Glasgow City Race

[FatBoy]

Lots of good reasons why people aren't going which I agree with. I certainly can't get excited about the cities cup when it won't possiby involve me scoring (except perhaps it would with only 29 entered!).

Two more to throw into the pot are it clashes with the Saunders, and (all but a day) with the French 5 day - which has a massive 381 brits on the start list:

http://perso.orange.fr/laco/5J2007/Accueil.htm

We're leaving in a few hours - can't wait!

[Oldman]

Agree with much that's been said. For me, the biggest issue is publicity by the event itself: even when this thread started, I didn't know the date!

But also, need for other events the day before or after, or a 3 round event perhaps?

No attempt made to sell Glasgow as a weekend destination with many other attractions other than the O.

I wish the organisers well, but it's depressing that not even the Scots seem interested! Let's hear from them why not.

[Patrick]

Yes but 29?
...
Maybe my incredulity is aimed more at Scottish orienteers than those darn sarf. Anyway it's probably too late to worry about it now

I think the French 5 Days is the main problem - most of Clyde and FVO seem to be going, which I don't think was anticipated. I assume that the Edinburgh students are off somewhere as well since none of them have entered.

However, having test run the course I can confirm that it will be a great race.

Patrick

[Becks]

The few of us remaining in Edinburgh are pretty much all heading off to the Czech Republic on Saturday, which doesn't really help matters.

[HOCOLITE]

Off to French 5 tomorrow just like Fat Boy.
Would quite like to visit Glasgow sometime I think it has more to offer than it's reputation, but would have been more likely if it was at beginning or end of 5 Days.
Hope there are some last minute changes of mind to make it viable for the organisers

[T5]

To be fair to the organisers, the comments about not knowing when the event was or what was happening seem a little far fetched, since the series website and dates were published a long time ago.

My comments after York were that there wasn't much evidence of a change from previous years, to show it was now part of the series. This appears to be the failing again - where is the build-up?

Part of the idea was to attract top-class competitors, which in turn would attract others to see these stars. Does this actually work? Is that why people travel to other major orienteering events? I doubt it.

Personally Glasgow doesn't float my boat as somewhere to spend a weekend, which I think is a historic personal opinion. I've been told it is far more vibrant nowadays... But as was mentioned earlier, if some of these other attractions had been highlighted earlier, with another event or so to make a weekend of it, we might be on to a winner. (Also, the commute from London is a bit of a bind.)

It sounds like Glasgow is really suffering by virtue of clashes with multiple other events. When the series gets more credibility, maybe the French 5 will be wondering why no-one is there, and Easyjet are wondering why they have full flights from Scandinavia to Glasgow on this weekend each year. Here's hoping....

[Oldman]

To be fair to the organisers, the comments about not knowing when the event was or what was happening seem a little far fetched, since the series website and dates were published a long time ago.

Not everyone is interested in the events because they're in a series, and publishing dates on a web site is hardly proactive promotion.

[Mrs H]

I think the take up would have ben a lot higher if it had been the weekend either before or after the Scottish 6 days. Lots of people stay up for an extra week and might have been persuaded to taylor their trip to include it on the way up - or the way home - given enough advance notice.

when the Scottish 6 Days used SI for the first time we took in an event in the Lakes district on the way up the weekend before just to try it out for the first time (Threlkeld as I recall). A city race in Glasgpow or Edinburgh would have been a similar attraction for us if the timing had vbeen right - series or no series.

Its sounding like EVO (Extra Value Orienteering) and publicity are deciding factors on events like these.

[Kitch]

more classic and utter gobshite

Are the organisers complaining?
No

So why are people criticising their publicity, their timing, their venue ?

And this from Oldman:
"but it's depressing that not even the Scots seem interested! Let's hear from them why not."

I'm sorry - but since when did anyone owe you an explanation as to how they choose to spend their spare time ?

[johnloguk]

Personally I don't give a monkeys whether or not I score points, how often do we orienteer just to score points? I'm going to go and have a damn good time anyway, even if I come last. Our club decided a long time ago to have a little competition between ourselves over the course of the City Race Series, so now this looks like a banker for me

My final comment on only 29 entries would be that we've had 60-70 at all of our evening C5s this summer in rural Lincolnshire, so a city the size of Glasgow should be able to attract a few more than that. The foreign multi-days clashes are unfortunate, but that still leaves a hell of a lot of local orienteers voting not to enter the City Race. That needs looking at on some level. The dates were publicised months ago by the way.

Hang on a minute, there are only 7 entered in the Men's Open, so if I switch courses I'll score 3 points for the series

[roadrunner]

To be fair to the organisers, the comments about not knowing when the event was or what was happening seem a little far fetched, since the series website and dates were published a long time ago.

Dates, yes, but the actual start time wasn't available until quite late if I remember rightly, which is an issue for anyone considering travelling from a distance away - without that, you don't know whether you can make it there on the day, or if you need to stay overnight.

[andy]

i'm really looking forward to it! as are my two mates who've entered and have very little 'O' experience

[Wendles]

We're going too and we're really looking forward to it..even if it rains.

[andy]

We're going too and we're really looking forward to it..even if it rains.

it's Glasgow, it's bound to rain

[D,J,J&Ms Dad]

The Warwick 'city' Race is going ahead on SUNDAY 7th OCTOBER. We have only just had confirmation of date and access. Many thanks to HOC for agreeing to move their event which clashed with the only date Warwick Council and Castle would agree to.
The great news is that we have been given access to the Castle Grounds for part of the race and mapping of that is now complete. Warwick itself, being an old town, has many alleyways and cut-throughs so there should be plenty route choice.
More information will follow.