Ball Grove Park

Race report

Planner’s Comments:

Today was brilliant! First O-event using the new O-map of Ball Grove Park and the first introductory O-event for many of the participants.

It was a privilege to be both the mapper and the planner. The map was initially set up in late 2024 at 1:3000 scale, followed in 2025 by the realisation that the area stretched further eastwards to the sharp bend of the (river) Colne Water. The map became 1:4000 landscape, and the event could then accommodate both Green (3.9k) and Red (4.8k) courses, without too much repetition! Hence today’s event.

I estimated 50 competitors would enter our Local event, but was surprised by an entry of almost double that! (Nothing else on, perhaps?) That put pressure on the Start team, who admirably coped with the extras. The staff at Lakeside Café (our Assembly and Download point) were also surprised by the extra numbers! The queue for sustenance and beverage, at one point, snaking out of the door and into the competition area! I trust you all enjoyed the venue.

The courses: Yellowfor young folk and adult first timers – an ideal area.Orange(shorter) andRed(longer) for progressing competitors – ideal.Light Green– more difficult navigation – again, an ideal area.Green – a bit contrived to get the distance and technical difficulty, but still well received, apart from one competitor who mis-punched 128 (lone tree), instead of 138 (between the hedges). Competitor error, except that these two controls were less than 30m apart by 5m! Planner error, which would have been spotted by a controller had today been a Regional event. My apologies to anyone adversely affected by this, but the results stand as there are no BOF Ranking Points at stake.

I also manned the Finish for half of the time. Smiles from most competitors, curses from a few, a hug from a friend and several requests for photos of proud finishers. You can picture the scene: competitor(s) by the FINISH banner, the lake, some tall trees, ducks or gulls and broad smiles of success and reward! Oh … and grey skies beyond. It drizzled a bit, but hey-ho, nobody cared!

No prizes, no ranking points, just enjoyment of being out and about, doing something new (for some), therapeutic (for others) and refreshing for the wise and the old!

Thanks are due, of course, to all PFO members, and others, who stayed on to disassemble the O-kit ready for storage and the next event. Your help is much appreciated.

All in all, I enjoyed today and all the preparations. I believe you did too!

George Crawford-Smith PFO Planner.

Map and terrain

Map notes: The event map is 1:4000 for all courses, using the ISSprOM symbol set, and printed on waterproof paper. The Yellow course is printed on one side. All other courses have double-sided maps, with a map-flip required at the given control.

Terrain notes: The competition area lies between the main A6068 (Colne to Cross Hills road) and the river Colne Water – both are out of bounds. In addition to the path network, there is a patchwork of woodland, parkland and rough open land. There are two lakes, plus areas of marshland, some of which is best avoided. The woodland is mostly runnable with patches of thicket and low brambles.

Course information

Provisional course details.

Long legwear is recommended.