2024 Summer Series event 1: Nonsuch Park

An app-based low-key evening orienteering event in beautiful historic parkland, suitable for newcomers, improvers and experienced orienteers

Entry: Racesignup.co.uk. £3 seniors (£5 if not British Orienteering members), £2 juniors (£3 if not BOF members), or £4 for newcomer pairs/groups/families

Meeting point and Après-O: Registration in the beer garden of Ye Old Red Lion pub, 17 Park Road, Cheam, SM3 8QB – map. You will be able to leave your bags during your run. We encourage you to make use of the pub’s food and refreshments for a social after, as they are providing us space for free.

Getting there: The pub is ~5-minute walk from Cheam railway station. Cycle parking just round the corner from the pub here. Cheam Library Car Park is opposite the pub and is £1.50 for the evening after 6.30pm.

Courses: for the experienced: 1-hour score, odds and evens format. Also available for beginners/newcomers a simpler ~3km linear course. “Score” means there is no set course. Your map will show several controls, you choose which and how many to visit. You get points for each control you do visit and lose points if you take more than an hour. “Odds and evens” means you start with either odd-numbered or even numbered controls and may switch once to the other.

Starts: from 18:30 to 19:30. Courses close 20:40. Start 3 minute walk from the pub via Park Lane (click for directions).

Format: exclusively on the MapRun app – the app ‘beeps’ when you visit a control site. No physical controls located in the park and dibbers will not be used. This means using a smartphone with the MapRun app (latest is version 7), or load the MapRunG app onto a compatible Garmin watch. Details of how orienteering works with this app are here. You will download the course to the app ideally before you arrive: click on ‘Select Event’, and follow the menu path UK > Mole Valley > 2024 Summer Series. The course will not be visible on your phone until you receive the PIN number at the start. You upload your result when you finish. The full procedure will be explained at Registration.

Map: A4 1:10,000 scale waterproof orienteering map. Example (blank) map at registration. We can explain map colours and symbols to newcomers.

Terrain: Partially wooded parkland with extensive path network. You will likely go through long grass / nettles on the score course – leg cover advised.

Results: provisional live on the app and final on mvoc.org soon after the event. Rank on the score class contributes to summer series league points.

Event official: Organised and planned by Tim Scarbrough chair@mvoc.org.