Constructive Comments from Kirsty, Mike Nolan, Tony Heron and Chris Barber – other thoughts? A general theme of how to get things right next year is emerging….
DT – we need to sort something out so that this doesn’t happen again next year. Just to stir things up and get arguments going – should the “B” Team be scrapped as it causes too much trouble to be sorted out?
Mike Robinson has sent this report through. In time I’ll move it to the other excellent Calderdale feedback – just didn’t want it to be buried, ignored and pass unseen. Afterall, Mike was the one who had to put up with the troubles.
“I would like to add my thoughts about the debacle we had at Calderdale last weekend, I know it’s a bit late but I have been away working.There will always be injuries and illness leading upto an event, especially when Dark Peak field so many teams, that is a simple fact of life. As long as runners let team captains know that they are no longer available then alterations can be made. Both Si Patton and John Boyle gave me as much notice as they could so I could find replacements. What is un-acceptable is finding out with less than ten minutes before a leg changeover that the guy due to run is sat at home and he hasn’t even told anyone. He may have had good reason for this but he must let the team organiser know. Luckily I had just turned up to watch the leg 2/3 changeover (mainly to get my own club vest back from a B team runner) to find young Tom charging around trying to find someone to run with. As I was the only A team member there I had to quickly change, borrow Lynn’s vest, and promptly set off, trying to hold onto my breakfast I had just eaten. All very exciting but not exactly to plan. The knock-on effect was that Mick Stenton was forced to volunteer (he was pulled out of the shower) to run leg 5 for the A team after already running leg 1 for the vets. Thanks to Mick the A team were spared a humiliating disqualification and we still managed to be placed 5th overall.
5th overall, Dark Peak could win this event if the elite and the orienteers turned out, but that is a topic for another day (and I wouldn’t get a run so we’ll leave that one there!)
On the day the B team ran smoothly, no hitches or mishaps and everyone turned up. This team was only finalised late Saturday evening, again due to a couple of very late drop outs. Luckily a friend of mine, Richard Green, from Kendal, stepped in to run his first ever race and Matt Davis offered the services of his friend, John Leather. Without these two and the Loxley 5 stepping in there wouldn’t have been a B team, how poor is that for a club of our size. Thanks to everyone who turned up and ran, everyone seemed to enjoy the occasion. The Peninne Bridleway Relay is in February, we have three entries, ten people per team. If anyone would like to run please put your name forward and make it easy for team captains.”
DT – Check the FRA Calendar for the Pennine Bridleway – from the FRA website – and get going on this….