Essex Summer Midweek Series No 3 Danbury Common

Location
Start and finish at Cricketers Arms, Penny Royal Road, Chelmsford, CM3 4ED
Small car park nearby off the start of Bicknacre Road (TL 779046), or Mayes Lane car park CM3 4NJ (TL 782049). Both are free for the times of the event.

Timing
Start at times between 6.30pm and 7.30pm. Starts will not be preallocated.
Competitors must report to the finish by 8.45pm
Please ensure you notify the organiser that you have finished, so that safety checks can be completed.

Event information
SOS club OCAD map of Danbury Common, last updated in 2023 with minor revisions for this event printed on waterproof paper
Scale 1:7,500 for both courses
The course is in woodland and on heathland, with a complex path network. Both courses will need to cross roads, so please take care.
It is highly recommended that you wear Orienteering or Trail shoes with a stud. Some of the steeper parts of the course are treacherous with flat shoes.

Maprun
This event uses MapRun software. Please use a smartphone or Garmin watch and ensure you have the latest version of MapRun installed on your phone. NB: Older versions of MapRun have experienced some issues with missed controls and inaccurate split times.Therefore, please upgrade to the latest version of the software (v7.5.7 for iOS, v7.5.8 for Android).
Information about Maprun is available at www.stragglers.info/info/virtual-orienteering-courses. There is also a user guide on the HAVOC website
It is useful to download the course you need before you arrive, download the course onto the app by clicking on ‘Select Event' in the app, and following the menu path UK > Essex>Danbury
The courses are:
Danbury Common 2025 Short
Danbury Common 2025 Long

This is a line event. You must visit the controls in the correct order.
The course map will not be visible on your phone until you receive the PIN number at Registration on the night. You do not need the PIN number to run using a Garmin watch. Your result will be automatically downloaded when you finish. If unsure, the full procedure will be explained at Registration. If the app fails to register your visit to a control, you need to note the number attached to the kite. If a control is missed then the software will show your result as Mispunch, but in the results we will add the usual penalty for a missed or incorrect control.
If you are unable to use MapRun, you are still very welcome to take part by completing the control card with pen or pencil, but be aware that this is a slower method. You will be timed by clock, and written answers will be checked. Please bring a pen to mark the control card and a map bag if wet.

Facilities
Toilets available in the pub.
Newcomers are welcome. Help and guidance will be available.
Please stay afterwards for a drink and/or food and for friendly discussion.
Food is available until 8pm. There will be a menu at registration. We have been asked that you place your food order before you run.

Safety
Participation is at your own risk. Under 16’s must be accompanied by an adult.
Bring clothing and footwear appropriate for the weather conditions. Please note the advice re shoes under event information.
As with any street orienteering this requires participants to cross roads and you are asked to take due care and attention at all times. High visibility clothing is strongly recommended.
There may be dog walkers, cyclists or residents on pavements and footpaths and in the country park – be aware and give them priority.
Cyclists move fast in this area. There is an area of the woodland which is permitted for mountain biking. This area is marked as Out of Bounds on the map, but care should be taken to watch out for cyclists that don’t follow the rules.

Scoring
Points will be awarded
based on finishing times adjusted using an age/gender handicap system.
Each missed or incorrect control will incur a 5 minutes penalty. Best 6 results from the 8 event series will count. On-the-night bonus of 15 points per event for those running on the night, as opposed to MapRun catchup. 7 min penalty for Anytime. A second run on any particular course will not count for scoring purposes.
Anytime catch-up for events hopefully available for 2 weeks after the event, on MapRun.
See series website for maps and instructions.
You are welcome to run together as a group, but in order to be fair we ask that you keep together, as when running as a group the least advantageous handicap is applied.
100 points will be allocated to the course organiser/planner for each event planned.
Full results will be emailed and published on the SOS and HAVOC websites.

Officials
Organiser/Planner – Kevin Machin kevinpmachin@gmail.com 07875 648864
Veronica Machin 07769 843994
Series Coordinator – Dean Pepper deanjpepper@gmail.com 07817 558216