Gordonstoun Regional Sprint Event

Event Summary

Final Details Added - 3 February 2023

With special thanks to Gordonstoun School, Moravian is pleased to host a second sprint event in the Moray/Highlands area during the first weekend of February 2023.  This level C event will take place on the day after the SOUL event in Inverness (final details are linked here: SOUL 2 Inverness City Race - Final Event Details - V3 Updated 1 Feb 2023.pdf - Google Drive).  It is the first time in four years that the area will have been used for an orienteering event.

Gordonstoun School offers some excellent parkland terrain and building infrastructure, with good path and road networks.  The area is ideal for an urban/parkland sprint and is virtually traffic free.  Three sprints courses and one yellow/beginner course will be available.  All courses will cross minor roads, with very low traffic density and within the School Grounds.  All courses will, therefore, be suitable for Juniors to run without shadowing.  Shorts are permitted but due to the woodland encountered on the sprint courses, full leg cover is highly recommended.  Gripped shoes are also highly recommended on the sprint courses as the terrain is likely to be muddy and slippery in parts, with some short steep sections of terrain.

The event is suitable as a 'come and try it' event for beginners.  Please enter the yellow/beginner course.  Coaching for Moravian Club beginners will also be available immediately before the event at 9.30 am, for about one hour.  Please email Morag (coach@mor.scot) to take part and meet at event registration (details below).  This coaching session will cover contours and control descriptions, and recap the previous sessions.  The event will also count towards Moravian's 'Saturday League' series.  

Registration will be in the Foyer of the George Welsh Sports Pavilion (what3words /// The simplest way to talk about location).  Toilets will be available.  Please remove muddy footwear before entering.  There will also be a cake stall available for post-run refreshments. Please come along and support the Moravian Juniors!

Areas of the campus not included in the competition are out-of-bounds to visitors and competitors.  Please also be mindful that students and staff will be on campus throughout the event.

Sprint
Level C Colour
SI AIR
1000-1200 Hours
1030-1230 Hours
1400 Hours
82241
On Leads
Online
SI Entries

Directions and Parking

Road.  Gordonstoun School (w3w///diets.pigtails.splint) is situated to the north east of the village of Duffus (w3w///wakes.universes.hamster) in Moray.  Access to the event from all directions will be via Duffus on the B9012 and the School's West Gate and all departures from the event will be via the School's East Gate.  Please observe and respect this one-way system into and out of the School Grounds.

The drive to Gordonstoun from Edinburgh, Glasgow and the South follows the M90 and A9 to Perth.  After which you follow signs to Inverness and Aviemore. Just after Aviemore take the A95 to Grantown-on-Spey and then follow signs to Forres.  At Forres join the A96 to Elgin.

As you approach Elgin, at the Eight Acres Hotel, turn left and follow the road for one mile before turning left onto the B9012 signposted Hopeman.  After four miles you’ll reach the village of Duffus.  The Post Office will appear in front of you as the road bends to the left.  At this point turn right into Gordonstoun Road.

From Inverness, please follow the A96 to Nairn, Forres and Elgin, and then follow the instructions above.

From Aberdeen, follow the A96 towards Inverness, through Huntly, Keith, Fochabers and Elgin. Look out for the Eight Acres Hotel on your right and follow the instructions as above.

On entering Gordonstoun Road, continue for approximately 500m to the West Gate and then into the School grounds.  At the West Gate, continue for approximately 1 km, past Gordonstoun House (the main school building) and the King George V playing fields.  Car parking will be at the Sports Ground car park, immediately on the right after the playing fields.  Parking marshalls will direct you. 

Please park only in this designated parking area, unless directed to an overflow parking area.  The School has a strict reverse-park only policy for the safety of its pupils and staff, so please reverse-park only into spaces.  Please observe the Gordonstoun School speed limit of 20 mph for the safety of pupils, residents and fellow participants, which is reduced to 10 mph in front of Gordonstoun House.  Pedestrians and cyclists have the right of way here. 

After the event, please turn right out of the car park and head towards and out of the School's East Gate to a T-Junction.    

Public Transport.  Trains operate a regular service to Elgin from which a taxi can take you to Gordonstoun School.  Unfortunately, there is no bus service from Elgin to Duffus on a Sunday.  

Start and Finish

Start.   The route to the start will be taped and is 600m from registration, along a wide, level forest track.  Please observe any out-of-bounds signs on the way.  Entry to the start boxes will be at -3 minutes.  Punching starts will be used.  SI AIR will be enabled, but you must punch the start and finish controls.

Clothing:  Shorts are permitted, but this is northern Scotland so dress appropriately for the weather on the day.  However, due to the wooded areas and slippery/short steep slopes on some parts of the course, full leg cover and gripped shoes are highly recommended for the three sprints courses only.  If the weather is severe, a waterproof top may be made compulsory.  Participants will be advised at registration.  There will also be a clear sign to this effect at the beginning of the route to the start.

Warm up:  There will be plenty of space for warming up on the field next to assembly, as well as along the track to the start.  Please only use these areas. 

Late starters:   Late starters will be fitted in when there are available time slots.

Loose Control Descriptions:  These will be available in the start boxes.

Spectators:   Spectators will have the opportunity to view the last few controls on each course near registration and the finish area. 

Finish:  The finish is on the field adjacent to registration.  All competitors must punch the finish control.  You MUST download even if you do not complete the course.  COVID precautions are still in place for inside venues, so please do not linger inside the registration building.

First Aid.  At registration. The nearest A&E hospital is Dr Gray’s Hospital in Elgin (15 mins drive).  A map to find the hospital can be obtained at registration.

Courses

Four courses will be available for all abilities as follows:

  • Long. 4.0km straight-line distance; 4.9km optimum route; 26 controls
  • Medium. 3.2km straight-line distance; 3.8km optimum route; 20 controls
  • Short. 2.5km straight-line distance; 3.0km optimum route; 15 controls
  • Yellow/Beginner. 1.8km straight-line; 2.0km optimum route; 14 controls

The three sprint courses (long, medium and short) are planned at TD3 with an estimated winning time of 20 to 25 mins.  The area has little climb.  All courses will be contained within the School grounds.  The Gordonstoun map has recently been updated to ISSprOM 2019 standards by Steve Smirthwaite. 

Map scales will be 1:4000, with 5m contours, for all courses.

Terrain

The terrain is relatively flat overall and consists of parkland, some wooded areas, short steeper sections and multiple complex buildings throughout the grounds with a good path and road network.  Currently, some parts are pretty wet, with lots of puddles and some unmapped standing water/marshy areas on the paths and open ground.  Some of the ditches may also contain water - please observe those that are marked as un-crossable. 

Parts of the urban area consist of narrow lanes, low head-height passage ways and stairways. The wooded areas are mostly runnable but contain brambles and denser, lower visibility, vegetation in parts. 

Participants are reminded to acquaint themselves with the map symbols for sprint orienteering and un-crossable boundaries, in particular.  Please respect and observe all un-crossable boundaries and out-of-bounds areas on the map, even if the terrain suggests that the area/feature could be crossed.  Please note that the Cricket Pitch is marked as out-of-bounds.  Should participants be seen to cross an un-crossable boundary or knowingly cross one, then they will be disqualified or should declare themselves disqualified, respectively.

Entry Details

Online Entries will be available online via SI Entries.  Late online entries will be accepted after midnight 1 February 2023 (when maps are ordered) until midnight Thursday 2 February 2023, subject to map availability and start slots.  An additional £1 fee will be charged for a late online entry.

Entries can also be edited/changed/cancelled until midnight Thursday 2 February 2023, subject to map availability and start slots.

Fees:

  • Seniors - Sprint Courses - £10 Non-member/£9 BOF/SOA member;
  • Juniors - Sprint Courses - £5 Non-member/£4 BOF/SOA member; 
  • Yellow/Beginner Course Only - £3 Non-member/£2 BOF/SOA member;
  • There will be a £1 discount if using your own SI-dibber.

Entry on the Day will be possible, but subject to map availability.  Our preferred method of payment is via card.  An additional £1 fee will be charged for Entry on the Day.

SI Entries

Final Details

Start list by Course then Surname (134.99 KB)
Final Details - Gordonstoun Parkland Urban Sprint Event - 5 February 2023_0.pdf (408.19 KB)

Safety Information

  • Road Safety. 
    • The three sprint courses (long, medium and short) will cross the main campus road.  All participants must check for traffic before crossing any road.
    • Drivers are to observe the speed limit of 20 mph within the School Grounds, which is reduced to 10 mph in front of Gordonstoun House.  Please pay attention to 'caution runner' signs and be aware that pedestrians and cyclists have right of way in front of Gordonstoun House. 
    • Drivers are to observe the School's reverse-park only policy and reverse-park for the safety of pupils, staff and fellow participants.
  • Water Hazards.  Participants are advised that there are water hazards (ponds) within the School grounds which must not be entered. 
  • Terrain Hazards.
    • Participants are advised that the wooded areas and the steep slopes found mostly in the south-west of the mapped area are likely to be slippery and muddy.  These areas may also contain brambles; denser, lower visibility, vegetation; and many head-height branches.  Gripped shoes and full leg cover are highly recommended.
    • Participants are advised that the terrain has a number of trip hazards, including tree roots, stony and broken ground, kerbs, steps and fallen branches/logs.  
  • Disorientation.  Participants are advised that the safety bearing is to head north to the main Gordonstoun Estate Road or to the Gordonstoun School (northern) Estate boundary.
  • Other Users.  Participants are advised that Gordonstoun School remains active on the day of the event and staff, pupils and other people may be using the area, paths and its buildings.  Participants are advised to be aware of other users and to avoid potential collisions.
  • Course Closure.   Participants must report to download by course closure at 14:00 hours, even if retired and not completing the course.

Event Officials

Andrew Campbell
Michael Bishenden
Andrew Campbell
andrewandlizcampbell@outlook.com
0795 162 8600
Steve Smirthwaite

COVID-19

COVID-19 Guidance (Updated May 2022)

The SOA has issued the following updated COVID-19 event guidance with effect from March 2022 for Clubs to follow.

  • All competitors must not attend an orienteering event if they have symptoms or test positive for COVID-19 (even if they have received two doses of the vaccine and a booster) until they have completed their period of self-isolation.

  • Entry on the day (EOD) at events and activities is permitted but clubs should encourage physical distancing around registration or results displays even when outdoors. 

  • Clubs are to avoid close packed (less than 1m separation) groups of people even when outdoors.  Such close packing has been known to occur around both registration and results displays – it can also occur with helpers at registration and download. 

  • Indoor public spaces may be used for events and activities, but current face covering regulations must be followed and behaviours such as improved ventilation, provision of hand sanitiser, adapting layouts to encourage social distancing and encouraging the use of face masks to reduce spread should be adopted.

As a result, Moravian will continue to make hand sanitiser available for use by competitors and volunteers at the registration and download areas. 

Competitors are asked not to form close (less than 1m separation) groups at events (be it outdoor or indoor), particularly around registration and download, and are encouraged to minimise contact with SI boxes, including Clear, Check and SI AIR test boxes, and the download equipment.

Where indoor/enclosed spaces are used which have restricted air circulation, Moravian will adapt layouts to maintain at least 1m segregation and encourage competitors to wear a mask. 

Lost Property

One pair of black Sprayway over-trousers found - age 6/7 yrs.  Please contact the organiser.  Thanks.

Results (209.09 KB)
Route gadget