Discussion: #2

A suggestion for #2 on your alt strat plan.

Let participants on courses #1 and #2 (white and yellow) view their map for up to a minute before they start. Better yet pre-publish courses at the finish line BEFORE the race starts allowing them to talk it over with parents and/or coaches.

At Swiss O Week they allowed you to pick up your map at the 1 minute call-up before the start. The world seemed to have kept on spinning anyway, and I think it was generally a nice feature.

@Charlie, I was going to post that when I lived in Sweden it was only the elite categories that had to wait until the start time to look at their map - all other categories got a full minute to look over the map. It was great for my daughter when she started to learn but that was 8 years ago and that may have changed too.

For whatever reason we have adopted IOF elite rules at all levels of our sport even if they don't make sense. The discussion on scale of map printing is an excellent example of that.

Re: Sweden
One-minute rule applies to all junior categories = 16 and under.
Everyone else waits for the start signal before picking up map
(except for open courses...)

In Norway the -10 and I think -12 classes get their maps in the club folder with startlists, bib numbers, etc. Parents and coaches go over the courses with the kids first an I imagine it really helps. I hope it means they have more fun.

Not sure I see a need for a one minute look for adult classes. If nothing else, we'd lose the wow factor when explaining to other people that the first time you see the course is when the clock starts. ;-)

#2 is coming, just got this little rogaine to take care of first.

Adults on white or yellow are probably beginners so, a minute to study things wouldn't be a bad idea.

In Italy at the JWOC spectator races several years ago they gave even us old guys 1 minute to look at the map so it was standard practice there at that time though maybe it's changed now?