Protest About Unmapped Barrier

There was an unmapped barrier – specifically, a mature hedge – across a passageway in the competition area.  This affected route choice and running times between control #241 and control #243, and a competitor submitted a protest.

Having reviewed the situation, the Organiser – with the agreement of the Controller – decided that the leg from #241 to #243 should be excluded from compeitors' running times.  This affects Course A (28 - 29) and Course B (23 - 24).

Statement from the Organiser

Having reviewed the comments and visited the site of the unmapped barrier, I agree that the leg from #241 to #243 was unfair.  As well as affecting competitors' assessments of the available route choice options, it also meant that a competitor approaching from the west would have to turn south to bypass the barrier and this would incur additional running distance and time.

I have therefore decided that the following legs will be removed from competitors' running times:

• 28 - 29 on Course A
• 23 - 24 on Course B

The unmapped barrier could also have affected the leg from #252 to #240, which was included in Courses C, D and E.  However, when approached from the east the barrier is only 30 metres from where competitors would turn off the road into the passageway and it is clearly visible.  The impact of the unmapped barrier for runners on #252 to #240 is therefore very limited, and I have decided that it does not warrant modification of the results of Courses C, D and E.

The unmapped barrier could, in theory, have impacted Course A comeptitors on the leg from #223 to #240.  However, any impact on running times would be minimal, as runners would simply have to turn east at the blockage and run the 30 metres to the residential road.  There would be no decision making or back-tracking involved.  I have therefore decided that there is no need to remove leg 26 - 27 from Course A.

Mark Dawson
Organiser