Worthlodge Forest Sun 15 March, 2026

Report

Planners Report

Thank you all for coming to Worthlodge Forest and supporting the event. I hope that you enjoyed the courses in this fine area which is markedly mud free given the very wet winter.

It was a privilege to be asked to plan for a regional event at Worthlodge, a little daunting but I knew that I had a good team to work with. Being a larger area (which I didn't know as well as I thought I did) meant that I got to spend many days out in the forest with it all to myself. Mostly wet days and some ending in the dark! It was found that much of the eastern part of the map had changed significantly since last years National event and was now not so desirable to run on. I was also aware that I should keep things managable in terms of the number of controls in use, having a single start for all courses etc.

After the assembly and parking permissions had changed several times, I identified the very pleasant start location which was beautifully prepared for you by Steve and Jill. Losing part of the map meant that the longer courses probably weren't true long distance style with Blue and Brown touring the northern area on opposing loops. There were many tired but happy faces at the finish and it was good to get some feedback from many of you. It seemed that some courses proved to be more physically challenging than expected! Also, the uphill finish was definately not embraced by everyone but inevitable given the start and assembly locations.

Thank you for uploading your routes to RouteGadget, it really is helpful to see what works and what doesn't planning wise. There were a few challenges along the way but I learnt a lot and it was worth all the effort for a successful day. Many thanks must go to:

Steve B for his exceptional organising skills and advice.
Vince J for his words of wisdom and experience in fine tuning the courses.
Neil C and Chris H for mapping.
Control collection team.
All the other volunteers both on the day and behind the scenes.

Garry

Organisers Report

We were able to run in Worthlodge Forest today by the kind permission of Paddockhurst Estate and Standing Hall Estate.

Thank you all for taking part and coping with the restricted number of parking spaces. I hope you enjoyed Garry’s courses. As always, the event could not take place without team work. Well done:

Garry G, Vince J, Neil C, Joe B, Penny P, Samantha G, Jill B, Jane L, Darren W, Joe H, Linda H, Tim H, Andy P, Di T, Mike T, Alan V, Alan Y, Ed F, Hal J, Alan W, Mark C, Rob L, Chris H, David W, Garry P, Steve J and of course the SO Club Committee.

Lost Property: A right-handed thumb compass was found near the finish contact [email protected] to arrange it’s return.

RouteGadget

Is a web app for sharing and comparing orienteering routes. You can draw your own route or upload a GPS track from your watch. It also allows you to watch an animated replay with a simulated mass start.

Pre event info

Entries are open for our large Sunday event, featuring a wide range of courses from a 1.5km white course to a 9.7km brown course. Cheaper entries up until Sun 8th March.

All relevant event details can be found in the following text. No final details will be published.

Location Info

Nearest town: Crawley

• Postcode: *
• Lat,Lng: 51.09165,-0.12870
• Grid Ref:
• Google Map
• Streetmap (OS 50k)
• Bing Map (OS 50k)
• OpenStreetMap

* Postcodes are not very precise in some areas, so don't rely on them for an exact location.

Directions / Parking

Signed of the B2110.

• Grid Reference: TQ311341
• Nearest Postcode: RH10 4SA
• What3words: demand.rope.bright

Linear parking on verges either side of Whitely Hill Road. There will be a one-way system in operation. Enter only from the east off of the B2110. Exit only to the west on to the B2036. Park as directed by marshals.

Parking is not suitable for anything bigger than a VW Transporter.

Parking is limited to 100 vehicles and is now full. If you want to attend you will need to get a lift with someone who has already entered the event as a vehicle driver.

Public Transport

Nearest train station Three Bridges

Course Information

• Brown 9.5km 240m
• Blue 6.8km 175m
• Short Blue 5.4km 130m
• Green 4.2km 120m
• Short Green (suitable for Light Green runners) 3.9km 100m
• Orange 2.8km 70m
• Yellow 2.2km 60m
• White 1.5km 40m

Punching start and finish. All other controls will be SIAC enabled.

There is a 15 minute walk to the start/finish from the parking area. Follow red/white taped route.

Blank maps will not be displayed in the start lane. A previous map of the area can be seen here.

Entry Details

Pre-entry via Racesignup.co.uk (there will be no entry on the day):

£15.00 BOF Senior/£6.50 BOF Junior up to 13^th March 2026 (subject to map availability)

£2 non-member supplement (Seniors only)

SO juniors free (use code SOjuniors)

Standard Dibber Hire: £1.00 Senior/£0.50 Junior

SIAC Hire: £2.00 Senior/£1.00 Junior

Novice seniors can enter an Orange, Yellow or White course for a reduced fee of £8.00

Registration

10.15am - 12.15am

Start Times

10.30am - 12.30am. Courses close 2.30pm.

Map Details

Brown, Blue, Short Blue - 1:10,000 with 5m contours. A3.
Green, Short Green - 1:7,500 with 5m contours. A3.
Orange, Yellow, White - 1:7,500 with 5m contours. A4.

Terrain Description

Mixed forest with a good network of paths

Dog restrictions

On a lead whilst in the parking area. No dogs on the courses. Clean up after your dog.

Facilities

Bring your own water.

Portable toilets.

Miscellaneous

Safety Bearing: South West - Heading to highest point on East/West ride to find taped route back to assembly.

There are a number of log piles in the forest. Keep well clear of them.

Some of the fields have electric fences in them.

At present water levels in the streams are high.

There is no official clothing dump but competitors may, at their own risk, leave clothing at the finish which will be signed from the taped route to the start. The start and finish are 350m apart.

Thank you to Paddockhurst Estate and Standinghall Estate for the use of Worthlodge Forest and Whitely Hill Road.

Contacts / Officials

Planner: Garry Greenstreet

Organiser: Steve Blount

Controller / Event Adviser: Vince Joyce