We've had mixed results
in terms of numbers competing in Leinster as measured by Leinster League
results. As in the previous year there were 15 foot-O events of mixed format.
There were a total of 1336 competitive runs in the league this past season
(1999-2000), compared to 1449 runs last year - a deficit of 113 (8% slide).
A positive point is that the rate of decline is decreasing - in the previous
year the drop in the number of competitive runs was 338 (19%).
(Note that I've used the results on the IOA web-site as my data source for this year, and the LOC minutes from the last AGM as my data source for the previous season.)
This year 454 people competed in the LL. (I don't have the exact figure for last year).
Some encouraging news next: 130 people ran four events or more i.e. 29% of the total. In the previous season only 18% of orienteers completed more than 4 events. This means that there is an increasing hard core of competitors with more than 4 runs.
enteering seems to be on the wane - more effort definitely needs to be applied here... promote and be damned!
We successfully introduced a BLACK course this season.
The numbers competing on the various courses were:
BLACK - 22 (11),
BROWN - 24 (13),
BLUE - 79 (29),
GREEN - 98 (39),
LT.GREEN - 88 (20),
ORANGE - 82 (9),
YELLOW - 71 (17).
In brackets are the numbers who completed more than 4 events. So the "hardest core" of all are the BLACK and BROWN competitors with the highest percentage of more than 4 runs.
The new season
The current mixture of regular cross-country and alternate foot-orienteering formats will continue for the next two seasons. There shall be no prize-money (funds are better spent on juniors say the polls), World Cup points system to be used, and organisers, planners and controllers (OPCs) to get free points. At the recent Leinster AGM it was unanimously agreed to continue with the BLACK course for the next two years.
Aonghus OCléirigh