Newcastle & Gateshead Rat Race success for orienteers

[Freefall]

Well done Neil and Oleg for winning the Rat Race. Good news was that 4 of the top 6 teams were orienteers - Karen Heppenstall and Rachel Majumdar both ran with male partners, taking 2nd and 5th place. Showing that age is no barrier, Coln Matheson (M50) of NATO plus much younger son (Rory) somehow managed to scrape in at 6th place out of 42 teams. See report on Newcastle & Tyneside web site http://www.newcastleorienteering.org.uk ... index.html

Navigation is key to success in this game!

[Wayward-O]

Well done Neil and Oleg for winning the Rat Race. Good news was that 4 of the top 6 teams were orienteers

And it's a good job that the embargoed area for next year's JK day 1 sprint has yet to be decided . . .

The organising team are currently considering what aspects of Newcastle will be embargoed for Day 1

. . . or they would all have had to declare themselves non-competitive for that event.

[Nails]

yep a 'good job'....

[Gross]

. . . or they would all have had to declare themselves non-competitive for that event.

I think they should all be non-comp anyway! They should all have been aware of the forthcoming embargo

[RJ]

Could be another Controller's Conundrum..... see the last CompassSport magazine, August 2008!!

[Freefall]

If you read the account of the race on the NATO website you will see that the Rat Race planner (Shane) spoke to the JK organisers and the area that will be used next year was avoided. So no problems about entering embargoed areas.

[Gross]

The JK is in Newcastle... they were in Newcastle.... ban them I say

[Freefall]

Gosh -that's a bit strong. Of course I am one of the JK organisers as well as a Rat Racer so I am not biased at all.

[Wayward-O]

If you read the account of the race on the NATO website you will see that the Rat Race planner (Shane) spoke to the JK organisers and the area that will be used next year was avoided. So no problems about entering embargoed areas.

So why have the JK09 embargoed areas in Newcastle not been declared yet?

[Freefall]

Good reasons - there is an issue with a road crossing and we are waiting feedback from those on high about the acceptability of certain courses crossing this. We want to limit the embargoed area to that which is essential (and sensible) and hopefully ths will be done very soon. If in doubt don't visit Newcastle till next year (the quayside is all right by the way and you wold get away with a trip to St James's). We knew that Rat Race competitors would not be entering the area so there was no issue about that. I am Day 3 organiser as it happens so KEEP OFF the Kyloe Hills. If you are a rock climber then stay orf our crags too.

[Gross]

Ban cars in Newcastle at Easter........ or help the economy by employing loilpop ladies.... I'm sure orienteers would object to a fiver on entry fees

[Freefall]

We asked if they would close the road actually but they didn't seem that keen on the idea. Lollipop ladies are a good idea - rather strangely they all seem to live in Dalkeith if a recent drive to Edinburgh is anything to go by.