Discussion: How would you do first leg of Middle A-Final

Here is a link to the map
http://jwoc2014.bg/index.php?name=maps#prettyPhoto...

I'm curious how the others would do the first leg of the mens middle A final at JWOC. See link above. Note that the map opens at 100% so you can see why the organizers recommended using a magnifier. Don't despair though, there is a button in the upper right corner that will blow it up.

I've looked at it for ten minutes, and I like the route I picked in the first ten seconds.

I'd aim for the boulder cluster but find the stream, then look right for the long index contour spur and I'd go around the "tip" of it and go a tiny bit north of straight east along the flat-ish 2nd contour below the index---the one that doesn't have big reentrants.

I usually have a really slow time crossing the badland areas, and on leg 1, I'd worry about being off-line at the end of the badlands. (I'm leg-1-phobic at big events because of AZ.)

I thought of staying along the hill until the comma-shaped clearing, but I suck at attacks like that. I'd go farther to the hilltop-boulder-knoll and carefully follow the curving spur for a bit then look right for the knoll and flag. But this is longer, and would prevent me from getting to know the map. Also, I like my first choice.

I have run at Zheleznica several times from a 14yo to elite level. The way I managed to go through this terrain more or less satisfactory was very precise compass and pacing.

Having looked at it for a bit, I too would try to be very precise with my compass and than pace. And, I never pace count---but I think I would here now that I have had the benefit of studying an enlarged version. I did notice the organizers were nice enough to put the flag on top of the knoll.

What about staying high, going to the big flat spot, then coming down the spurs. Cuts out a lot of up/down crossing spurs and is quite "easy" looking compared to going more straight. But way, way longer. I think I'd need to test run to see what is the best way ;-) Thank goodness for model events!

Start out in about the right direction for about 30 meters, then camp there for 2 minutes until a Swiss/Norwegian/etc. runner starts. NOTE: I am not advocating this, but statistically and scientifically this may be your optimum option (G. J. Ackland & D. Butler, Nature 413, 127 (13 September 2001)).

Carefully... Very Carefully.

in first 5 sec i made decision to came right back on starting chute 30 m and staying on upper side of side hill , pass the yellow , keep going ( while still on top /flat area, down on that re-entrant, boulder, and it seems easy- but need to be carefully from there

Looks like a big issue is whether you are allowed to leave the corridor before the start triangle and how that is enforced. Was there a required punch at the start triangle? If competitors are required to go all the way to the triangle, then that's the only way to make this start equal for everybody. Otherwise, what constitutes "close enough" (touch the start flag, veer off 5 m away, 10 m, 20m, 50m?) Alternatively, if you don't have to run through the actual start, then veering off early - perhaps even staying on the flat for a couple hundred m before turning directly north down the hill looks like a relatively safe course of action.

Definitely a very tough first control. Some people who take a chance on rough compass and blast straight toward it will get lucky and see the bag, saving some time over those who are more careful - but that's a high risk strategy...

I planned this by not looking for more time than I would if competing, that I believe is being realistic, and challenging.
I assume one must run to the triangle start, I would plan as I ran...
Compass along line, a bit to the right, pace count and watch for the green on the NW curving spur. Drop to the renetrant then onto the next spur, follow N to Boulder group.
Slow down, pace and compass toward control.
Staying high is other option, not much to go by coming down the hill though.

Well I believe it is a mandatory marked route from map pickup to the start triangle, so you should be disqualified for leaving the chute before reaching the start triangle. Probably nobody was enforcing that?

(aside - the rules & ISOM don't have consistent wording on this, but I believe that the intent is that all marked routes are in fact compulsory)

I see this as a little bit careless in the course planning as the temptation for this route choice is clearly to leave the start chute without going to the start triangle. This type of temptation (to do something illegal) should not be deliberate. Perhaps the course planners didn't anticipate such a route choice?

Compass to the rocks then walk in if you have to.

There is an existing mechanism for ensuring that people go to a place like that start triangle. It's called a "control". Other than that, if you want people to stay on a marked route, then as far as I'm concerned it needs to have continuous tapes along both sides.

The issue isn't so much that you want people to go to a particular spot (the control) but rather that you want them to follow a particular route. I think the convention (and rule) of marking with streamers should suffice, though that is "should" in quotation marks and I will use continuous tape along both sides when I really want to make it clear. But mostly I try to make it such that there is no advantage from not following the marked route (i.e. avoiding a log like this example ;-)

Agree with AZ and JJ on this. If you are going to force people to follow a specific route, there either needs to be no advantage to short cutting the route, or the route needs to be clearly bordered on both sides with a clear ending point from which you can disperse. I always feel a bit nervous when I'm told that I have to go "through" or "past" a marked starting point. At what point is it close enough to follow the spirit of the rule and not incur a dq? A control punch at this point makes it clear and enforces that everybody has to visit the exact same point. Otherwise I have to decide if 5 meters is close enough? Or ten? Or twenty? I shouldn't have to stress over whether I'm following the rule or pushing the limit.

Certainly for a world championship race, what is permitted (or not) needs to be crystal clear.

Being careful or walking to the control-----The first time Pawtuckaway was used was for a World Cup event in 1992 and the map was 1:15000. I asked one of the European World Cup competitors how they went to a specific control in the most detailed area and the response was "I walked".

By the way, the leg at JWOC is about 200 meters and the fastest person was the eventual winner in 1:47. There were 3 people in the top 20 that were over 4 minutes and a couple were over 15 min.