MV Summer Series evening at Horton Country Park

3rd event in our 4-part summer series (subsequent event 29 July Ashtead). App-based (MapRun) low-key evening orienteering event suitable for newcomers, improvers and more experienced orienteers.

Entry: Racesignup.co.uk. £3.50 seniors (£5.50 if not British Orienteering members), £2 juniors (£3 if not BOF members), or £4 for pairs/groups/families

Meeting point and Après-O: Registration in the beer garden of The William Bourne pub, Moor Lane, Chessington, KT9 2BQ – 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 ~10-minute walk from Chessington North railway station. The pub has a small (20-25 space) car park or use nearby on-street parking e.g. on Chessington Hill Park.

Courses:

1. For beginners/newcomers: a simple (“yellow” standard) ~3km linear course, with 10 controls. The route is mostly in Horton Country Park. There are three minor road crossings, parents of children please note. Please note, crossing the Chessington Road from the pub beer garden to the start on the other side of the road is needed.
2. For the experienced or adventurous: 1-hour score, odds and evens format.
   • “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. Points per control is the control number rounded down to the nearest multiple of 10. E.g. control “33” will score 30 points, and control “29” will score 20 points.
   • “Odds and evens” means you start with either odd-numbered or even numbered controls and may switch once to the other. You don’t need to visit all even-numbered controls or all odd-numbered controls and could just visit one block of controls.
     • The first block is determined by whether two odd-numbered or two even-numbered controls are visited before two of the other (or stated another way, of the first three non-duplicated controls visited, two are even or two are odd).
     • The flip to the second block is signalled by visiting two controls in the second block in succession, i.e. two odd-numbered controls after an initial block of even-numbered controls or vice versa. (There is no “switch” control if you have previously run “odds and evens” event with a switch control.)
     • Controls of the wrong parity in a block (i.e. odds visited in an even block and vice versa) do not count towards the points score but can be visited in the correct block for points. These controls are listed as “Extras” in the results table.
   • Penalty if over 60 minutes: 30 points per minute or part minute.

Starts: from 18:30 to 19:30. Courses close 20:40. Start across the road from the pub.

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 > 2025 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. No separate control descriptions – they are printed on the map.

Terrain: Parkland with extensive path network and some urban sections of Clarenden Park. The courses have been designed to avoid the need for full leg cover as the courses are path-based. It is possible on the score course that you may choose (but don’t have to!) to go through long grass.

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.

Safety notes based on the event risk assessment:

1. The start is the other side of Moor Lane from the pub. Do not rush! Please await a safe time to cross Moor Lane, or cross at the traffic lights 160 metres west up the hill. Parents/guardians to accompany under 16s.
2. All courses cross minor roads: watch out for traffic and take care crossing these roads. For parents/guardians of under 16s: these minor roads do not have significant traffic, have good visibility, and any traffic has been observed at low speeds. We recommend all children are shadowed by their parent/guardian.
3. You will encounter trip hazards on all courses, including woodland paths/trails, such as tree roots and uneven ground, kerbs; please take care.
4. The weather is forecast to be very warm. Please arrive fully hydrated. We recommend you carry water with you. Water available in the pub.
5. The paths/trails under tree canopy may become darker towards the end of the event, so extra care should be taken in such circumstances. Sunset is at 21:15 whereas courses close at 20:40.
6. Courses suitable for shorts. You may choose routes with longer vegetation, with small risk of nettle sting / bramble scratch, so could consider full leg cover on the odds & evens course – NB the weather forecast is warm (27 degrees at 7pm).
7. You may encounter litter which could include unsafe objects, please take care.
8. Ponds shall not be entered; they could be sticky mud this time of year.
9. Please check for and remove ticks after your run particularly if you wore shorts.
10. The event area is shared with dog walkers and horse riders. Please give them a wide berth and slow down, and alert in advance if approaching from behind.
11. The emergency phone number is printed on your map should you require assistance. If you are not carrying a mobile, shout or use a whistle to summon help.
12. The event includes a public park; there are stranger danger risks. We recommend all children are shadowed by their parent/guardian.
13. Please confidentially disclose existing medical conditions that the organiser should be aware of to the registration team.
14. Safety bearing: North back to Chessington Road / Moor Lane. Look up: the pub is located on Moor Lane underneath large electricity pylon/cables.
15. All competitors must report back to the MV team at the pub, even if you wish to retire, so that everyone is accounted for. If injury prevents you from returning to Registration, please phone the emergency number printed on the map by 8.30pm, to avoid the need for a search party and to enable help to be provided if necessary.

Nearest Hospital: Epsom Hospital, Dorking Road, Epsom, KT18 7EG.