Discussion: US Relay Champs

Three weeks (and a bit) to the US Relay Champs in Vermont. Who's going? What teams will people be running on? Who's going to win?

Is that a thinly veiled RMOC intel-gathering attempt in a bid to extend the winning streak?

1-DVOA
2-RMOC
3-HVO

RMOC is probably fielding no team at all this year. (And one win isn't much of a streak.) Who will be on the DVOA and HVO teams? I didn't figure HVO had much of anybody these days, though I was figuring that DVOA culd be very strong. I also consider CSU, BAOC, Cascade, and OK to be teams to watch, depending on who exactly shows up on their rosters.

Get real !!! DVOA of course. :)))))))))))

You'll have to back up that boast with a roster!

Greg, Sandy, Randy, have anything to say? :))))))

HVO doesn't have much these days! We will see about that.

It is great to see a strong interest in relays. Relays have the potential to improve athletic development and depth within clubs. Why? If you are the 9th or 10th best runner in your Swedish club you are very valuable to the club's Tio-mila team - hence the strong club based athletic development and training programmes. North American athletic development could really benefit from having an annual large relay (7 people/team) associated with an 'A' meet. Throw in some night legs and the fun factor would be even higher. There isn't a Nor-Am relay champs. So perhaps a 7 person race (with some handicap points like the current system) could be added. Would clubs support it? I hope so... Any takers on hosting?

Sounds like the Rocky Mountain 1000-day may be the best venue for this - the terrain is wide-open, which is nice for Night-O, and the spectators will stick around and watch since they are not in a hurry to fly or drive home right after their race is over...

I believe it was Spike who had an intersting idea that would allow a long relay with night legs to include clubs that don't have many strong runners. Run a few night legs with a maximum time limit. Teams that don't get done, or choose to simply skip the night legs, take the max time. The next day, the relay is finished by chase starting the next runner.

I think this format would work well with a 2-day A-meet by starting the night legs on Friday night. The Friday runners and runners without a team could do a traditional pt-pt course on Saturday while the rest of the relay runners did their course. Timed properly, everybody should be in when the first relay team finishes. Then Sunday could be a 1-day A-meet using a standard format.

Logistically, this would take some work, but I don't think it would be too much more difficult than a 3-day A-meet. Personally, I'd be willing to give it a try(organizaing it, that is, of course I'd be happy to run in one as well) if there was sufficient interest.

We can't even get the stronger teams from the "wrong" coast to attend the 4-person relay, so where's any chance the 7-person relay would be successful? 7-person relays are for 100,000-orienteer countries.

Last year, there were no teams from DVOA, HVO, NEOC, or CSU; this year, there won't be a competitive one from BAOC, and possibly RMOC. It just looks to me that the prevailing attitude about the Relay Champs is "oh yeah, we're serious about it, as long as it's in our back yard". The only consistent exceptions to that are OK, Cascade, and SVO.

The problem for small clubs like CSU is that if a single member of the team cannot make it to the Relay Champs for some reason, which is common when it involves a transcontinental flight for a college student, then we really cannot field a competitive team, and then the rest of the potential team members decide to save their money and not fly cross-country.

anyone for jukola next year? we can just fly over for the weekend and not have to worry about adjusting for the time difference or anything.

yes I would also like to see more prestige associated with the relay champs. after all it's pretty much the most exciting format we have. (not that there's many spectators, but your clubmates waiting around before/after running get pretty excited). I think one problem is a lack of regional relay events. how can most people get excited about it if they don't know what they're missing.

btw--I'm not kidding about jukola. even if we only have 3-4 people we could run twice (would make it even more worth the trip...) or recruit some crazy old nordic dudes.

I always thought the Jukola sounded like a race I'd want to do just for the sake of doing it. Between family/work/finances it would be a real stretch - but I''m game to consider it. One or more legs....

btw - I'm half Finnish and M-40 - does that make me a crazy old nordic dude?

Next year's Relay Champs will be near McCall, Idaho, Ponderosa State Park—good, fast, flat-ish relay terrain; a peninsula in a lake. The A meet will be across the lake—take a look at this year's A meet terrain, similar to next year's A meet but not the relay. Mike and I will be announcing, again! So don't you dear not bring your clubmates from the wrong coast this time.