Organiser's Comments

We needed a replacement organiser when exam study got in the way of the initial team envisaged and I agreed to take the role on despite holiday immediately before hand. Thanks though to Chris, Philip Craven and Phil Basford, all of whom helped to progress things when I was busy. It seemed I was almost arriving on the day with everything having been put in place by others.

The biggest decision we needed to consider was the software. Buying SI software specific to a score event for one usage was a possibility but having been impressed by the entry and results capability of Vuggles software, and Peter's enthusiasm for allowing us to use it, we proceeded with this. Peter's help both before and during the event was both superb and, given my computer skills, perhaps more necessary than Peter expected! A big advantage is the friendly input screens and lack of German error messages - I am a convert.

Everything seemed to go well on the day thanks to the several DFOK helpers, some of whom decided not to run themselves.

Congratulations to Southdowns as SEOA Score Champions 2006. The result applies even after Peter's software had gathered up all possible SO members and recorded them as SO, despite their first club being elsewhere. Now I know how you Southdowners have such tremendous success!! Apologies to the competitors affected.

Thanks to London Borough of Greenwich for permission to use the land.

People's comments about the two courses were generally favourable. Someone seemed to be a little put out by the fact that there were a few controls that did not apply to her course, but she punched them anyway, presumably on the basis that at a score event all controls count. Well, yes, usually.Thereby hangs a story.

Initially I had decided that there would be too many controls for anyone to be able to pick up in the time available. Such an approach increases the necessary decision making, because the competitor not only has to decide the route to be taken, but also which controls should be left out. So originally we had 45 and 32 controls on the 60 minute and 45 minute courses respectively.

Les was extremely helpful and with his help the courses were refined, but in all that time neither of us had fallen in, even when we discussed the need for Les to check the control units on the day, using two dibbers. Well, we are both over 21 now and we can't be expected to think of everything, as well as trying to guide our zimmer frames through the trees.

But we did suddenly realise in good time! SI mark 5 dibbers will only take about 36 dibs before running out. Mark 6 and Emit take a lot more, but in the SE we all have Mark 5. So I was thwarted by the available technology.

I therefore had to omit 10 controls from the long course, but the shorter course needed no removals. Hence the reason for not all controls being applicable to the 60 minute course.

One alternative suggestion from Organiser, Andrew, was that we left 45 controls on the map but competitors were to have been informed that only the first 35 controls punched would be taken into account. I like that idea. Perhaps someone will try that at some future date.

The important thing is that I hope you all had good fun and exercise in a nice area.

Chris worked very hard to make this event a challenge. We feared too many runners would manage to get all the controls with ease in such a small area. However, only two runners managed to get all controls within the time and a variety of routes were chosen, so I think Chris succeeded. The slower than expected times were probably due to the rapid growth of vegetation in the last few weeks. It was much easier to find my way around 3 weeks earlier. The numerous additional seasonal paths made it difficult. Vandelism is a problem in the area and a willing band of helpers managed to get all the controls out in the morning before the event. The only problem was one control failure which was exchanged fairly promptly.

Peter Drake's software quickly produced the results and will be even quicker once all the anomalies are ironed out. Clubs not used to Peter's efficient registering must ensure that people do register with their dibber as we were left uncertain as to how many were still left in the woods at the end. Thanks to DFOK for this successful event.