Newcomers to orienteering:   Help and advice will be available at this event.  Just come along and ask!

IMPORTANT – Change of parking arrangements

The historic Blackwell Urban Parkland, adjacent to the Blackwell Grange Hotel, is in the south-east part of Darlington.  Parking was originally going to be in Blackwell Grange Hotel's walled garden car park, with access via the hotel driveway from Grange Road.  However, due to a wedding reception, that parking is no longer available.  Parking will now be on the roadside along Blackwell Lane, and you will need to walk along the track leading from Blackwell Lane to the hotel.  The entrance to this track is at grid reference NZ 277133.  The What3words reference is ///timing.spun.splash and the postcode is DL3 8QQ.

Click on the link to see a map.  You can zoom in (and, optionally, switch to Satellite mode) to see the details of the final approach to the event.  You can also get directions if you specify your starting location.

Please park carefully and considerately on Blackwell Lane and then walk along the track to the hotel.  It is approximately 200 metres from Blackwell Lane to Download.

The only orienteering sign to this event will be an O-kite at the Blackwell Lane end of the track leading to the hotel.

Historic urban country parkland with fast running on grass, some woodland, water features and buildings.

Please note that most of the depressions are old golf bunkers.  They have a shallow lip on one side and a steep drop on the other side.  Be careful if you're approaching a depression from the "steep drop" side!

The competition area is popular with dog walkers.  As always, please be courteous to members of the public who are sharing this area with us.

Thank you to:-

• Darlington Borough Council for allowing us to use this lovely area, and
• the Parkland Heritage Network for saving this historic Georgian parkland from development and for giving us a grant to cover the cost of mapping the area.

There will be four courses available, with winning times of about 20 - 30 minutes:
>>  Open
>>  Youth / Vet 55+ (M/W18- and M/W55+)
>>  Juniors (M/W14-)
>>  Orange

Note:  The Orange course is intended for people doing the Couch 2 Green programme, beginners and anyone wanting a run with simpler navigation.

Courses planned by Mary Fleming.

Scale 1:4,000   A4 size.  New map created by Dennis Hooton in 2022.  The maps will be printed on waterproof paper.

Control descriptions will be printed on the map and loose copies will be available at the Start.

This event will use SPORTident electronic punching.

The control boxes will be activated to enable SIAC cards to operate in touch-free mode ..... but please note that you will need to punch the old-fashioned way at the Start and Finish.

IMPORTANT NOTE:  The Open course has 34 controls, so runners will need to use one of the following versions of SI card:-

If you're running the Open course and your own SI card isn't suitable, please contact the Organiser to arrange to borrow one of CLOK's SI cards.

SI-cards will not be available for hire on the day.  However, you can reserve a hired SI-card during the entry process in Racesignup.  There is a £1.00 hire charge.  You can collect your hired SI-card – which will be in an envelope labelled with your name – from Download car before your run.  Please remember to return it as you download.  There will be a £20 charge if you lose your hired SI-card.

Starts: 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.     Courses close at 1 p.m.

The Start and Finish will be less than 5 minutes' walk from Download.  Click on this link to see a diagram of the route to the Start (opens in a new tab).

There will be no Registration and no entry on the day.  If you wish to participate in this event you must pre-enter via the Racesignup online entry system.

• The first entry deadline is midnight on 23‑Feb‑2022.
• After that, you will still be able to enter until midnight on 2‑Mar‑2022, but your choice of course may be limited by map availability.

The new entry deadlines should help us minimise our map wastage.

There will be no cash refunds, but if you cancel your entry before the final entry deadline you will receive a refund in the form of credit paid into your CLOK Racesignup account.

• If you cancel on or before 23‑Feb‑2022 you will receive credit for the full amount of your entry fee(s).
• If you cancel between 24‑Feb‑2022 and 2‑Mar‑2022 you will receive credit for the entry fees minus £1 per competitor.
• There will be no refund for cancellations on or after 3‑Mar‑2022.

You can run a second course for an entry fee of £1, but you do need to pre-enter via Racesignup.  Use the relevant discount code (listed on the Racesignup welcome page) to get the reduced entry fee for your second run.

Try to arrange things so that you arrive at the Start at the right time for your second run, but don't worry if you're late.  We've got some flexibility to fit people in.

If you are a student aged 21 or over, use the relevant discount code to get the student entry fee.

Toilets in the Blackwell Grange Leisure Centre (access through the walled garden car park).

First aid at Download.

There will be no "key drop" facility at this event.  Please make your own arrangements.

You are very welcome to use the Blackwell Grange Hotel bar, lounge, cafe area and restaurant, which are all in the main part of the hotel.  You will have passed the entrance on your way to the walled garden car park.
Please note that the hotel's afternoon tea has to be pre-ordered!

There are likely to be wedding parties using the hotel.  Please give them space and priority on their special occasion.  (Also, we don't want to prejudice use of the lovely hotel facilities for future events!

Although the Covid-19 restrictions have been relaxed and the Omicron wave has subsided a bit, the pandemic is not yet over.  Please continue to take precautions to protect yourself and other people ..... including the volunteers who make orienteering events possible.

Orienteering is an outdoor, naturally socially-distanced sport.  However, although you should be relatively safe when you are out on your run, there is a risk of Covid-19 transmission during the pre- and post-run activities.

Given that:-

• You must not come to this (or any other) event if you have Covid-19 symptoms or if should be self-isolating in accordance with Government guidance.
• Please maintain effective social distancing, including from the volunteers on the organising team; e.g. at Download.
• Before and after your run, avoid unnecessary close contact with people outside your household.
• Maintain good hand hygiene.

You must download even if you do not finish your course.

CLOK recommends that you carry a whistle whilst participating in this (and every) orienteering event.

If you have a relevant medical condition, please add this to your competitor details in Racesignup.  Any information provided will be treated in strict confidence and will only be used if you need medical treatment and are unable to communicate at the time.

Please remember that competitors take part at their own risk.  Orienteering is an adventure sport – your safety while orienteering is your own responsibility.