Nillumbik Emus Orienteering Club  Training Event - 5 Jan 2008 - Carlton Gardens

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Training Run in Carlton Gardens

Why we run at 10:00 am on Saturdays

The Maps

Carlton Gardens - Line Course

The recently (almost) completed colour map of the area contained 26 control sites in the gardens - marked A to Z (from top left to bottom right...to make control sites easier to find). Entrants were given a slip of paper with their required loops on - but it soon became clear that they would run the course in different orders. While the park was only 400m wide by 800m long, the 3 loops provided a total distance of about 5 Km for runners.

Walkers had to do only two loops - although they would still visit most sites within the park...albeit in a more efficient way than the runners. The course chosen took them to many of the features of the park and contained 5-6 water fountains (one of which had been moved...) in case people needed a drink of water. The Dalai Lama's tree was a secluded spot surrounded by trees and is probably known to few in Melbourne (although 20-25 more now).

The links below show the loops run by each of the participants.

Runners (3 loops)

Walkers (2 loops)

Macarthur Place - Score Course

What a terrific area to run through! Wide, tree-lined streets, very little traffic and no shortage of route choice courtesy of the laneways, alley-ways and myriad of streets. It's worth noting that the whole course was 1.6 Km long by less than 400m wide. i.e. just over half a square kilometre. In spite of this, the total distance required to complete all controls was about 9.6 Km.

25 Control Score Course

Results

Times

In spite of some minor teething problems (never use software that you wrote at 3 am the previous night...) the timing system worked well. It recorded the split times for each runner that remembered to swipe as they came in. Everybody remembered to do this during the line-course but forgot that it was also required at end. A word of advice - if in doubt, swipe your card. The system will automatically remove the duplicates during result processing.

Scores

While we don't record scores during the training series, there is certainly no shortage of discussion following each of the events - and even more so following this one! A terrific result from Rory Finlay (recently arrived from Ireland) and from Stuart Elliot and Ray Howe who all got the lot. All of the runners completed the 3 loops within the park and headed off into the nearby streets.

Mark Besley got 14 controls for a total of 67 points. Graham Wallis ended up with 21 controls and 88 points. I kept crossing paths with Denise Pike who got all but 3 controls - the same result as Peter Grover. Mike Hubbert arrived a few moments after time with 8 controls in the 10 minutes or so that he had left after the line course. Ian Stirling, Lauris and Geoff all left out one control and returned before time.

In the power walking section, Judy Hopkins completed both PW loops and stepped out into the streets to get 12 controls for 57 points. Keith followed her in about 2 minutes later with 14 controls and a score of 63 points.

Picture Gallery

We set up camp underneath a shady tree	Deb and Graham talk to Rory - recently arrived from Ireland	The idea seemed simple enough - but the troubled looks at the briefing suggested otherwise.
Deb refuses to discuss anything until she gets her copy of the map (I wonder if Ian sees this look often?)	I'm still waiting....	Everybody is still smiling...
Angus approaching the finish	Angus and father Ian	That was great fun! I'm going to go around again!

Thanks to...

Thanks to Jun Okabe who brought an assortment of Japanese sweets along for people to try. While one seemed a little unusual, the bulk of these (and there were *lots*) were yummy - thanks Jun.

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