As part of the Big Running Weekend SYO will be putting on a range of orienteering courses throughout the weekend. Some events will be aimed at newcomers to the sport but also with courses suitable to seasoned orienteers, including score and long-O options. All courses will start and finish at Whirlow Farm, which is a great location for orienteering, with a whole string of orienteering areas leading out into the Peak District.  From the ancient Woodlands of Ecclesall and Limb Valley to Burbage Moor and beyond.

Introductory & Development Run ‘O’ Courses

Open 10am – 5pm Sunday, 10am – 3pm Monday, £3 per course 
Three courses (routes) of increasing difficulty starting from the farm and heading over to the beautiful wooded slopes and gardens of Limb Valley and Whirlow Hall. The courses have been designed to introduce you gently to the sport of orienteering. Each course will focus on different techniques that are used during an orienteering course to help successful navigation. The courses will be timed and use electronic recording at each control but the focus is on learning the skills to improve your navigation.

Farm Course – one for the family…

Open 10am – 5pm Sunday, 10am – 3pm Monday, £2 
A short orienteering course around the fields and building on the farm. Using electronic recording and a specially prepared map. Ideal for the kids as they usually love this (and competitive dads and mums can give it a go too!)

Score Orienteering Race

11am Sunday  Cost to enter is £12 (£4 discount for members of British Orienteering) and includes a New Balance Technical Running Tee, post race drink ticket and the BIG Party. Plus a free ticket to the Whirlow Hall Farm Fayre in September. Entry to the Runner Talk is also included.

Results

Hope everyone enjoyed the score event, it hopefully made you think hard on the best route to take.  For the none cut off version use the result link above

Sunday Score (32 controls, limit 60 minutes, penalty 10 points)

  1  Bill Edwards        SYO M45    290  62:17     320 - 30       219, 205, 217, 206, 224, 215, 216, 208, 222, 207, 212, 204, 214, 210, 203, 221, 202, 213, 220, 45, 37, 64
  2  Sam Horsewill       NOC M20    280  53:53     280            213, 202, 221, 203, 210, 214, 218, 211, 212, 205, 219, 220, 65, 60, 45, 66, 56, 37, 64
  3  Bill Hanley         SYO M55    280  56:58     280            213, 202, 221, 203, 210, 214, 204, 212, 205, 217, 207, 222, 224, 206, 208, 223, 215, 219, 220, 65, (39)
  4  Shaun Blanchflower WAOC M35    270  57:43     270            213, 202, 221, 203, 210, 214, 218, 204, 212, 217, 207, 206, 224, 223, 215, 219, 220, 65, 60
  5  Peter Gorvett       SYO M65    270  61:17     290 - 20       201, 213, 202, 221, 203, 210, 214, 204, 218, 211, 212, 205, 217, 206, 207, 222, 224, 223, 215
  6  Guy Seaman          SYO M60    240  60:39     250 - 10       219, 205, 217, 206, 224, 223, 208, 222, 207, 212, 204, 218, 214, 210, 203, 221, 202, 213, 220, (17)
  7  Kevin Randall       SYO M21    230  65:48     290 - 60       213, 201, 221, 202, 219, 205, 211, 203, 210, 214, 218, 204, 212, 217, 207, 224, 223, 215
  8  Ben Green          WAOC M35    220  58:36     220            213, 221, 203, 211, 205, 206, 224, 208, 223, 215, 219, 202, 201, (40)
  9  David Madden            M40    210  58:32     210            213, 202, 221, 203, 210, 214, 218, 211, 205, 219, 215, 223, 65
 10  Paul Murgatroyd     LOG M45    210  70:03     320 - 110      213, 202, 221, 203, 210, 214, 204, 212, 205, 217, 206, 207, 222, 224, 208, 216, 209, 223, 215, 211, 219, 220
 11  Tony Horsewill      NOC M55    200  57:40     200            202, 221, 203, 210, 214, 204, 212, 205, 219, 220, 60, 45, 37, 64
 12  Trudy Crosby        LOG W50    180  53:16     180            213, 221, 203, 210, 214, 204, 218, 211, 205, 219, 202, 220, 65
 13  Jane Anthony       SROC W55    180  60:41     190 - 10       219, 205, 215, 223, 224, 206, 222, 207, 217, 203, 221, 202
 14  Pauline Tryner          SYO    180  60:53     190 - 10       213, 221, 203, 210, 214, 204, 218, 211, 205, 219, 202, 220, 65, 60
 15  Ian Parfitt         DVO M60    170  62:21     200 - 30       219, 205, 217, 206, 222, 207, 212, 204, 214, 210, 203, 221, 213, 202, 220
 16  Joanna Krol             W21    150  54:26     150            202, 221, 203, 210, 214, 204, 212, 205, 219, 220, 65, (40)
 17  Peter Guillaume     SYO M60    150  69:54     250 - 100      213, 221, 203, 211, 205, 219, 202, (202), 220, 60, 45, 37, 66, 56, 49, 64
 18  Ian Wells           LEI M55    140  62:56     170 - 30       219, 205, 217, 206, 215, 209, 216, 223, 208, 222, 207
 19  Amanda Roberts      LOG W50    120  53:01     120            219, 205, 204, 214, 203, 221, 202, 213, 220
 20= John Brewer        SROC M45    120  63:15     160 - 40       213, 221, 203, 218, 205, 219, 220, 60, 45, 37, 49
 20= Chris Simmonds     HALO M45    120  63:15     160 - 40       213, 221, 203, 210, 214, 204, 212, 205, 219, 202, 220, 65
 22  Dom Simmonds       HALO M14    120  63:16     160 - 40       213, 221, 203, 210, 214, 204, 212, 205, 219, 202, 220, 65
 23  Hannah Horsewill    NOC W16    110  56:50     110            213, 221, 203, 210, 214, 218, 205, 219
 24  Amy Sheppard            W21    100  54:23     100            213, 221, 211, 205, 217, 218, 214, 203, (221)
 25  Alex Smith         HALO M40    100  57:03     100            213, 221, 203, 204, 212, 218, 219, 220
 26  Chris Horsewill     NOC W50     80  64:01     130 - 50       213, 221, 203, 210, 214, 218, 211, 202, 220
 27  Paul Beecher       WAOC M21     80  65:59     140 - 60       213, 202, 222, 224, 208, 223, 216, 209, 215
 28  Louise Preston      SYO W21     10  74:23     160 - 150      219, 215, 223, 208, 224, 207, 212, 211, (211), 202, (41)

Please use the entry form at the bottom of this page to reserve a map.  There will be entry on the day but maps will be limited.

This will be a 1 hour score race, the finish is at the farm, to avoid having to cross the A625 more than once the start will be on the edge of Ecclesall Woods, approximately a 15 minute walk from the farm.  It will be a mass start so people should report to the finish field for 11am and we will escourt everyone to the start.

The competition area will be the woodlands of Limb Valley and Ecclesall woods. The map will be marked with 30 control points, you have 1 hour to visit as many points as possible in that time. Controls are worth 10, 20 or 30 points depending on their difficulty, distance from the start etc. So the trick is to pick a route that you think you can do in the hour picking up some high scoring controls but leaving a few options to pick up more if you have time, but you have to make sure you are back in time, as you get a 10 point penalty for every minute you are late.

Clothing and Equipment

Because the orienteering is all the woods of Ecclesall and Limb Valley you must have full leg cover i.e. no shorts.

Map and Terrain

The map is at 1:7500 updated this year.  It is printed on A3 waterproof paper.  Each control is marked with the control code and the points value.Control descriptions are printed on the map using IOF symbols.  Loose descriptions will also be available in both text and IOF symbol format.  The descriptions will show both the control code and the points.

The area is split by several roads, including the A625 Sheffield - Hathersage road.  There are 'Runners Crossing' signs but please be very careful whilst crossing roads.

Long Orienteering Race/Mini Mountain Marathon (using ‘O’ maps).

11am Monday  Cost to enter is £12 (£4 discount for members of British Orienteering) and includes a New Balance Technical Running Tee, post race drink ticket and the BIG Party. Plus a free ticket to the Whirlow Hall Farm Fayre in September. Entry to the Runner Talk is also included.

Please use the entry form at the bottom of this page to reserve a map.  There will be entry on the day but maps will be limited.

Most orienteering races have winning times of 40 – 60 minutes. This race is going to be a touch longer… We expect the winning times to be over 2 hours for the longest courses. Starting and finishing at the farm you will head first into Limb Valley before racing up the valley and onto Burbage Moor. Long O courses tend to have longer distances between controls giving lots of opportunities for different route choices. This would be an ideal race for anyone training for the OMM to brush up on their navigation skills. There will be two lengths of courses around 20km and 13km (as the crow flies) and two difficulties, medium with navigation needs similar to OMM and hard for experienced orienteers. There will also be a 2 hour score race, starting at the same time.

Clothing and Equipment

Most of the course is on open moorland, however you will be running in the woods in Limb Valley, Lady Cannings Plantation and the plantation in the middle of Burbage.  The courses are planned to avoid areas of brambles etc.  so you are allowed to wear shorts but you have been warned.

Drinks, First Aid and Safety

Water will be available at the road crossing from Limb Valley to Burbage.  There will also be a water point by the road at the bottom of Burbage Brook, but this is not on the optimum route on any course.  The two water points also have first aid and can transport you back to the start should you run into trouble.  Both points are marked on the map using the standard cup and red cross symbol.

You must carry a whistle to be used in emergencies, 6 short blasts every minute.  If the weather is bad it may be compulsory to carry a cagoule.  There will be signs at registration if this is the case and will be checked at the start. 

Map and Terrain

The map is printed on A3 waterproof paper.  Limb Valley is printed at 1:7500 on one side and Burbage Moor at 1:15000.  Each control is marked with the control code and the points value.  Control descriptions are printed on the map using IOF symbols.  Loose descriptions will also be available in both text and IOF symbol format.

King of the Mountain

Open 10am – 5pm Sunday, 10am – 3pm Monday, £2, all proceeds to Whirlow Farm Trust. We’re jumping on the Tour de France bandwagon – how could you not with two Brits winning the race! We’ll have a short uphill route marked out. Pick up a timing chip from the start and jog over to the start, then it’s basically uphill as hard and fast as you can.