Discussion: Blue Hills Traverse results

Top ten finishers. I'll post official results when I get them from Jeff.

Roughly 45 runners, high 40s in temp, overcast
13.3 K

1. John Frederickson (just under 2 hrs)
2. Ross Smith
3. Ernst Linder
4. Samantha Saeger
5. J-J Cote
6. Tim Parson
7. Geoffrey Woods
8. John Hansman
9. Steve Olafsen
10. Jeff Schapiro

Additional unofficial results are posted at billygoat.org,
as copied from the results chart.

I enjoyed the course, Dean. Lots of route choices and plenty of trail options. Thanks for putting it together.

I've posted results. First time is total, 2nd time is to manned checkpoint. Not sure of John's & Ross's, maybe they can oblige with midsplits.

2006 Traverse results

Dean, do you have the course online someplace? Sounds like a good one!

east map
west map

That looks like a realy nice course.

The notable, and record setting performance was turned in by Ben Parson. Maybe not the youngest, at 14, BHT finisher, but the youngest who navigated on his own the whole way!
From my perspective this was one of the nicest in terms of navigation and good woods, but one of the hardest .as the big climb was at the end.

I was wondering how old Ben was, and whether he was the youngest ever. Absolutely an impressive job by him. I saw him looking very strong coming into the checkpoint.

The other candidates for youngest would be the three Tarry kids, who may have successively knocked off each others' records. If so, then the youngest would have been Damon in 2000, but I don't know what year he was born. (And like his siblings, he stayed with Dad the whole way.)

for some reason (scan resolution?), the online copy of the map (on my Mac) appeared clearer/more distinct than any hardcopy of a BH map I've had in hand. Sorry I missed; was tending a funeral in Salt Lake City...found some pleasantly distracting runs in foothills with far views.

Is it possible that for once the course was set so that it's optimal to go around Great Blue Hill on the south side...? Surely not!

Ernst went left, John went right, Ross went over.

Ernst goofed though -- he took the rocky trail around the left instead of the road.

None of them lost or gained positions as a result.

But who had the best split? And what do you think is the best route?

I went right, and I'm almost certain Sam did as well (she started that way, but pulled ahead out of sight). We may have gained some on Ernst. The next two behind us (Tim and Jeff) didn't particularly gain or lose anything by going over the top, I don't think. I never even considered going left, but I saw Pete Bundschuh on the road as I was on my way out by car.

I actually went left, but also took the rocky trail instead of the road. I was just too tired to actually look at the trail on the map (aside from the fact that it went were I was trying to go) and didn't realize that it kept going up and down the side of the hill. I probably ended up climbing almost as much as if I had gone over. Maybe not quite as much. It was certainly nice to be able to turn off my brain and just focus on running for almost the entire leg. I definitely should have cut out to the road for most of it though.

Okay, I've been over that hill a couple of times (though never while orienteering) and it would never occur to me to go over it voluntarily when there are multiple, rational options to go around. I'd be really interested to see the splits, see if I'm just a wimp or whether other people are crazy. ;-)

Looking at the leg, my first thought is definitely to go over... But maybe i'd change my mind if i were standing at the bottom of the hill towards the end of a 13km race.

After the race Ross said that he saw John go left, and he went over the top on the chance that it would allow him to get ahead. But it wasn't possible.

I went around to the right. The Olafsen threesome passed me by going left.

It wasn't just the Great Blue Hill leg. There were well-balanced route choices on 1, 2 (not that I really looked at the map up to that point), 5, 6, 10, 13, 17, 19, and 20.

Straight over the top has got to be the best route. It is ~22 contours vs. ~8 if you go around on the road but the road is more than 150% longer (~1100m vs ~1800m). I can't imagine that saving 70m in climb justifies running an extra 700m. What is the recommended ratio for avoiding climb anyway? It must be significantly less than 10:1.

It might be theoretically faster to go over... but practically speaking I know I'd have an easier time pushing the pace at the end of a long race if I were on a flat trail or road.

And of course there are other things to consider, like the speed of the descent and relative strength at climbing. Any idea how big was the John/Ross gap was before and after this leg?

John, you should say, "of course left is best, that's why I went that way!" ;-)

Using x8 multiplier over the top variant is 100 m shorter than left. Using x10 multiplier left is 50 m shorter. At the end of the race I would go left. After 115 m climb anyone would be dead for at least couple vital minutes.

If i am ever back in Boston again, i might have to go and test this leg.

The other relevant factor is that if you go over, the hill was presumably slippery with damp fallen leaves and lots of rocks (this is the Blue Hills, after all...).

I think after a second look I probably would have gone right. It worked every year I ran when the race had this leg or a variant...

As J-J noted, I went over the top, cutting to the large trail following the intermittent stream at first. That would have been quite runnable for fresh/young legs, though I did a fast walk til it flattened out. Then came the steeper part, which was mainly stone steps and I doubt runnable for anyone (but no leaves or bad footing). Then a run across the summit to the ski lift line, which I descended at a careful jog due to stones and knees. Some of you guys would have flown down that. As J-J said, I didn't seem to gain on him, but someone in better shape might have.
And thanks from both Ben and me for a great race, Dean and Jeff.

This looks like a great course - lots of route choice and interesting legs.