Event Coordinator
About 2 years ago there were 4 mad individuals who decided they wanted to offer the orienteering world something a bit different. It started off as an idea for a Long O of full-on orienteering and then we added a relay and a colour coded event (or whatever we call it now) and before we knew it we had invented the Lincolnshire Bomber. A really determined effort got the first one underway in January 2006 and the response was so positive from everyone that went along that we knew we just had to do it again. Bomber 2007 was going to have to be different again, but it didn’t take the maniacs long to come up with a plan to exploit all the natural benefits that Lincoln has to offer. I hope everyone enjoyed the Relay at Cranwell. It was great to see so many teams making it a really good competition. Thanks to Jen Healing for the great organisation and to Liam Harrington for making excellent use of the map with his courses. The Long O round Lincoln’s Green Spaces was a tremendous effort and John Bennett’s map is brilliant. I do hope it gets used again. I must also praise Dom Marshall for planning such an excellent course for the Long O – only the second ever event he has planned! Steve Bones has to take the bulk of the credit for the City Race from drawing the map, planning the courses and working so hard to get access to the most interesting bits. The Bishop’s Palace was fantastic. A lot of people were needed over the weekend to make it all work and I must thank everyone for all their willingness to do their bit. Final thanks to Tony Green and Sean Harrington, the Sunday organisers, who put so much thought and care into making sure every angle was covered. Well done everyone – now what are we going to do for 2008?!
Andy Ebdon - RAFO
City Race Planner:
Who would have thought that 11 months ago the Bomber Weekend as we know it was originally plan D! After several unsuccessful discussions with local woodland owners for our other plans we decided to approach the city council & their events committee LESAG to see if they would mind 400 runners around the city on a quiet weekend in January. Right from the beginning the council were very helpful, we have had a good working relationship with them for the last 20 years and this helped convince them we knew what we were doing. After the council were on board it became very easy to persuade various land owners and estate managers to allow us to run competitors though their land or properties. Personal thanks must go to Peter & Malcolm at the Castle and to Charles Rogers at Bishops Old Palace for the time and support they gave to us to allow runners through these areas.
Planning the City Race turned out to be very challenging because unlike Oxford and York Lincoln does not have the small alley ways and cut troughs these other areas have in abundance. I was really unhappy with my early planning as the map only went approximately 200m north of the Castle (where the Long O map ends) this meant that getting courses around the castle before returning back through made for some awful legs early on. Then in mid November I decided to extend the map north and incorporate the areas courses A & B visited in their first 4 controls. This made an extra 30 hours or so work on the map but did mean I could make legs early on more challenging. Another late addition was Bishops Old Palace, I decided to only bring the A course in here as it is a small area and to be honest I didn’t think people would appreciate the dog leg too much despite it being a fantastic little area with a vineyard and a cellar with some amazing architecture. In the end I decided I wanted runners to see as much of the city as possible so went for it and I’m glad I did as this seemed to be the highlight for many of the people I spoke to after the race.
I must apologise for not getting the maps in the start lane before the race, there was a little confusion between myself and Sean thinking the other was going to do it, on top of the download problems it was just overlooked. I know this resulted in some people being unaware of some of the symbols on the map. There was a little confusion over one or two of the control descriptions being too vague, again an oversight which I hope did not detract from the overall run.
The City race will now be an annual event for LOG, it has proved itself against the likes of Oxford and York and even boasts having them brown squiggly lines that are lacking from most LOG areas! I hope the courses dispelled any ideas that Lincoln is a flat county.
I would like to thank Mick Chopping for again controlling me, Sean & Nikki Harrington for organising the City Race, Dom, Tony & Brian for the excellent work on the Long O, John for testing my map and running legs, everyone in LOG and RAFO who came from far and wide to help man a point and finally Andy Ebdon for having the belief that this event could happen, even after plans A, B & C fizzled out - his leadership, presence at committee meetings and commitment to the cause really makes you feel we could move mountains!
See you all a little further south next year??
Steve Bones - LOG
Long O Planner:
When I was first asked to
take on the planning for the Long O race, I thought; “Sure, how hard can it be?”
Then RAFO Chairman Andy Ebdon told me it was 17-20 km long (worried!). Then I
found out it would be linking the green belt areas around the city of Lincoln
(very worried!). Covering 3 maps (what have I taken on!). “And what OCAD
experience have you got?” – to which I replied “None!”
After the initial shock, I was reassured by the expert mapping help on hand from
John Bennett of LOG and from my Controller Brian Slater (more from him
elsewhere).
Despite the seemingly straightforward task of creating a course between the
17-20 km length, when you combine the issues of considerable climbs in the start
and finish areas, the best use of the bigger open spaces, avoiding ‘risky
areas’, some very busy road and rail crossings, whilst still being able to offer
some route choice to competitors was a mammoth challenge – not bad considering
this was only the second event I’d ever planned.
With armchair planning complete – nothing else for it but covering the ground on
foot. One spectacular on South Common and Swanpool was in the driving rain for 5
hours – something I doubt Brian and I will not forget in a long time! Seasonal
vegetation changes as undergrowth died back forced control site changes, with
either better ones being revealed or the route choice becoming unsuitable –
either way it usually involved an update to the map, then so began another round
of tweaking!
If I had to summarise; an outstanding mapping ‘base’ from which to plan,
combined with guidance from the controller was key. As an inexperienced planner,
it was hard but rewarding work to adequately link areas together and get a
course that would provide challenges, offer options and not just be a slog -
though I’m sure some of you may not agree with me on that final climb up to the
Cathedral!
Dom Marshall - RAFO
Long O Organiser:
This was a challenging event to organise, not just logistically but from a safety perspective as well. Permissions as ever were testing us right to the end but the weather, another key factor at this time of the year, was thankfully on side. The ambitious course to circumnavigate Lincolns' green spaces meant many road crossings, some relatively minor but many major arterial routes through the city and even on a Sunday, very busy. In addition the Lincoln to Newark railway line, which for the event day was unhelpfully carrying all East Coast Mainline GNER services due to engineering works between Doncaster and Newark, had to be crossed twice at unmanned points before the competitors joined the TownO competitors in the historic quarter of Lincoln. Competitor safety is paramount and both rail crossings and the main Newark road crossing were manned at all times, which along with the start, map change, finish and the continuous minibus shuttle from the Lawns to the start, meant for a labour intensive event. Thankfully, and inevitably in our sport, enough volunteers stepped forward, many from considerable distance away, and made the event possible, and I am deeply indebted to them all for their time and the professionalism that they displayed. Without their commitment and dedication, along with the close collaborative working of the two clubs, RAFO and LOG, I could not have made the event work, and work it did. Special thanks to Steve Bones and others from LOG, who did much of the organisational effort I was unable to do because of my London week working. Entries were encouragingly up on last years event and judging by the many positive comments from competitors, I suspect that next years event will be even more subscribed.
Tony Green - RAFO
Long O Controller:
Congratulations to all the competitors on completing or attempting the Longo. It
started on rough terrain and gave lots of opportunity for route choice and
following a corridor in parts. The line through the uncrossable lake was no
worse than the ones later through uncrossable buildings. Dominic Marshall
(planner) made very good use of the area. There was a variety of terrain and
some very pleasant parkland and conversely rough open areas. There were many
comments on the quality of the course. I did feel for those of you who tire
prematurely because as I was driving from area to area the Minster was in
constant view I suppose you all realized that you had to pass near to it before
you could finish. Well done the women runners 4 in all I think, you’re very very
‘tough’. The early climb to the heights of South Common was commented on and I
agreed it was evil, but if it’s any consolation to him both Dom and I had to do
the same climb but in torrential rain, and soggy map.
The RAFO and LOG team were absolutely superb in the way they handled the
preparation for the weekend. It was great to be kept informed of developments
through cumulative e-mails. There were challenging issues right up to the last
day. But all were resolved coolly and calmly. The pony field for instance, we
had to use the secret exit point rather than the official gate and you risked
the interference at controls by inquisitive animals.
The hard work that was put in by the map-makers Steve and John was very
worthwhile. There were many complementary comments from competitors at the
finish. No negative comments received. I liked the Einstein quote that some-one
made on NOPE Sport, it was to do with logic and imagination and the event had
both.
Brian Slater - HALO