Discussion: Promoting Sprint Orienteering

Are people aware of approaches that have been made to promote and develop (mapping, coaches, officials) sprint orienteering on a large scale (country, region in a country) to families and children? What has and hasn't worked?

I can't speak for what has been done, but I can comment on what I would like to see: I understand that the mapping standards are quite different for sprint maps. Rather than having to read up on this on some IOF website, I would love to have a training session where someone brings relevant maps and shows me what to look out for.

it was a link about the maps done for sprint in 2006 WOC , more then enough samples and explanations there. maybe someone will remember ( i could not find it now).

on the other hand i think was good that we start that NA sprint series, and it will be good if we can stay focus with that and even bring more at the local level.its a great way to introduce beginners to orienteering, since can be done even in a tiny park almost anywhere

Hey Mikkel, that's a great idea. Let's try to do this at one of BAOC's upcoming sprint events. It might be really informative to do this in an area mapped to ISOM and ISSOM standards, so people can compare.

(Maybe easiest way to do this is take an ISSOM map, and 'downgrade' to ISOM) We should discuss further details by email...

´Here's a good link that explains the ISSOM standard.

http://www.soenniksen.dk/sprintkort/index.htm

Call it "Short", "Park", or "Metro". "Sprint" scares people, particularly newcomers who know that sprinting involves 60-400m of all out (anaerobic) effort and can't make the connection to the much more sedate sport of navigating with a map in unknown terrain.

mood - thanks for the link..that's it what was i looking for

Can someone explain how the heats for these ultra sprint races are done?
e.g., Garmin Ultrasprint hosted by SYO.

Does everyone have the same course? Reading the race report it sounds like the final had butterfly loops but is there other forking as well?

Link is here to the SYO race:

http://www.southyorkshireorienteers.org.uk/ultrasp...

Did juniors enjoy this format too?

The juniors coped well, and we used the maze on its own as a beginners event after the main race which worked really well.
For the heats there were 4 parallel courses with 4 people starting at the same time and no-one knowing which heat they were in (like World Champs qual). Last year we did something different - more along the French Orientshow idea...
I'm sure OJ can explain everything better!

Thanks Jenny. After posting this I emailed OJ and got an excellent explanation. sounds like a great success. Oh, and ultrasprint sounds so so much better than 'orient-show'.

On some level I agree with Eoin. there are a number of people at our club who have never tried sprint courses, and one guess is that it is the name.

Another thought:
At our members only meet this spring we had a course of about 150 meters with e-punch that had 4 controls. Some kids used the map the first time, but the little kids, 4-6 year olds, ran with a parent. After the first time they all just sprinted around the course.

It was great. It was in an open field so we could see them the entire way from one spot. After each run they downloaded and got splits--just like the adults. My 5 year old son ran it five times and took me to see the "shortcut" he took through some trees. He ran it two more times after we closed the e-punch down. He also fell asleep about 5 minutes after leaving the park. What could be better?

The parents whose kids did it gave a lot of positive feedback. Not revolutionary, but it sure was fun.

We plan to do a similar event at our night Halloween event. We'll paint the pumpkin baskets like controls--I saw the idea on AP a couple years back. Can't remember who had the picture.
We'll illuminate them and put candy in them instead of having the kids punch. Again, I am sure it's been done before, but we expect some people who may not be able to get sitters to show up to an event they might otherwise have skipped.

At our members only meet this spring we had a course of about 150 meters with e-punch that had 4 controls. Some kids used the map the first time, but the little kids, 4-6 year olds, ran with a parent. After the first time they all just sprinted around the course.

It was great. It was in an open field so we could see them the entire way from one spot. After each run they downloaded and got splits--just like the adults.

I did similar thing as a culmination to a weeklong daycamp O program I did a few weeks ago. I set out a 530m, 9 control e-punching course where every control (including 30 bogus controls) was visible from the finish. The only thing out of sight was the start which was staffed by another adult. Kids ranged from K-6 grades and all seemed to have a great time and many re-ran the course multiple times to compare their splits and see how much faster they did.

I had the advantage of not having to share the e-punches with other courses, but its definitely a concept that got everyone excited about the sport, moreso than many of the newcomers who come to a local meet, have a pleasant walk in the woods on a beginner course, but never seem to come back.

Sprint is not very polular in The Netherlands. "I have to travel too long for only a sprint competition" is one of the most heard arguments.

Due to Natura 2000, the ecological network in the territory of the European Union, it is getting harder to organize 'regular' competitions in The Netherlands.

That is why we start with a serie of sprint competitions, Sprint Cup 2008, after the holidays. Every competition has an extra activity. Score-o, maze, etc.

We hope this will make sprint orienteering a little bit more popular among the orienteers in The Netherlands.Sprint orienteering is also a nice way to introduce beginners to orienteering.