Urban Orienteering race 48:41 [5] 7.0 mi (6:57 / mi) +30m 6:52 / mi
City of Manchester Race - 1st, 48:41
Manchester / Salford was one of the highlights of last year and this didn't disappoint, superb race. Was completely shattered at end. Tough on mind and legs.
Took a while to get going, and some of the pavements were very slippy so took some very wide lines! Was surprised to find only an A4 double sided map but I thought it was excellent planning, even though we visited the canal area at start finish and mid point it wasn't boring, which it could quite easily have been.
My only gripe was the bizarre (?) mapping of underpasses/tunnels with the purple crossing lines, which I have always understood to mean crossing point on the flat, i.e. pelican crossing or suchlike.
Here they were over printed on to the dotted line to show path/tunnel at lower level, such as to make the dotted lines, which I have always found sufficient, unreadable. I don't believe they did this last year? Took me a while to figure out what was going on, was very confused going 3-4 only when I saw the tunnel did I clock what was going on and figure out what they meant. The ones on the canal were especially superfluous.
Anyway, route is on routegadget, main issues were:
#2 - Not sure how I ended up with fastest split here, took shortest route but this involved several flights of steps. Would have been better going round on road to north on the flat. On my route failed to clock I'd gone under two underpasses and so was hesitant approaching control.
#3 - Missed small ginnel and ended on wider one to east. Headed up to beer garden once over canal twice and though could see control (and could have punched through uncrossable railing) had to backtrack and go around. First encounter with v.slippy pavements.
#4 - Through underpass, but with steps to get there think flat approach from south better.
#15 - Lost a fair bit of time here, so need to look at other peoples route. Zig-zagged my way down, was down the outside quicker?
#16 - Thought I was being clever by going all the way round to the south on the A57. Halfway along noticed first overbridge was marked uncrossable so couldn't do that. Cut in at next opportunity but changed mind and went back and cut in at last entrance. Then more steps and a slow lap of the two cages to find the control.
I think the quickest route involves the bridge you had to walk across, which I have an issue with giving an optional 1 minute time out and hence 1 min rest to some but not others. Would have been quite clever to take it. However we must probably accept this things as part and parcel of getting permissions etc for an urban event and take them in good heart.
#20 - Got confused right next to control as couldn't see very small building below control circle. Looking on google can't see it either. Mapping error?
#22 - Took north route, which clearly didn't work. Can now see steps straight on over bridge which make choice clearer.
#24 - By now knackered and lost my head badly here stopping on approach to road bridge, thinking it was footbridge (!!) and wondering where the buildings that should be ahead were. bout 20s working this out.
#25 - Caught someone up here and approached from south which allowed me to overtake as he came from west.
#27 - Remember being caught out by this control location last year. On that occasion I should have read control description, on this occasion I did.