Stockport Urban Race

[Wendles]

Has anyone found a list of runners?

[LostOldTimer]

Having being 'blown' back home, just a few comments on the Stockport event.
Firstly a great idea involving local businesses / trying to get non-orienteers to take an interest - sort of bringing orienteering to the public - as they dont often notice the sport going on. be interesting to learn how the businesses / public entrants took to it?
Urban orienteering / park races can bemade very interesting, and make use of generally unknown areas within towns - I bet many competitors didnt know of all the steps/alleyways in Stockport, or that it wasnt as flat as we thought.
Thought courses were generally good, and a nice touch having a loop around the centre - gaffled 2 different ways just to confuse you. Hopefully it will become annual, or at least hppen again... and loking at the map, could make use of more intrictae control sites, making it more of a navigational challenge rather than just a run.
Thought the map was very good, and clear enough to read at 1:5000
Never have been a fan of Mass Starts, so a regular start may be better if the organisers are taking note... i know its interesting to watch the 'pack' set off but obviously leads to following especially for the first part, and with a few different courses.
Loved the touch of medals for all finishers... other events take note. (this is usual for other types of running events / half-marathons etc...) and easy to add 50p to the entry or get a sponsor.
Well done , and thank you, MDOC

[slang]

It will be interesting to see routes and comments on routegadget (http://www.mdoc.routegadget.co.uk/cgi-bin/reitti.cgi).

MDOC are considering have an annual urban race, perhaps rotating around a number of areas. Macclesfield has been mooted. I guess it depends if they think today was a success.

The orienteering courses seemed successful. The ones aimed for the general public less so. Only Barclays (MDOC+DEE) and Fujitsu (MDOC+SELOC) took part in the Stockport Challenge; each team consisting mainly of orienteers.

I enjoyed my run until I was tripped by a speed bump and had to hobble back to the assembly .

[Wendles]

I agree with everything LOT has said about today's race. I didn't realise Stockport was so hilly although I think that was down to some duff route choices I enjoyed the gaffling in the centre of the town, particularly as I passed 'rivals' (sorry Mrs H!) going in the opposite direction which set me wondering who was furthest around the loop. I happily relinquish my position at the top of the league to Jane who ran an amazing 35.01 minutes. Son Dan also did pretty well to finish 2nd to Nick after running 8k around Carsington Pastures beforehand! Now that we are on best 5 I will be heading swiftly southwards on the league table but still thoroughly enjoying the events.

Thankyou to all involved in the organisation today and particularly to those manning controls for hours in the raging weather, especially the person in the park on my no. 17 control who was buffeted in a wind tunnel!

[Wendles]

Do I go blue now?

[Wendles]

Yahey!

[epocian]

Thoroughly enjoyed the event (thanks MDOC) never realised Stockport was so hilly!
Only downside was the control 'guardians' wearing of florescent jackets, you saw the jackets way before you reached the control, and was it necessary for them to be right by the control?
At York, for instance, in the city centre the control 'guardians' are well away from the actual control, sometimes across the street, so giving the runner no clue to the exact location. Maybe MDOC were making it easier for the Runners/Business classes.

[Gnitworp]

Do I go blue now?

I've just gone Green

Now I'm in my second childhood, it feels just like getting an armful of proficiency badges in the cubs: 3 control markers - cooool

[Mrs H]

Just got back from moving young Neville to his new uni digs.

Agree with everyone - it was great fun - but the mass start could have been a problem if I hadn't inserted my own "gaffle" straight after control 1 Wendles and I could have seen rather more of each other than we might have wanted to. Perhaps an earlier gaffle might have been more effective coupled with a mass start.

The medals were nice - but to be honest I'd have prefered something more usable - like a pen or a mug - or a chocolate bar

anyway - certainly gave me an appetite for my meal out in Castleton en route to Sheffield.

Looking forward to the rest of the series

Footnote: We would not even have contemplated a street race in Stockport had it not been part of the Urban League.

[DM]

A selection of photos can now be seen on.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/orienteeringmccann

I will add more tonight and will try to cut the size down a bit so the slideshow works faster. If anyone wants particular photos please pm me with their email address and I'll send it.

We live a few miles away but still saw parts of Stockport we have not been to before, plenty more scope for future races.

The organising team will be noting what worked and what didn't so any useful comments would be appreciated.

[Barny of Blandford]

Just got home to sunny Dorset via Reading. Really enjoyed the event and liked the idea of head to head start (good practice for Switzerland next year I am told by my family)
Map was brilliant and courses well thought out. Plenty of scope for future events on same map as well. Thanks to everyone for a really good event.

[T5]

I love the "What's Going On?" and "Can I have a go?" signs appearing in the background of some photos - what a great idea!

Were these directing people to the start area to participate that day, or was it to a website for future events? Did you get much contact from this?

I guess the average person who popped into town for shopping isn't going to immediately go for a run with their M&S bags flapping behind them. As more towns and cities get mapped there could be potential for "Join us in [neighbouring town] next weekend". If they like what they've seen in one town we can't then send them onto a bleak moorland - another urban race would be best. Currently any potential new recruits have to wait a year until they get a street race "in their back yard" again.

[DM]

Thanks for the comments on the display boards. One objective was to try and get people having a go, either on the day or soon after. There was a certain amount of interest and some people did try the "Explorer Course" which was laid on alongside the mass start courses, with the difference being that the Explorers did not start in a group, more a take your own time thing.

The control guardians are essential so the idea was to use them to talk to people showing an interest, as well as making sure the control stayed in place (either due to wind or "playful" locals trying to steal them, which did happen).

Quite a few of the photos (and more that I'll load today) show people watching whats going on.

Focus now is on learning for next year and getting some articles in the local papers to remind people what they saw.

[Familytaxi driver]

I really enjoyed the event - only my 2nd street O so not too much to compare to. Problems finding a car park to take our money led to rushing to the start. About 30 secs late for the mass start but then as I set off to try and catch the pack I found I had not control descriptions on my map. Hadn't picked up loose ones due to the rush so had to go back and get another map. Lucky I wasn't planning on a fast time!

Certainly interest was shown by passers by.... When I eventually found my 1st control I was showing another (temporarily disorientated) couple where they were and had my SI Card hand commandered by a control guardian to explain to said passer by how the controls worked.
For my course and route the marshals were mostly hidden away until I was very close to the controls and I'd rather that than find the control had walked.

Agree about the medals Mrs H - chocolate would have tasted better! Maybe medals for the under 16/18s only?
Please do another one next year - I might be better at the map reading by then!

[Wendles]

The photos are a great advert for the sport!