Regularity

[JeroenH]

I've been working a bit on my *one click from Helga* regularity application. At the moment I have 2 questions:

What happens to runners of a foreign club? Do they get an abso-code? Or do I have to check if the club is known or can I check if the clubcode is for example higher than 50? I 'm currently using the last option, but that doesn't sound that good if that particular club gets a lower number.

For the processing of the Belgian Champs middle distance, does Helga output H40 as the Category of a runner in H VET A, whose normal category is H40, or do I have to check them by using their abso-code to loop up the category in the runners database.

Thanks by the way for making the output available.

[rma]

answer based on the last issue of the ABSO-BVOS rules (1994)

a) these "foreign competitors" (outside ABSO-BVOS), even if they classified have NO points (article 20.3).

In my opinion, you may program you calculation with this rule "club below 50" - BORASCA has nr 44 and so we seem to be ready for a couple of years or more ! And in any case we may suggest "not to create a foreign club with Clubcode below 50")

b) about this Middle distance, I have no answer; this was surely not taken into account by the ABSO Technical commission when deciding to introduce this MD championship per Special Categories. The MD championship is foreseen in the calculation of the Regularity but not "how to do" with these twin categories inside Special Categories

I forward this information per mail to the ABSO Technical commission, with a copy to you, asking an emergency reply for "programming purpose"

[JeroenH]

Point A was not exactly about foreign runners, but more about foreign clubs. When foreign runners enter a competition as a member of a Belgian club, they are ranked, or that's the rule we used from 1999-2005. No problem there. I think I will spot it when there is a new club Runners of a foreign club have always been excluded.

What we did the last years for the Belgian champs middle distance and previously the Belgian champs Short distance was just placing the runners in the category they appeared most (especially a problem in H/DE, H/D21 and H/DB) and to assign points based on the list for that category. I was actually more concerned about the Helga-output from the middle distance event. More specifically what is filled in in the field Category there, but clarification on how exactly we should handle it, is indeed a good point.

[rma]

Point A was not exactly about foreign runners, but more about foreign clubs. When foreign runners enter a competition as a member of a Belgian club, they are ranked, or that's the rule we used from 1999-2005. No problem there. ...

OK

.... and to assign points based on the list for that category. I was actually more concerned about the Helga-output from the middle distance event.

In my opinion, the best decision, and I do hope a similar one from the Technical commission. But in any case we (you) need a clarification for this purpose.

[mho]

Normally foreign clubs should not get a club code (xx) or a runner code (yyy) as ABSO-BVOS number xx-yyy; exception: the NOLB clubs for data integration purposes (and a club code is assigned automatically in the start time generation process of Multi Day events). Non affiliated runners in a Belgian club typically have runner code 0.
My suggestion for the Challenge is to hardcode the Belgian club codes in your program (there are not many, and they rarely change).

XLS export at Special Class races: the colum Category contains (normally) the default category of the runner WITHIN the Special Class. HELGA works the following way: HOPEN for example is H-20, H21, HB, HE, H35. If a H21 is registered in HOPEN, his category is H21, but it is still possible to register him in HOPEN, but with HB behind. This cannot be prevented. But generally it is the standard category.