Well done to tack-spreading vandal - not only did he cause even more disruption to the original event, it looks like the event will be even more succesful next year.
[url= http://www.thecourier.co.uk/output/2009/05/22/newsstory13179730t0.asp ]Local paper[/url]
I'm not sure it can be "bigger" as they reached capacity this year and I really can't see them increasing it. Having said that, of the 3,700 entrants, just under 3,000 actually took part. That seems like a very high call-off rate to me, but mibbe that's normal?
Any publicity is good publicity an all that!
They could presumably accomodate more entries by slightly extending the start and road closure times. Given the now overwhelming local support for the event don't see this would cause a big issue
TBH - I think Pitlochry was already struggling with the numbers. It was pretty chaotic at registration on Saturday afternoon/evening.
That seems like a very high call-off rate to me, but mibbe that's normal?
I gather the weather forecast was for torrential rain (which never actually came) so perhaps that put some of the fair weather riders off?
druidh, I wasn't there so didn't see it, but would not one or two more people on registration and a little better organisation help the problem? Don't know how automated it was either - did they use stuff like sending emails with bar codes for registration?
It was more the number of cars / parking etc that was the issue. Normal through traffic was being held up. No automation though (tbh, the folk at registration seemed to be handling that bit very well).
Like I said, I'm not sure it could really get much bigger (and in fact it might already have a cap set as part of the agreement with the authorities).
Hmm. Not much you can do about that except perhaps move the start to somewhere on the edge of town and have parking in a big field
Parking was "in a big field" 😀 the sports ground. But that wasn't open Saturday afternoon, so folk were parked all along Atholl Road (the high street), including the pavements. But yeah - they could move registration somewhere easier
