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Course Setter's Notes

As of Monday, September 5

Welcome to the Sprint Series Finals! We hope you enjoy yourself. You may find the following information useful, at least in stopping yourself from being disqualified.

The courses

Everybody will run three courses. There are different versions of the courses, according to your heat.

For men, heats 1 and 2, course lengths are as follows:

Round 1: 2.74 km, climb 50m
Round 2: 2.69 km, climb 80m
Final: 2.89 km, climb 75m

For women and for men heat 3, course lengths are as follows:

Round 1: 1.99 km, climb 30m
Round 2: 2.11 km, climb 55m
Final: 2.89 km, climb 75m

The map

Pawtuckaway, 1:5,000, contour interval 5m. Original fieldwork, Mikell Platt; original cartography, J-J Cote, 1992. Updated: Compass Brook, 2001. Very minor updates, 2004 and 2005, by various suspects.

Note: Pawtuckaway was originally mapped for use at 1:15 000. It uses the standard ISOM symbols and not the newer standard for sprint orienteering maps (ISSOM). Do not complain about this!

Maps have been laser printed. There is no legend on the map. Legends will be available at registration for those that require them. Sample copies of map extracts at 1:5000 will also be posted. Old maps of Pawtuckaway showing the terrain -- sample 1, sample 2

The north lines on the map are 250m apart. The map will have a line scale and a title at the top, so you should have little difficulty orienting it.

Warming up

There are controls in the forest everywhere around you, so please restrict your warm-ups to the roads and open areas as much as possible. We hope to have a small model area/map nearby which you can use at your convenience. There won't be any controls, but it will allow you to see a bit of the terrain.

Fairness

1. Please do not run in the surrounding forest with a map (except in the model area) before the sprints.

2. Especially for the third round -- we plan to start the "Final Fours" last, to allow for others to spectate/cheer. If you have already run round 3, please do not share any information about the course with those who have not yet started. We could quarantine them, but we'd rather not!

Control descriptions

Control descriptions will be available at the start, just prior to your start. They are in IOF symbols only. They may not be on the map (depends on how printing goes).

Map exchange

There is no map exchange in either of the first two rounds.

The third round for all heats consists of three loops, passing back through the start after each of the first two loops. The procedure for passing through the start is slightly different each time you do so, so be careful. The start/finish area will have two chutes - one for those on loops 1 or 2, and one for those finishing on loop 3.

At the start, you will be given a map that shows the first two loops only. When you start, proceed to do the first loop (be careful to go to control 1 first since both loops are already on your map and there are four lines out of the start!).

After finishing the first loop, run down the loop 1/2 chute, punch the control (note: do not punch the finish instead!), and head out on loop 2. Do not take a new map!

After finishing loop 2, again head down the loop 1/2 chute, punch the control (note: do not punch the finish instead!), drop your map, and take a new map for loop 3. Head out on loop 3. After finishing loop 3, this time head down the finish chute.

This will be less complicated than it sounds, but you do need to pay attention.

Start procedure

Start and finish are on the baseball field next to the main parking lot. It should be obvious.

You will be starting in groups of four or five at a time, depending on your heat. The start interval between groups will be one minute, usuaully, though there will be exceptions. Start times will be posted on the web.

Finish procedure

Pay attention now!

Your finish position is determined by the position in which you cross the finish line.

There will be a finish punch located a few meters beyond the finish line. This will allow you to get finish splits, but these are for your own amusement only and do not affect your finish position.

Please stay in line from the finish to the finish control if possible (this will allow the display of finish times to be more accurate), but do not be concerned if somebody pushes in front of you - your position is safe.

-- William Hawkins, course setter, Sprint Finals