Results now published - see links above.

Apologies that we were unable to display results at the race today, due to a software systems issue.

Apologies that SI box number 89 had not been programmed correctly, so its clock was set differently. This was the reason for splits print-outs showing strange times to and from that control.

Several controls went missing during the event. In all cases competitors have been re-instated where they were unable to obtain a punch as a result of a missing SI box.

 Planner’s Comments

Over the years, I’ve often run through the Wingfield estate, on club runs with Rotherham Harriers or races making use of the traffic-free routes. When I’ve led club runs, I’ve had disparaging comments when I say I’m planning to go to Ochre Dyke. Maybe not surprising, as there is a considerable climb from the River Don to the estate!  When, a few years ago, I was offered the opportunity to continue mapping of a partial map of Rotherham Centre, I baulked. The most complex area of a group of council buildings was about to be demolished and replaced by a giant Tesco. There is some detail in the town centre, but otherwise courses would involve long runs along terraced streets to small pockets of interest. No, I thought, the Wingfield estate should offer more challenging orienteering. And I knew we could plan courses for juniors without road crossings. I had been thinking of Orange standard for the longer Junior course, but it’s now called Light Green. Both are classed as TD3 for Urban courses, but the avoidance of road crossings made it difficult to introduce route choice problems, for example, that I would normally expect for Light Green. Good in theory, maybe, but blown apart when ne’er-do-wells pinch 3 grippled SI boxes. More disturbing for Yellow and LG runners, I guess, than for more experienced orienteers.  

Maybe the woodland sections used for Black, Brown and Blue are contrary to the concept of an Urban event, but the alternative seemed to be a run through suburban lines of semis. The bramble groundcover meant that these sections could not be too technical, essentially TD3. I hope you enjoyed the earthbank in the western woodland – an area of industrial heritage, largely hidden by the brambles. The initial plan was for a 2-sided map at 1:4000, but initial prints of the map at 1:5000 convinced me that we could have a one-sided map at 1:5000 for the longer courses. The .pdf proof copies were fine. Unfortunately, the printed 1:5000 version lost a lot of resolution, especially kerb lines. It was too late to get a reprint, but hopefully we can get to the bottom of what went wrong at the printing stage. Again, people running the B courses (Black, Brown and Blue) may be the first to notice the problem but generally the best able to cope. 

Keeping up with the installation  of new fences and gates has been quite a problem, the last update occurring on the morning when a good route choice option for Green was blocked, but we managed to overmark the maps, thanks to Alexandra.

I had assumed a particular event centre, but we got a refusal and it took time to finalise use of the Rockingham J&I site. So, a frenetic period of mapping and course replanning to make use of the intriguing geography of the site.  This meant that we were late to provide more detailed event information. Being at the end of a school holiday, some regular local entrants may have been missing, but it is good to be able to welcome travellers from further afield. Perhaps an eye-opener as to the traditional vision of Rotherham!

Thanks to Peter Gorvett for his meticulous but hands-off controlling. He pointed me in the right direction at the start of course planning, and thereafter made a few valuable suggestions. But his careful checking ensured that the equivalent to Typos were (I hope) eliminated. Had he and Paul Taylor not helped with putting out controls, the event would not have started on time, and without the assistance of four good ShUOC members (Mary Fleming , Tom Entwistle (both also SYO), Nathan Lawson and Alexander Moore) I’d still be there collecting them. Particular thanks must go to Pauline Tryner, aided and abetted by Pete, for negotiating the event centre, preparing control boxes and general involvement in preparations for an event they were not going to be able to attend. On the day, the smooth running of the event depended on the co-ordination of Amanda and her army of willing helpers. (She can thank them directly). Many thanks to you, especially those who had taken time away but came back to help at the event!

Henry Marston
3/6/19

Officials      

Planner - Henry Marston (SYO)
Controller - Peter Gorvett (SYO)
Organiser - Amanda Crawshaw (SYO)