a backup punch but no electronic register on Day 2...

Otherwise, for a JK that was put together in a very short time period it was fantastic. Yes there were a few minor things that could have been done better but given the timescale that would be expected - it's almost like we've come to expect everything to be perfect. However, the important thing about any event is the quality of courses - and they were well planned and made good use of the areas available; I can only blame the mistakes on my incompetence...

[Electrocuted]

Quote
'Finally one point about the directions on day 2. The signs to the car parks had coloured backgrounds depending on which car park you were going to. This was not particularly helpful to my husband who was driving and is colour blind - we briefly ended up in the yellow one instead of the green one! Perhaps the colour could be written on the signs too - I understand around 8% of men are colour blind.'

Were you asleep whilst he was going to the wrong car park? If you know he's colour blind why didn't you say something when he took the wrong turn!

No, I was navigating, not asleep. I was looking at the map at the time.

And I may know he's colour blind but I can't always tell which colours he will get mixed up - by the time I realised it was too late.