Orienteering restart
Following British Orienteering's guidance that the sport can restart from August 1st the club's committee have discussed plans for restarting. It was felt inappropriate to consider holding events in public parks at this time and so the remaining Park-O fixtures have been cancelled. It is hoped though to hold some SOG-type events from October, so watch this space for further news.
Permanent Orienteering Courses
Desperate to get back into orienteering as lockdown eases?
Looking for a new outdoor activity for today’s weird world?
Permanent Orienteering Courses might be something to try.
Watch the BOF video to see what its like
Courses are available locally near Horsham, Crawley, Brighton and Eastbourne – more details here
These courses cater for all ages, levels of experience, fitness and skill. All have options for buggies and wheelchairs.
List of Trail Runs
Below is a list of Summer Trail Runs that have been set up. Groups of up to six can run together on a Thursday evening (with social distancing), use the Doodle Poll to sign up for a particular time slot. Alternatively do the run whenever you want. Each run will also be set up on MapRun (for those now addicted to their beeping phone) and can be found in the UK/Sussex/TrailRuns folder. A new run should be added every Wednesday.
List of available MapRunsRecently added: Friston, Crowlink, Piltdown
Below is a list of runs that are available using the MapRunF app (see previous news item for further details on how to use this). Some use orienteering maps while others use OS maps of open access land. The government is encouraging us to get out and exercise and have deemed it acceptable to drive to access suitable areas for exercise. When participating in any of these runs please follow our recommended safety advice.
Evening Trail Runs
The regular summer evening trail runs are starting again but with some changes to allow compliance with Government rules. Notably:
i) No groups of more than 6
ii) Social distancing to be maintained between runners
iii) Please print and bring your own map
To facilitate i) a Doodle poll has been set up where you can book a slot on a Thursday evening, if you would like to run with others. Note that if 6 individuals/households have already signed up for a slot you will have to choose another.
Tilgate Colour Coded MapRun
For those members that "don't do score or sprint" here is a more traditional colour coded 'event' set up for MapRun. See previous news items for instructions on using MapRunF and please read the safety advice. Short brown, green and orange courses have been set up - details can be found on the list of available runs page.
Southdowns 10mile Trail Challenge
The latest MapRun offering is a more extreme linear course using a combined Wolstonbury/Newtimber/Devil's Dyke map. Two courses are on offer the main one being approximately 10 miles long (actual distance), the shorter one 6 miles. Although aimed at runners there are route choices to be made and some simple navigation. See previous news items on using MapRun or a GPS devise to record your run and advice on safety.
Volunteers
Volunteers are the heart of our club. Every event is run by volunteer club members and all are encouraged to get involved. It's a great way to learn new skills and get to know your fellow Southdowners a little better.
Our Volunteer Coordinator Di Turner is responsible for finding Planners, Organisers and Controllers for events. The Event Planners usually find their own volunteers for the 'on the day’ tasks such as map sales, newcomer assistance, first aid, car parking and control collecting, however, Di will also help find volunteers for these positions if required. In addition to this our IT team, responsible for registration and download, is always keen to train up new helpers and Di will happily put you in touch with them.