BOK Urban Series - Congresbury - Weds 14th July 2021

Thought it worth mentioning this event coming up this month seeing as it is less than an hour from Taunton.

Details:

The terrain is urban footpaths, residential streets and floodplain meadow - there are long (7.1km), medium (4.8km) and short (2.9km) courses available.

Looks like a few QO-ers on the start list, including Martin, Stephen and Steve who look to be competing in a good chunk of the series.

I enjoyed my one and only race in the series a few years ago but this is probably the only one I can do this year.

Urgh - so that was ‘interesting’. Not sure I am a fan of the floodplain meadows with its maze of fences, uncrossable gates and hedges :frowning:

I started well but completely messed up the long leg from 3 → 4 - I discounted the best route because I missed a cut through, then misread the map thinking a more direct route was possible, before finally abandoning that and taking a different long route around. I probably lost about 8-9 minutes but more to the point I ran an extra km.

The rest of the course was fine - a few sub-optimum but ok route choices, but ultimately I was out of puff and in a bad headspace after my error and I never quite recovered and came in 31st.

On the long course, I was joined by Andy Rimes (24th), Elizabeth Treherne (29th) and Simon St Leger-Harris (34th). On the medium course, there was Martin Lewis (9th), Steve Robertson (11th) and Rosie Wych (14th). On the short course, there was Julia Robertson (9th).

Results at BOK Urban Series 2021 Event 10 - Congresbury - Weds 14th July 2021 | Bristol Orienteering Klub (but no RouteGadget yet).

In the series with just two more races to go, Steve is currently sitting 5th and Martin 9th on the medium course, and Julia is leading the women on short (and is 2nd overall).

Let us see if I can do a bit better at Killerton - 25 July - Devon Orienteering next weekend!

The RouteGadget is up if anyone wants to see the courses: Routegadget 2

Here is my disaster 3 → 4:

Red is probably the best route, but I did not see the path going east along the river so I assumed you would have to follow the long green route around (you actually need to go well beyond the control to the east before doubling back). Instead I thought I saw a route through the maze of fields but no chance - so I panicked and went the stupid long way around :man_facepalming: