South Gare is on the NE coast, just west of Redcar.

The main car parking will be at Redcar Racecourse.  The postcode is TS10 2BY and the What3words reference of the entrance to the car park is ///former.aware.saves.  Please note that you need to access the racecourse car park via Racecourse Road.  There is no access via Thwaites Lane.

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.

There will be a shuttle bus service between the racecourse car park and the Base Camp in the Majuba car park.  The buses will operate a continuous shuttle service between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., although the frequency will be reduced between about 12 noon and 2 p.m.  The journey takes about 10 minutes.

If the weather is fine, you might also considering walking or cycling the 2.6 km from the racecourse to the Base Camp.  Exit from the racecourse car park via Thwaites Lane.  At the eastern end of Thwaites Lane, turn left and head north until you reach the seafront.  Turn left and go west along the Esplanade until you reach the Majuba car park.  (This route will not be taped.)

There will be a limited number of priority parking spaces in the Majuba car park, adjacent to the Base Camp.  These spaces will be allocated via Club Captains.  There will probably be two spaces for each large club and one space for each small club.  The rest of the Majuba Road car park will be available for public parking, so you're welcome to park there if you can find a space and you're not put off by the parking charges (£3.60 for three hours or £4.80 for all day).  Blue badge holders can park for free for up to three hours.

The priority parking spaces are only for vehicles that can fit into the marked spaces in the Majuba Road car park.  We still need to check whether there are spaces big enough for minibuses.  Coaches and minibuses can drop their passengers off at the designated drop-off in the Majuba Road car park before heading off to find parking elsewhere; e.g. at the racecourse.

There are also several car parks in Redcar town centre that offer free parking on Sundays.

Public transport  It's a 1.5 km walk from Redcar Central railway station to the Base Camp.  You can get the East Coast Main Line to York (from the south) or Newcastle (from the north) and then use local trains to get to Redcar.

The event administration and most of the facilities will be in the Base Camp in the Majuba car park.

The Redcar Beach Base, close to the coach drop-off point, has toilets (including special needs toilets), two food outlets (serving burgers, ice creams, hot and cold drinks, etc.).

The Base Camp will have:-

• Enquiries
• Toilets
• Traders
• The main First Aid post

Bikes can be locked to the low wooden fence at the western edge of the Majuba Road car park (near Enquiries).

The Finish Arena will be 300 metres west of the Base Camp.  From the NW corner of the Base Camp, follow the taped route along the beach and then into the dunes.

The Finish Arena will have:-

• The run-in
• Download
• Commentary
• A First Aid station
• Space for club tents
• A free maze with courses for all ages
• Plenty of beach space for games of your own devising
• The North Sea for a 'refreshing' dip after your run

Please note that there will be no toilets in the Finish Arena.

It would be a good idea to consider using sandbags to secure your club tent.  (It's no problem to put tent pegs into the very sandy ground, but they slide out again just as easily!)  There's no need to bring sand.  Just some bags, string and an implement to shovel locally-provided sand into the bags.

South Gare is a spit of land created in the 19th Century to extend and improve Teesport.  Dorman Long – and probably other Iron Masters – dumped lines of slag from the blast furnaces to create the base for the breakwater and the road.

Sand dunes and slag ridges give a very technical relief with a profusion of small hills, knolls, gullies and depressions.  Paths offer fast progress.  Nearly all of the paths are mapped and can be used for navigation, but it's still wise to use other features for confirmation, as dog walkers tend to create new paths quite rapidly.

The sand is quite consolidated on the landward side, but becomes soft close to the beach.  The Marram grass can make running off the paths quite uncomfortable.

Due to the potential for cuts and scratches, all competitors must wear full leg cover.

Please note that there is some litter and flotsam/jetsam debris hidden in the grass.  There are also the remains of barbed wire and wooden fences in the area, and fence wire hidden in the Marram grass can pose a trip hazard to the unwary.

Follow this link to view the competition maps from:-

• The Regional event at South Gare in September 2023.
• The 2021 Junior Inter-Regional Championships, which were held at South Gare in September 2021.
• An evening event on Coatham Dunes (the southern part of the CompassSport Cup competition area) in May 2022.

Note:  South Gare and Coatham Dunes are a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and a Special Protection Area (SPA).  Natural England only allow orienteering in this area during September, when it will have minimal impact on the protected wildlife, flora and fauna.

The road along the southern edge of the competition area is out of bounds to competitors, including during your run.

There will be the standard range of CompassSport Cup courses, plus a Yellow course.  Details will be added later.

There will be two different map scales – 1:10,000 and 1:7,000.  The information about the courses will include the map scale for each course.   2.5m contours

The map was significantly updated for the Junior Inter-Regional Championships (JIRC) in 2021, and minor updates are being made for this event.

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

SPORTident electronic punching will be used.

The control boxes and the Finish will be activated to enable SIAC cards to operate in touch-free mode.

The Yellow course will have a punching start.  All the other courses will have a timed start.

The plan is that the CLOK Webmaster will develop a customised online entry system.  The entry process will involve two stages.  In the first stage, individual club members (or families) will be able to input their basic entry information – name, age class, SI card number, etc. – plus emergency contact details and information about any relevant medical conditions.  In the second stage, Team Captains will allocate courses and start times.  They will also be able to update the basic entry information; e.g. if someone has changed their SI card.  The system should be available for testing and comment by about the end of March.

10:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.       Courses close at 3 p.m.

There will be a few portable toilets in the Redcar Racecourse car park.  The main bank of portable toilets will be in the Base Camp, and remember that you can also use the public toilets adjacent to the Redcar Beach Base.

The main First Aid post will be in the NW corner of the Base Camp.  There will also be a First Aid station in the Finish Arena.

No drinks will be provided at the Finish.  The will be orienteering caterers in the Base Camp, and there are lots of food outlets in Redcar, including two in the Redcar Beach Base.

Well behaved dogs are welcome in the racecourse car park, the Majuba car park and the Finish Arena, but must be kept on leads at all times and must not be taken out into the competition area.  You may also exercise your dog on the beach (and may let it off the lead as long as you are sure it will not cause a nuisance to other beach users and it will come back to you when you call it).

You must, of course, clean up after your dog.  (And you risk getting a £100 fine from Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council if you fail to do so.)

A comprehensive risk assessment will have been carried out by the Organiser, but please remember that competitors take part at their own risk.  Orienteering is an adventure sport – your safety while orienteering is your own responsibility.

Please make sure that you download even if you do not complete your course.

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

If you have a relevant medical condition, please let us know via the online entry system.  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.