Preparing this article has given me the impetus to step back and look at the overall picture of how and why we have been able to increase attendances. This is also an opportunity to pass on the way our system has evolved. I believe that the main reason we have been able to increase and now maintain attendance levels has been the continuous evolution of these events as a result of feedback from participants and the efforts and ideas of a large number of participants. I nteresting, S imple, S ocial, E volving and S uccessful. One of the attractions of the mass start is the ability of competitors to see how they went against competitors, of similar standard on the same course, as soon as they finish.
Numerous groups form to compare how and why they went different ways.
There are seldom more than one or two competitors on the same course within a 100-metre section of a good course. People are going in all directions on a good course. Average attendances per event at the Eastern Summer Series , has ranged between 120 and 145 over the last six seasons. Every suggestion for improvement has had to be tested against the need keep the time involved in participation and organisation within tight time constraints. There have been many suggested ways to improve these events.