To league runners- why do you exclude many by setting so late starting time

Discussion in 'General Discussion' started by TIG_green, Apr 9, 2014.

  1. TIG_green

    TIG_green Registered

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    I've been wondering alot why many leagues start their races 21:00-22:00 GMT. I have seen no particular good explanation to this. In fact, already 20:00 GMT starting time for a race is too late for me sometimes.

    This is even the case with leagues that have their races on Sundays. Usually Sunday is a day off from work. And the next day is work day usually. So, explain me please, why can't you start, lets say, two hours earlier? Is the reason that it has always been that time or do you have a reason that I haven't come up with yet?

    My point is that when you have a day off does it really matter whether your start at 18:00 or 22:00 (local time)? Also guys in the US could start whenever between 11:00-15:00 (local time) if they have a day off. But for me it does matter, I can't start racing 23:00-24:00 (local time) for several reasons (22:00 isn't good either but maybe managable in the future).

    So to conclude, I can't consider (and I bet there are others) many leagues just because of their race start times.

    Please, change your Sunday starting times :)
     
  2. WiZPER

    WiZPER Registered

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    Wild guess here, you don't have any kids do you ? For many, only post 20-21'ish races makes it possible for them to participate.
     
  3. TIG_green

    TIG_green Registered

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    You guessed right :p

    I guess that could be a valid reason in some leagues bur not certainly in all of them? 22:00 GMT isn't even a time when kids are usually asleep as far as I know :p You assume that some times of a day are more of a family time than others. I would assume that there are many different schedules among families. So you can't generalize imo and say "this time is usually occupied for a family man so we start our league race at some other time). Certainly you must lay down your schedule based on the times when most of the rf2 simmers are awake world wide? That would make more sense to me... atm, it seems that some nationalities are unwanted to participate :(
     
  4. WiZPER

    WiZPER Registered

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    Where I and my team race we start at 17CET to suit as many racers at different locations around the world, but that's endurance racing (2:45 to 24 hours) so guess that'll make things difficult for many anyways - but it's only a race per month on saturdays :D
     
  5. gorgias1976

    gorgias1976 Registered

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    Our league usually starts races at 19h GMT (21h CET summer time), Qualifying half an hour earlier.
    No complains about this schedule at the moment.
     
  6. aerobaticrug

    aerobaticrug Registered

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    We run 9am GMT on a Saturday morning
     
  7. TIG_green

    TIG_green Registered

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    Race start time? Could be possible when I move to a new apartment later this year :p
     
  8. 1959nikos

    1959nikos Registered

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    We all agree that Sunday late evening is spent by most at home, Monday is work.
    Starting the races earlier, you risk losing people who went out for Sunday lunch and came home late, people who want to spend some more time with family at Sunday evening before a long working week.
    So, when everybody starts to settle down at the end of the weekend, then you are (at last :D) free for a race :)
     
  9. Denstjiro

    Denstjiro Registered

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    For international leagues (most I assume?) its always a compromise.

    We experimented with it and with allot of member feedback we found out sunday at 18:00 summer/19:00 winter is the best compromise as that time the majority of the countries where able to participate.
    Some members are unlucky, mainly the American ones and people from Thailand for example (I applaud their dedication to show up anyways) but if we would start at 20:00/21:00 the majority will have a problem because work on Monday.


    Same with picking a sunday, Saturdays are often too bussy for peeps, Friday nights peeps are too tired or are expected to chill with the missus or whatever. weekdays are a no-go either. Sunday evening is me-time for allot of people, including the wife's, so hubby can enter his man-cave for a few hours.

    We also run club events twice a week (18:00 & 14:00) for practise but also to give members more options to get their fix. we've even offered to add a 3rd slot for US times so they could meet up somewhat organised but that never capitalized.


    In short: it usually is a community driven timeslot. not just a random one.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Apr 9, 2014
  10. Denstjiro

    Denstjiro Registered

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    Reading back my post I think we can safely say its the wife's and girlfriends faults mostly. that's the real problem guys!
     
  11. Esteve Rueda

    Esteve Rueda Registered

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    In our league we start BTCC qualy every Thursday 21.30CET, and second race ends at 23.00CET, we are a spanish league and we use this schedule because of work. Some drivers work, and race is placed just after common dinner time here (20.00-21.00CET). Also we use Thursday to let drivers race in other Sundany leagues. We did some polls and allways the same result, Wednesdays and Thursdays after dinner time.
     
  12. TIG_green

    TIG_green Registered

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  13. Brack Jabham

    Brack Jabham Registered

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    Perhaps an idea is for leagues to choose starting times that suit admins, and eventually you will attract enough people for that timeslot, rather than targettting a timeslot where you think most people are free (if that makes sense??)

    Is there a common place to see what leagues run what times (and ability to view those times based on my time zone?)
     
  14. aerobaticrug

    aerobaticrug Registered

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    Always welcome - practise opens about 8.30 am and then we play it by ear, but normally into the race within half an hour.

    We run this time to allow a mix of Australian/NZ and European racers.
     
  15. Denstjiro

    Denstjiro Registered

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    Even admin teams are international. we got Dutch, British (one in Thailand), South African and American admins.
    But even so, if you would focus on an admin-slot, then what? half the members might not show up :)
     
  16. myself9

    myself9 Registered

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    When I used to run league races, we started at 20:00 GMT on Saturdays.

    Reason; afternoon NA, night EU, and late Sunday morning AU.

    EU guys got the worst of the deal (esp Eastern EU), but we thought this was the best compromise which would allow drivers from all over the world to participate
     
  17. Valter Cardoso

    Valter Cardoso Registered

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    We allways do events with race start around 22:00H.
    This is due specialy cause people work and need to dinner with their family/spend some time with them after a work day.
    Here we have sun til 10pm in summer. Today for example we had sun to 20:30 (april-spring).
    But in our league the majority are above 30yrs. Much probably to some kids/teens a earlier time would be better.
    We almost dont race on weekend, just week days.
     
  18. F1Fan07

    F1Fan07 Member

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    Just my wife's fault. My girlfriend doesn't mind.
     

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