Summer event at Mote Park

Location

Nearest town: Maidstone

• Grid Ref: TQ783551
• Postcode: ME15 8JW
• Latitude: 51.26860
• Longitude: 0.55901
• Google Map
• Streetmap (OS 50k)
• Bing Map (OS 50k)
• OpenStreetMap

Directions / Parking

Parking is within Mote Park, in the NE corner – the Burning Ground car park what3words///amount.fresh.shovels

The road leading to this is at the north side of the Willington Park & Ride what3words ///invite.locked.ruins (5mph signs) then follow for 300m.  Nearest postcode ME15 8JW.

The Park & Ride itself is currently locked.

Parking fee £2 (for up to 6 hours). Pay by coins / card / Ringo app.

If the Burning Ground car park is full (we don't have exclusive use) there is the main Mote Park car park in the NW corner, ME15 7SX. From there, walk along the park road that goes north of the lake to the Burning Ground car park, 1km. There is a map on the information boards, or use a mobile phone.

Railway station: Maidstone East 3km.

Observing British Orienteering and Government guidelines:-

Please be respectful of other people’s wishes to observe social distancing from the time you arrive at the event until you leave.

Registration & Start Times

Registration: Pre-entry only via http://www.racesignup.co.uk  by midnight Friday 16th September or when entry limit (55) is reached.

This will require details for safety purposes and a declaration about Covid-19.

No Registration on the day.

The Start, Finish, dibber collection & Download will be adjacent to the south side of the car park. Please consider social distancing

Start period 11:00am – 12.30pm

Courses close at 2pm

Course Information

2 courses

Trail challenge course where you must visit the controls in order. The controls will be straightforward to find and there will be route choice between the controls. The 'straight line' distance is 6.7km but you will probably cover about 8km, needing to avoid the lake (no swimming!) and any thick vegetation.

60 minute score 20 controls numbered 90 – 109; visit as many as you can, in any order. 10 points per control, 10 points penalty per minute/part minute beyond 60 minutes. Note: There will be a 10 point bonus when a control is the next in ascending numerical sequence, eg 101 then 102 = 10 point bonus, 95 then 96 then 97 = 20 point bonus.

1:10,000 scale map with 5m contours. Maps will be printed on A4 waterproof paper.

Controls will be SIAC enabled. Separate/loose control descriptions will not be provided.

After your run please Download as normal, considering social distancing. Timing printouts will be provided and the results will be available on the website.

If you are able to help collect controls in afterwards, please do volunteer.

Explanation of colour courses

• White are very easy with all controls on paths. They are mainly used by 6-10 year olds and family groups.
• Yellow use simple linear features like paths, walls and streams. They are mainly used by under 12’s and family groups.
• Orange progress to basic use of the compass and route choice. They are ideal for novice adults or experienced youngsters.
• Light Green are ideal for improvers as the navigational difficulty begins to increase and uses simple contours and point features.
• Green are used mostly by experienced under 18’s and adults wanting a short but challenging course with a very hard navigational difficulty.
• Blue are a longer, more physically demanding course in comparison to the green. The distances are more varied between controls and the course attracts experienced orienteers.
• Brown & Black are very physically demanding and have a very hard navigational difficulty. They are for experienced orienteers only.
• Score means visiting as many controls as possible in any order in a specific time, like 45mins.

Entry Details

Pre-entry only via http://www.racesignup.co.uk

Seniors (British Orienteering members) £5, Non-members of BO £7.         

Juniors & students £3 (BO or non-BO).

Group: £10 (1 dibber; map for each participant) (BO or non-BO).   

Dibber loan (non SIAC): Free.   SIAC dibber hire:£1.50.

Clothing: tracksuit/jogging bottoms or orienteering trousers. Wearing of shorts on the course is not permitted – see Terrain Description

A cagoule might be required in inclement weather. You will need to look after your car keys yourself (eg carry in zipped pocket or waist strap).

An Emergency contact number will be printed on the map.

Terrain Description

Delightful parkland including a lake, and a pop-up café at the west side. There are wide areas of grassland, some left for wildlife & not presently mown. Small/indistinct paths might be obscured by summer undergrowth.

Facilities

There are toilets in the park near the west end of the lake, 1km away. This is a mobile unit (new café & toilets under construction); alternatively at Tesco Grove Green ME14 5TQ (3km).

There will be a 90’s and 00’s Revival music festival in the afternoon, at the west side of the park.

Dogs allowed?

Dogs allowed in the park. On a lead please near the start/finish and on the course.

Contacts / Officials

Planner & Organiser: Mark Glaisher knc"at"saxons-oc.org