Report from Dan and Karen Parker, Planners and Organisers
The 6th annual BL Long-O (and not so Long-O) took place last Sunday (16th August). There was a record turnout of 130 competitors which surprised us as we’d thought that a lot of people would be away on holiday.
As usual there were 5 courses from Long (17km) to Super Short (3km). The longer courses in particular were designed with the emphasis on route choice and long legs rather than fine navigation. The hope was that we might attract some fell runners keen to try or improve their orienteering. A higher than usual number of competitors used hired dibbers so maybe, to some extent, we succeeded.
The weather was ideal. The heatwave (if we had one up here) was definitely over, and although it was cloudy the rain held off; it was just stopping raining when we left home at 7:30 am and started again as we got home many hours later. The recently lack of rain meant that the marshes were easier-going than usual, but some of the control descriptions (pond, stream/ditch junction) required some imagination. As has been clear at other recent events, bracken grows even more prolifically than usual in high temperatures, but fortunately, and unexpectedly, a lot of bracken-cutting took place on Burnbanks last week meaning that those on shorter courses were less restricted in their route choice.
From our point of view the event ran smoothly after an early glitch when some cows escaped from their field and blocked the access track. The post-run cake and hot drinks were appreciated and there was a very sociable atmosphere as people congregated to eat their lunch and discuss their courses. We tried to keep the organisation as simple as possible with a DIY start, an unmanned finish and minimal parking guidance. We also used mini-stakes and SI boxes on the ground for remote controls making putting out and collecting in easier.
Looking at Routegadget, the courses clearly offered a fair amount of route choice. The big talking point was a 2.5 km leg across Fordingdale shared by the Long and Medium courses. We’ve done a bit of analysis and concluded that there were three more or less equal routes, the best one probably depending on your personal strengths (steep ascents, rough terrain, path running…)
It’s looking likely that Burnbanks will soon be affected by a lot of new fencing as part of an environmental stewardship scheme designed to promote shrub and woodland development. It won’t prevent orienteering on Burnbanks, but will probably affect its quality.
Looking ahead to 2027, we don’t yet have a date or a venue but the event is definitely going to happen…..
Border Liners Orienteering Club 