Discussion: Start triangle

The question has come up in local discussions whether or not competitors must visit the start triangle, and if so, how this is to be enforced. The only thing that I could find is IOF rule 22.8:

22.8 The point where orienteering begins shall be shown on the map with the start triangle and, if it is not at the time start, marked in the terrain by a control flag but no marking device.

* "no marking device" mean there shouldn't be a punch or ebox.

* But how do we read "orienteering begins [at the start triangle]?"
- Must participants visit the start triangle before they begin navigating to C1?
- Or is it optional such that as soon as they receive their map they can start navigating to C1, irrespecitive of where the start triangle is?

Does anybody have a definite (definitively correct :-) ) answer?

Thanks.

I've seen it done a bunch of ways, from simply having the triangle on the only and obvious route to the first control to picking up maps at the start triangle, to having someone at the triangle taking numbers (JJ had an amusing comment on this in an earlier thread).

Personally, I don't get it. You start at the start. That's where the triangle should be. If you want everybody to subsequently go to another spot, put a control there. That's what controls are for.

Rule 17.3:
17.3 Compulsory routes, crossing points and passages shall be marked clearly on the map and on the ground. Competitors shall follow the entire length of any marked section of their course.

I think that you don't have to visit the start triangle on the map when there isn't a line to the start triangle at your map.

My take on this (from experience not rule-reading) is when there is a marked route to the start triangle, you are expected to follow the route and pass by the start flag. This is pretty standard stuff at European meets (including WOCs).

There are a bunch of good reasons to have a marked route. If you have a compact call-up zone, it allows you to hide the first route-choice decision from those people waiting for their start (i.e., they can't watch which way their competitors head to the first control). You can have a bit more flexibility in where you place the call-up zone relative to where you want the orienteering to actually begin as well. Another reason is it can allow you to separate the start triangle from the finish on the map if people are starting/finishing from the same location (e.g., Sprint race at Telemark).
Finally, it means that competitors don't have to frantically flip over the map, find the start triangle, orient map, etc. before actually starting to run.

Agreed on all points, but it still seems that the same goals could be achieved by simply having a marked route to the first control without any worries about whether people were actually going to the triangle.

I think having the start out in plain view of everybody with a streamered route into the woods would add some spectator value without compromising the competition.

Maybe I'm still not getting it.

At 2004's WCOC Intercollegiates, a flagged route for all courses to remote Control #1 (with punch) worked well. For me, half-way to #1, I realized that maybe I really should look at my map and plan route to #2!

Thanks for your thoughts everyone.

I definitely agree with Eric - put a control at the triangle. At last Sunday's A-event at Thatcher, I did a near U-turn at the start triangle. While it was on the other side of a reentrant, and I got a nice bridge to cross, part of me wanted to cross the reentrant, and I wondered if any later starters would do that.

Simply having a short streamered run from Start-1 makes a lot of sense to me. Simply having a short streamered run from the last control to the finish seems to make sense to almost all O' course designers, so it shouldn't be a big leap to do that early in the course too, esp. when you're considering a 'remote' start triangle.