WAGAL and MapRun LeaguesWAOC's club leagues
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MapRun League
Information on our past and current MapRun Leagues can be found here.
WAGAL
We also have a club league for conventional orienteering events, "WAGAL", explained below.
What is WAGAL?
The WAGAL is WAOC's own club league. Club members automatically earn points depending on their performance relative to other club members, in a number of nominated events (usually events we organise ourselves) throughout the year. We award trophies annually to the male and female winners in different age categories. The current rankings, as well as a list of previous winners and results from earlier years, can be found by selecting the link "Current WAGAL scores" above.
What events are in the league?
We normally nominate 5 or 6 events in the year as WAGAL events. The list of Qualifying events usually comprises all of the level B and C or equivalent events organised by ourselves, together with compassSport Cup or Trophy events at which we compete as a club, and events organised by EAOA in which we play a part in helping to put on.
The WAGAL year runs from January 1st to December 31st. The list of qualifying events for the following year is announced in December.
The 2024 WAGAL
WAGAL points will be awarded from the following events in 2024:
- Rowney Warren - 4th February
- Kings Forest CSC Qualifier - 18th February (EAOA event)
- Bedford Urban - 9th June
- Yaxley Urban - 29th September
- Mildenhall North - 17th November
Best 3 scores for each individual from of a maximum of 5 scores to count.
Note - This list is subject to revision based on circumstances (eg event cancellation). The CompassSport Cup Final will be added as a further WAGAL event if the club participates in the final. In this case the best 4 of a possible total of 6 scores would count.
The 2023 WAGAL
WAGAL points will be awarded from the following events in 2023:
- Maulden Wood - 15th January (50th anniversary event)
- Croxton Heath - 19th February (Icenian Weekend)
- Peterborough Urban - 2nd April
- Ampthill Park - 24th September (EA Schools Champs)
- Newmarket Urban - 8th October
- CompassSport Cup Final - 12th November (BOK event)
Best 4 scores for each individual from of a maximum of 6 scores to count.
Note: This list was revised in January 2023 following the cancellation of the Hockham event and subsquent re-arrangement of the CompassSport qualifier match. The list is subject to further revision, for example if events are rescheduled or cancelled. If we make it to the final of the CompassSport competition, the final may be added as an additional WAGAL scoring event. In this case the best 4 of a possible total of 6 scores would count. (Update - we did, and this event has been added as a 6th WAGAL scoring opportunity).
Details of the Scoring System
The WAGAL is based loosely on the way that the BOF ranking points were calculated for 'ranking events' (Regional or Level C, and above) but is expanded to fit a 'club' setup with its many different age classes and courses run (Yellow upwards). This ranking system also takes into account the different running speeds between areas and the strength of the competitors attending an event.
Historically (up to 2010) qualifying events for the WAGAL were limited to higher profile events (level C and level B, or Regional and National in the latest BO nomenclature).
Since then the league has been expanded to include a wider range of events. The qualifying events for 2012, and basis for calculation of total points, were defined in a JabberWAOC article in Winter 2011.
The same basis has been applied since, and the rules below have been updated accordingly
From 2014 on, two additional categories, SuperVet Men and SuperVet Women, have been added for Age Classes 55+.
Basic Rules
- WAGAL events comprise all WAOC's own events, excluding certain low key events for which points cannot easily be derived, together with some events not organised by WAOC but for which a high WAOC turnout is expected and encouraged, such as CompassSport Cup/Trophy Qualifying rounds.
- The best 3 scores of each person in the year count, if there are 3, 4, or 5 WAGAL events in the year. If there are 6 WAGAL events in the year, the best 4 scores count, and if 7 or more WAGAL events take place in the year, the best 5 scores count for each individual.
- The WAGAL year runs from 1st January to 31st December, with changes in age classes applying from 1st Jan just as for BOF age classes.
- Only courses of Yellow standard and upwards will count.
- Competitors must compete as individuals - e.g. results obtained running as a pair will not count.
- The run must be competitive, e.g. where a junior runs more than one course at an event, only the first run will be used.
- The planner will be awarded a score equal to the highest they attained at other WAGAL events during that year. For 2013 onwards, any WAOC controller controlling a WAOC event will have points awarded in the same way (This can apply to one who acts as controller, helping to check tapes, set out and check controls on the day, for a level D event even if not a formally qualified controller).
- It is intended that the organiser would be able to run at the event they organise. However, if organising duties preclude a run, for 2013 on, points will be awarded to the organiser in lieu of a run in the same way as for the planner.
To allow for different age groups and courses, two weighting factors have been applied to the min/km for each runner to produce the 'weighted min/km'. The first is for the age class of the runner; these are taken from the BOF Guidelines. The second is for the course run. These have been adapted to include the expanded range of colour-coded courses which may be available. The factors used are listed below.
M10 1.35 M40 1.12 W10 1.69 W40 1.45 Yellow 0.75
M12 1.30 M45 1.16 W12 1.61 W45 1.49 Orange 0.82
M14 1.25 M50 1.22 W14 1.54 W50 1.59 Red 0.85
M16 1.19 M55 1.30 W16 1.49 W55 1.72 Long Orange 0.85
M18 1.11 M60 1.43 W18 1.43 W60 1.89 Light Green 0.90
M20 1.09 M65 1.56 W20 1.41 W65 2.10 Short Green 0.915
M21 1.00 M70 1.75 W21 1.22 W70 2.38 Green 0.93
M35 1.09 M75 2.00 W35 1.41 W75 2.86 Short Blue 0.945
M80 2.38 W80 3.57 Blue 0.96
M85 2.77 W85 5.26 Short Brown 0.98
Brown 1.00
Black 1.03
The Formula
At each event, only results of WAOC runners are considered. Scores are derived from the weighted min/km of each competitor. The weighted min/km is the runners time divided by the course length (from the published results) divided by the course weighting factor and then divided by the competitors age/gender class weighting factor. This weighted min/km is called RT in the formula below. The ranking score (Race Points or RP) is calculated for each person using RP = [1000 + 50 * (IMT - RT) / SD)].
In this calculation, the Ideal Mean Time IMT is calculated as: IMT = MT + (MP - 1000) * SD / 200.
The mean time (MT) and standard deviation (SD), are both in terms of weighted min/km (not actual time), and are calculated using the RT scores of all runners whose RT is less than twice the minimum, i.e. who finish within 100% of the fastest weighted min/km.
The mean (MP) is taken as 1000, since the MP term in the IMT calculation simply adds the same constant value to every score at each event and does not affect the positions. Furthermore, in practice this constant value was found to be insignificant, whereas significant manual effort was needed to calculate MP. So IMT = MT. Originally, MP was calculated from the average of previous years' ranking points, defined as follows: MP is the mean ranking score (taken from previous published WAGAL results) of all runners who have completed the previous year's minimum number of events within the past 2 years and who finish within 100% of the fastest weighted min/km. For example, if the previous year's results were calculated from the best 3 results, then for events in the current year, MP at each event is calculated using the average ranking score of all competitors at that event who have a weighted min/km of less than or equal to 2 times the lowest weighted min/km, and who competed in at least 3 WAGAL events in the previous 2 years.
The 2022 WAGAL
WAGAL points were awarded from the following events in 2022:
- Mildenhall North - 13 February (CSC Qualifier)
- Salcey Forest - 5 March (British Middles Weekend)
- Great Dunmow Urban - 9 October
- CompassSport Trophy Final (TBC)- 16 October
- Santon Downham - 27 November (EA Champs)
Best 3 scores to count.
Note: The list of 2022 WAGAL events has been revised (21st Feb 2022) since originally announced at the end of 2021, due to rescheduling of events. The inclusion of the CST final as a WAGAL event is provisional.
The 2021 WAGAL
WAGAL points were awarded from the following events in 2021:
- Huntingdon Urban - April 25th
- North Cambridge Urban - September 12th
- Bush Heath Woods - 9th October
- Mildenhall South - 21st November
Best 3 scores to count.
This will be revised as necessary if the schedule of events has to be revised. (The would-be WAGAL event at Therfield Heath scheduled for February 27th did not take place due to COVID restrictions).
The 2020 WAGAL
The year 2020 has been exceptional. Our February event had to be cancelled due to adverse weather, and after the coronavirus lockdown in March, none of the nominated WAGAL events took place. We do not believe it is fair to retrospectively include the alternative events which we were able to organise (at Ampthill and Cambourne), because entries to these were limited by capacity and they were not intended to be or advertised as league events. We also do not think it is fair to award trophies on the basis of just 2 events early in the year.
These means that no awards will be made for the 2020 WAGAL. We are not intending to carry forward any events or points from 2020 events into the 2021 WAGAL.