Hatfield ForestSun 15 Sept

East Anglian Orienteering League

Regional level event

Terrain type: Forest

Results

• • Results are now final
• • Upload your route to Routegadget here!

Report

Organiser’s report

There are always some challenges in organising events and the first appeared to be a lack of entries, with us fearing a clash with the London City Race and associated events had drawn some regulars away. This was cured by a late rush of entries and we were very pleased to see around 160 orienteers on a bright morning. As reported below, we then had to find a way to control the event with Guy having his left leg in a plaster cast. Colin West stepped up and did the in-the-field work whilst Guy took on desk duties.

Of course these events can’t run without the willing SOS helpers and very many thanks to them who took on all the jobs willingly. I am sorry that some were tied to their task so long they didn’t manage to have a run. I think the extended distances between parking, start and download caused some delays which I had not foreseen.

Most competitors arrived at download with a smile, though many seemed a bit weary, and there was evidence of some of the rampant bramble in cuts and scratches.

Finally many thanks to the National Trust for permitting the event and particularly to Nick and his team from Hatfield Forest who were so helpful throughout the day. We hope to be back in a couple of years.

David Lumby

Planner’s report

Very gratifying that there seemed to be a lot of satisfied customers on the day. Many comments about what a great forest to run in.
Looking at the finishing times, I think I underestimated the difficulty of the (flat) terrain. Certainly with the amount of dead wood under foot and the brambles along the wide ride ditches it made fast running difficult.
During the planning process I was chasing a moving target, with mowing of grass and rougher open areas going on and closed (wet winter) rides being opened right up to the event.
That said, it seemed that the few closed rides remaining actually enhanced the challenge. It certainly helps that Kevin Machin prints our maps expertly in-house so we can handle map updates very late in the process.
A big thank you to Roger Gooding helping put out controls early this morning and to Colin West for switching on the controls this morning that were put out on Saturday.
Thank you to Guy Lidbury for controlling so effectively and soldiering on in style!
Thank you to the National Trust team at Hatfield Forest who have supported us throughout and made us so welcome at this iconic location.
Eddie Banks

Controllers Comments

...and I was so looking forward to running the 13k or so on a glorious Sunday morning to check and wake up all the controls in my inaugural external controller role. However breaking a bone in my left foot at last Sunday's HAVOC event put paid to that! But Eddie had plan B in place before we even left Dagnam, so my thanks go to him, Roger, Colin and the rest of the merry SOS team for saving me and doing the running on the day.
Apart from a rogue tape that had moved from one side of a depression to the other (or was the planner’s compass or use of at fault) causing much amusement over the phone, and two controls that decided not to beep, all went smoothly, with a commendable turnout of around 160 competitors.
Oh, and if it hadn’t been for my third leg arriving on Saturday night I doubt I’d have been any use at all on crutches; so if you break you lower leg or foot and still want to get out there, buy an iwalk3, what agame changer :o)
Guy Lidbury
HAVOC”

Last updated: Wed 18 September, 2024

Overview

With kind permission and support of the National Trust.

Hatfield forest is an ancient mature woodland and area of special scientific interest.

Colour-coded white to brown courses.

Location Info

Near: Takeley Street
Lat,Lng: 51.85916,0.24556
Postcode: CM22 6NJ

Open an interactive map in:
GoogleMap - OpenStreetMap - BingMap (OS 50k)