Just got back from the korhs race...a little prelude.... 8.5 mile hare scramble loop about 25 minute laps.... So we take off I pass a few get to a spot about 1.5 miles in where the arrows went from our normal red arrow on white background(for bikes) to orange on black(for youth)... I flip a u and find the course turned about 100 ft back....got back on course hauling cause I passes 6-8 guys in the confusion...haul all the way back to where the course comes next to the pits and they wave me off.... Some guys (1 is my buddy) followed the wrong arrows back to the pits...so he was the first back(he rides vet c) beat the pros by 5 minutes....so he beat me back by 7 minutes...I busted my butt on a hard course with a consistent back and forth, logs, creeks and he took the youth course...had to go back and sit in the sun and wait for everyone to come back.... My question is...shouldn they have restarted or just let it go and dock guys time or laps...I went from a great start to a crappy one...no crashes to 3 on the first lap...my view is they either cut on purpose or accident ...since the rules state 25 ft from arrows is cheating...they should be penalized not the guys who stayed on the course...
We had the same thing happen here a couple years ago, but it was the first lines that had half take the wrong route and ended up back at the start, the other half of the riders did a full lap they did a restart, and cut the race by 1 lap
In the past 6 years I have been a local harescramble champion, a trail boss, promoter, ama class rep, and an also ran. The most valuable lesson that I've learned throughout this experience is that in harescrambles-you've just got to roll with the punches. Maybe next time...
Had this happen several times. Once was a "victim". I say this as same scenario. It is the riders responsibility to know what arrows are theirs. As long as the arrows were up (not saying perfectly nor overabundant) it is your job to follow your course. Each time it happened.....the times at the barrells show who "unintentionally" cut the course by taking the shorter course. Each time the riders were docked a lap and no restart. That is how I always saw it ruled by the trail boss and HS refferee of the series. The time I fell victim, it was VERY poorly marked and about 75% of the riders that day missed the "right" arrow and were docked a lap......made for some interesting placings that day for sure. (apperently only the slower guys were able to spot it on lap 1....the had a traffic guy on lap 2 diricting the flow.) IMO, restart should only be used when there is an injury close to the start. Joe
joe...i totally agree...if there is something that makes it dangerous for rows behind to continue then stop it...but these guys just cut 2 miles off....there was plenty of arrows...now I didnt see them right at the turn but when all of a sudden all i saw was the wrong arrow...i said oh crap....flipped a u and went back and I only went 100 ft and saw 6 or 7 arrows... oh well it was an awesome course...just sucks to sit in 95 degree sun with 90 percent humidity longer than needed....
I agree, too. They shouldn't have restarted unless every rider went the wrong way or there was an accident that required the course be closed. Whoever said it the riders responability to follow the arrows is right. But, I haven't been to a KORHS event in a long time, because they seemed to have issues around marking their courses.
very good advice... i ahd the exact thing happen to me in a race two years ago. i didnt miss the arrow some guys did.....and i dont know how as there wre no tracks they restared the guys that missed and i had my gruelling pass the amatuers on a ugly bottled necked hill climb in the dead of head race with a finisg of third changed to 9th place based on time. I think if you miss the arrow/check whatever............thats your loss..YOU ARE OUT
As a rider it's your responsibility to find out, if they don't announce it, what color arrows are yours. At some races, blue, red and black, etc. all exist. Could be Youth, C or A races… A major problem at existing tracks is old arrows, if you do blow a corner and get off track you tend to run into lots of 'old' arrows. It is advised to backtrack carefully; most likely it's early in the race and your fresh track will lead others right at you. Depending on your class, late rows usually have the advantage of a well chewed trail and you have the ability to read the trail only and not so much the arrows. This can lead to a bad habit of not 'reading' the posted signs. X's or XX's indicate there is usually something interesting coming up… Pull a holeshot sometime on a track that's not chewed up; you'll have to read the trail, read the signs and deal with people right on your rear fender because they are not reading, they are following… you blow a corner - they are following. As a follower, you have to look past the guy in front of you and read for yourself, hard habit to develop, but a must. I've seen lots of youth races restarted, young minds not doing any of the above! But the track is usually considerably shorter and it does not take as long to regroup. Depending on race schedule, length of loop and shear numbers of riders in the wrong place or riding in the wrong direction go into the decision process. For you old guys who speak of ''barrels'' you know the electronic stuff has really taken the guess work out of riders purposely taking shortcuts… Some clubs do a lot better job than others; I don't think there are any written standards usually common sense prevails. A good trail boss and lots of volunteers usually have a good outcome…
