SCOTTISH CHAMPS 2007

[Gross]

All you needed to do to be in the top four W21 at this years SC was to finish:) And only 13 finishers in the premier men's class.... ???????

(but that doesn't take away from those who ran... you can only beat those who are there)

[marcus_weatherburn]

i guess u didnt enjoy scotish. lol.

[Tom R]

maybe coz it clashed with t'jukola?

[marcus_weatherburn]

and a world cup race. plus the scottish champs is never a big events, it more layed back. not like some other nationals.

[PG]

This was first Scottish I have not entered for a few years, maily because the last one in South West Scotland (1999?) was a real disappointment. Perhaps entries would have been higher if the publicity had been different, maybe even with a map sample?
Looking at Route Gadget a good part of the terrain looks interesting.

[graeme]

The Scottish Champs was excellent this year, Loch Doon is a first rate, if mainly open area, easily the best in Ayrshire, and the course planning was also good. A proper assembly and finish area made for a good atmosphere. In many classes there was a good turnout and close racing.

You can tell it was good cos nobody came on nopesport to moan!

The elite turnout was very disappointing. True, there's a clash with Jukola, but only a handful of people are racing on elite-level competitive teams there. For the rest Jukola is a fun mass-participation event with little to do with competitive, elite racing. It didn't help being out of the UKcup, the UKRL already decided, and a big selection race in Scotland next weekend. But this was the first chance in 2007 to run a full classic north of Birmingham, and its easy to see why clubs are not inclined make special efforts for elites who have much to say but ultimately can't be bothered to show up. It will be interesting to see how the stay-aways cope with a classic next weekend.

The relay was also good, and credit must go to the planners because on a small, open area relay planning is not easy. The men's open was close throughout with AIRE leading until Ben Stephens had the long gaffling on the last lap and got passed by INT and EUOC, Murray messed up allowing Mharky to hit the front with three controls to go.

The Scottish handicap relay again had a large field and a very close race, probably the most closely contested relay in the UK for many years with the top 5 finishing within 62 seconds...

RR HARDRROC 1:18:44
FVO F 1:18:53
LOC 4 1:19:01
GRAMP GLDNEAGLE 1:19:12
Aire Warm AIRE 1:19:46

as I implied in another thread, that's closer racing than at Jukola

Graeme

PS. and yes, I did have tovrun in the pishing rain.

[eddie]

ben chesters? was it not master ben stevens

echo graham's comments. i just wanted to go orienteering. i did and i thought it was good.

[EddieH]

I largely agree with Graeme although inexplicably M55 was 1.7k shorter than M50 and was definitely not classic distance.

[graeme]

With a 50 minute winning time M50 wasn't exactly overlong either.

For a long time before the event (other) people were moaning about how tough it was going to be, maybe the planner took them too seriously.

M55 is always going to be shortish since it is combined with M60 on the reduced course system. Also, at Loch Doon the planner had to decide whether to have a couple of decent 1km legs across the roughest, featurelessest area. Shorter legs to a kite buried in a random ditch would have been been rubbish: so there was a big gap between the courses which did/didn't cross that boggy bowl.

[Oldman]

M55 is always going to be shortish since it is combined with M60 on the reduced course system. Also, at Loch Doon the planner had to decide whether to have a couple of decent 1km legs across the roughest, featurelessest area. Shorter legs to a kite buried in a random ditch would have been been rubbish: so there was a big gap between the courses which did/didn't cross that boggy bowl.

So, when I enter M55 I should expect a course designed for an M60, and worse, if the terrain doesn't lend itself without a lot of planner effort, it may be 25% less time still. No wonder people don't support NEs! If it is a classic race, then its length should be that, not some much smaller length because of course combinations or planner workload. If M55/60 was going to be too short, why not give them the same course as M50, changing one control elsewhere if need be. I'd rather it was slightly long than 25% too short!

[Snail]

If M55/60 was going to be too short, why not give them the same course as M50,

...because M50 is already combined with M45.

This highlights a shortcoming with the current event guideines, in that they now only give course length ratios for courses, not classes.

If ratios were given for classes - as they used to be - it would be easier to use different class combinations and still produce courses of appropriate length, so that M55 could be combined with M60 at some events - so slightly shorter - and M50 at others - so slightly longer.

It would also be easier to make other amendments, eg to split two courses into three slightly smaller ones in parts of the country where some current course combinations are heavily subscribed.

[SJC]

This highlights a shortcoming with the current event guideines, in that they now only give course length ratios for courses, not classes.

The table in the British Championships Guideline gives the course length ratios for all the separate classes. Not sure why anyone would want to use them all though.

[mharky]

This aint about the Scottish Champs, create your own topic.