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Please rate the following statements in relation to NIOA Colour Series events.
#Response DateComments
1.4/27/2008 9:22:00 PMI think that there has been progressively more use of permanent facilities near mapped areas and I hope this continues. I think the 'car park' changing rooms is an area that needs continuing effort to be avoided where possible - its not attractive to newcomers nor always conducive to post-event social activity. In terms of improving the series - there's probably lots that could be done but given the numbers of volunteers and competitors I think its pretty good. Maps are almost always over-printed and SI used - prizes for Juniors and better local media coverage before and after?
2.4/27/2008 10:31:00 PMThe longer courses seem to be suffering from a slow degradation in physical challenge. They no longer provide a challenge that prepares local orienteers for Regional and Championship course lengths. Planners need to abide more closely to the BOF winning times guidance.
3.4/28/2008 6:55:00 AMWould be happy with more events
4.4/28/2008 9:26:00 AMI haven't been to any NIOA events this year. Sorry.
5.4/28/2008 12:43:00 PMThe series should be confined to the period April to October to ensure access to the best orienteering terrain and ensure the entire series is consistently good
6.4/28/2008 2:32:00 PMlonger courses please! personally i dont see the need for the blue course. have a green 5.5 or 6 km then a brown of 10km. Brown courses of 6-7-8 km are way too short. JK middle distance for the 21 was 6km.
7.4/29/2008 10:39:00 AMGreater consistency of technical difficulty. Better use of series to develop orienteers and challenge them to do better. Acknowledgement of younger/newer orienteers going up the ladder and older orienteers coming back down. Better follow up of 1st time runners.
8.4/29/2008 11:16:00 AMMore consistency in application of standards when planning so that competitors have a better idea of what to expect from each course ... rather than thinking courses planned by x are usually easy/more difficult and I will therefore run another course.
9.4/29/2008 9:02:00 PMI don't get to enough of the colour series each year to specify changes, maybe greater publicity in the run up to events and results after events.
10.4/29/2008 10:45:00 PMPossibly shorten series to 3 major events, one organised by each club. Have less courses on offer -drop white course, Red course and Green course (have two technical courses) Put more emphasis on the 3 events - use for selection races, club champs, N.Ireland champs.
11.5/1/2008 6:49:00 PMTechnical at NI level committee is needed to drive up the standard of planning AND controlling.
12.5/1/2008 9:04:00 PMSeries for first half of year / second half /then overall. Season too disjointed at present
13.5/2/2008 8:10:00 AMIt would be helpful if less events were held in later October / November on open hillsides - but unfortunately these tend to be the more up to date maps. Grouping the events closer together would allow more of a racing 'season'.
14.5/3/2008 7:13:00 PMThe series would be strengthed by returning to the former 9 (Saturday) events per year
15.5/4/2008 10:42:00 AMVery different courses depending on venues and perons involved in planning and controlling. Some courses not available eg Red at Somerset 07. Would be good if events weren't on same weekend as national Sunday events.
16.5/4/2008 10:54:00 AMToilets?
17.5/6/2008 12:10:00 PMI find that the colour series are not consistent enough, nor long enough to be used to prepare me for national and international events, thus cannot be used as my core challenge. Also, the scoring system does not lend itself to being completely fair. Getting 100 points for an events depends more on who else turns up, rather than how well I ran. Thus winning the series depends as much on luck and turning up to lots of events, as to running really well at them.
18.5/6/2008 4:09:00 PMBrown course should be longer - it is not long enough to be sufficient training for a national/championship events. There are two many courses offered - too much work/pressure for the planner.
19.5/6/2008 4:13:00 PMSome events on Sundays might allow for a greater level of participation for some and free up a Saturday for other domestic duties and other sports. The designation of a local pub/cafe where a cup of tea and sandwich/soup could be served and splits/routes compared would add to the social aspect of the sport. We could learn from the Hill and Dale Series.
20.5/6/2008 4:33:00 PM1. Sunday Events to allow for orienteers to compete in other sports or other activities that would not be available on a Sunday. 2. Meeting area after events to compare splits etc, and get something small to eat or drink
21.5/6/2008 10:37:00 PMIt is sometimes difficult to get to events when they clash with school rugby matches. If I don't play I get dropped from the team. Sometimes, I play rugby before going orienteering. This only works for local events.
22.5/6/2008 11:13:00 PMI go to lifesaving classes before Saturday events and it would be good to be able to spread the activity over saturday and sunday.
23.5/7/2008 4:55:00 PMSome courses are planned through terrible areas (thick vegetation etc) that could easily be avoided which seems senseless and unnecessary. Many fixtures clash with key mountain running events. If they were simply a week later many clashes could be avoided. There are quiert a few competitors who may do both if they had the opportunity. Mountain fixtures are set in October for the following year, so it should be possible to do some co ordination. Arrangements for or directions to showers/liesure centres after events would be useful where such facilities are available.
24.5/7/2008 9:27:00 PMBetter application of guidlines partic planning. Shorter series. Include a inter club competition.
25.5/8/2008 7:49:00 PMmore technial courses, more depanding.