World of O News
– It was interesting orienteering from the start point to the finish, and I think it was the most complete orienteer of the day who won. You had to be really good both physically, technically and mentally, Olle Boström (Sweden) says about his choice for “Course of the Year 2011″.
The course Boström is talking about is the Elitserien long distance race organized by IK Hakarpspojkarna in Husqvarna at the end of April.
– This was a really tough long distance in tough terrain, Boström continues. – There were some interesting route choices, and some tricky short legs.
Old style long distance
Boström is not the only one who enjoyed the “old style” long distance race in Sweden in the end of April. Helena Jansson picked the same event – but the women’s course.
With Boström’s choice we got yet another elit runner choosing a long distance race. Maybe the many long distance races that get suggested is because the runners really get to feel the course – for good and worse – when fighting for 90 minutes or more?
– The course setter did it well, Boström finishes his comments about the Hakarspojkarna long distance race. – The winning time was good for a long distance. Not too long and not too short, with one runner under 90 minutes.
The winner in the long distance race: Olav Lundanes (Norway) winning with more than 4 minutes ahead of Francois Gonon. Boström finished 9th – nearly 10 minutes down on Lundanes.
Course of the Year 2011
Which course will take the prestigious top spot this year? The search for the course of the year will be fun, for sure as it was last year! The rules are simple: Suggest a course from a competition or training in 2011 (click here to get to the suggestion page), and state the reason why you think this course deserves to be “The course of the Year 2011″. The best among all the suggestions will be chosen, and there will be a voting process among the readers of World of O in order to name “The course of the year 2011″. Prizes from sponsors make it more fun to be in on the suggestions and voting – Croatia Open, Lipica Open, Fjord-O and EOC Tour are sponsoring “The course of the year 2011″ with starts (see below).
Interview with Olle Boström
We also did a short interview with Olle Boström to hear more about her 2011 season with respect to maps and courses.
WoO: What is the worst course you run in 2011?
– I think it is sad when the organizers think more of a good arena than really good courses
I haven’t run any courses this season which have been really bad, so it is a hard question. But one of the bigger competitions where I think the course setting could have been much better, was the Post Finance middle distance in Switzerland. The beginning was a really good and interesting middle distance course, but then it was too much easy running over open fields in the end, just so the finish could be down in the town.
I think it would have been much better to have the finish up on the top so the second part could have been more interesting like the beginning. I think it is sad when the organizers think more of a good arena than really good courses, especially when they have such a good chance to make good courses as they had here.
A good course is one thing – enjoying a race or training another. What is the race or training you have enjoyed most in 2012?
For sure my first WOC was the biggest happening for me this season. But one other race that I enjoyed really much this season was 10-Mila and the fourth leg, “The long night” (“>see map here. This is a leg I have heard really many stories about during my whole orienteering life since I was a little boy. And now it was my turn to get the chance to run this for my club Järla Orienteering. I liked the course really much, especially in the southernmost part. I am also very satisfied with my race both technically and physically.
Q: What is your favourite map (from the top of your head)?
One of my favorite maps in the region around Stockholm where I live is Paradiset. The map is just south of Stockholm, 15-20 minutes with car from the most central parts. It is a big map with really nice technical detailed terrain. Some parts are fast almost five minutes per kilometer, but some parts are tougher there it is hard to run faster than seven minutes per kilometer in fast speed.
Search for Paradiset, Granby, Tornberget or Rudan-Granby at
omaps.worldofo.com.
WoO: Have you got a tip to young and inexperienced course setters out there about how to make a good course?
My tip to “new” course setters is to try to make a course where you have a purpose with all legs. Prefer a really good course for the runners before a perfect arena with a passage, spectator control and arena start, if it makes the course worse and you don’t need it. Now we can make courses really good for the spectators with GPS-tracking and big screen instead.
Take help and ask other for feedback to improve and test your courses!
Picture: Olle Boström climbing towards a control in WOC middle distance qualification 2011.
WoO: What are your goals for next year – and how do you change your training and focus in order to reach your goals in 2012?
My goal with next year is to keep improving myself as an orienteer, both physically and technically, and try to reach a higher level. The difference from earlier is that I will put some extra focus on the physical parts.
My biggest goals in competitions are EOC in Sweden and WOC in Switzerland.
WoO: Thank you very much for the Interview, and good luck with the winter training!
Prizes from our Sponsors
Prizes from our Sponsors always makes it more fun! There will be a prize for the course setter in “The course of the Year 2011″, a prize for the first one suggesting the course which ends up becoming “The course of the Year 2011″, and prizes drawn among the ones suggesting and voting. The sponsors will be presented in more detail later on – for now you can see some information about them below.
For the record: All sponsor gifts/income related to “The Best Course of 2011″ goes directly to the WorldofO.com readers.
