Spring Series (4/4)Peel ParkSat 07 March, 2020
Regional level event
Explanation of Event levels
- Training events are non competitive events used for training and coaching, aimed at members of the club, but they can attract people from neighbouring clubs, and are often ideal for newcomers to try the sport.
- Local events are usually low key and in the 'localised' area, ideal for newcomers to try the sport. Most clubs run some 'mini series' throughout the year as local mid week events.
- Regional events attract participants from around the local Region.
- National events are high quality competitions that will attract people from far away,
- Major events are Major Events such as a British Championships or the annual JK competition.
Results
Report
Controller’s Comments:
It was good to see the event pass off smoothly on the day with plenty of positive feedback. However, in the weeks running up to the day it looked like the event would have to be cancelled due to the recent storms. A final check last weekend confirmed it was OK, so the attention then shifted to whether we could get suitable courses ready on time. This required a somewhat unorthodox approach to the planner/controller roles as availability dictated who did what and when. In the confusion a few things got missed but nothing that significantly took away from the competitor experience on the day. Well done to everyone in PFO for their hard work on the day.
Peel Park (in my opinion) is a great area for a Level C/D Saturday event. It is compact enough for control placement and collection to happen on the day but also provides enough interest and challenge for all competitors from novice to expert. I vetoed the idea of running a brown course as my experience of these from past events was that they felt somewhat contrived as you go beyond 7km. There were many comments on the area being surprisingly physical so the decision to not offer a white course for that reason seems to have been justified.
My sympathies are offered to the 4 competitors who failed to punch the last control. In hindsight we should have positioned the last control 30m further back at the main track junction to avoid the lure of the finish banner entrancing competitors. There were only 3 other DNF’s which was a good effort for an event with 100 competitors.
From a planning/controlling perspective, a big thank you to Christian Wood for splitting the control placement and checking duties on the morning making it a near zero stress exercise for me! Gillian Rowan-Wilde and Bridget Jardine took care of all the pre-event checking, preparation and map printing. Bridget and Lee Gosling ensured everything was sorted on the day. Finally thanks to the competitors for not making an issue of anything and in many cases indicating that they enjoyed it!
Steve Wilson
Organisers Comments
It was great to see so many people enjoying another great event. Peel Park is a relatively straightforward event to organise as an afternoon event, with good parking and a convenient pitch for the Registration and Download tents. We had a brilliant response to the request for early volunteers which made setting up easy. It was great to see the new PFO banner flying resplendent at the gates of the school as well.
This was the first time we had used the Bowling Club toilets, saving us sacrificing valuable parking spaces to host portaloos. It was a bit of a trek uphill to get to them but it all seemed to work well with no complaints.
This also meant that we taped the route to the Start along the track past the pub, rather than along the main street, which also seemed to work fine.
Huge thanks to those volunteers who did long stints exposed to the elements on certain jobs whilst other volunteers did their runs. In particular Kay & Emma on car parking, Jim on the Start, Nick on the Finish and a positively frozen Bridget who heroically managed the Start and then Finish until the bitter end.
Thanks as always to the Registration and Download teams. (Especially for printing a list of courses after my printer malfunction at home). Thanks to George for helping transport kit; Bridget for permissions (and loads of other stuff); all those who collected controls and helped pack away and to all the other volunteers on the day.
Whilst it was a long day for the volunteers, there seemed to be lots of happy orienteers challenged by lung-bursting climbs and interesting navigational features. A cracking way to end the Spring Series.
Lee Gosling
RouteGadget
Is a web browser app for sharing and comparing orienteering routes. You can draw your own route or upload a GPS track from your watch. It also allows you to watch an animated replay with a simulated mass start.
Go to the Pendle Forest Routegadget now
>> Important note !!
This is an AFTERNOON event with first starts at 13:00. The late start enables anyone who participates in other Saturday morning activities to engage in both.
Event 4 of 4 of our Spring Intro Series is at Peel Park in Accrington. This is a Regional ranking event.
The Yellow and Orange are introductory courses specifically aimed at novices and juniors. The Light Green, Green and Blue courses will provide more technical navigation and route choices. As there is no Brown course the Blue will be at the top end of recommended length/climb combination.
The whole competition area (Park, Coppice, Plantation and open moor) is popular with runners, dog walkers, horse riders, mountain bikers and orienteers. As a consequence you may encounter unmapped incidental paths.
All competitors should be courteous and give way to other users.
The mill workers park and the Coppice were bequeathed by William Peel to the people of Accrington town in 1909, with the scarp of now mature conifers being planted in 1972/3. The curious maze of ditches on the top moor were dug by Italian POWs in WWII as a defence against Luftwaffe gliders landing. They were entirely successful in this endeavour, but unwittingly bequeathed some novel navigation to later generations. Plantation Road was where the mill owners great houses once stood by a cobbled highway.
Location Info
Near: Accrington Lat,Lng: 53.75773,-2.35510 Postcode: BB5 6EW
Open an interactive map in:
GoogleMap -
Streetmap (OS 50k)
OpenStreetMap -
BingMap (OS 50k)
Directions / Parking
Easiest approach is from the A56 junction with the A679. From here follow Burnley Road towards Accrington centre. After 1 mile (just before a set of traffic lights) turn left into Alice Street (signed from here) then left into the Peel Park School parking area (£1 donation please) and Registration. Or satnav to BB5 6EW.
Do not park on Alice Street itself as this is a busy thoroughfare.
Registration here, but no toilets here.
TOILET INFO: See below.
Map / Terrain
The area offers a very wide variety of complex terrain for all abilities. Forest, woodland, mine and quarry detail, open moors, WWII ditches, water features and more besides.
Recent flooding has subsided and has not compromised the courses.
Registration and Start times
Registration: From 12:30 to 13:30
Starts: From 13:00 to 14:00
Courses Close: At 4:00PM
Course Information
| Course: | Length: | Climb: | Notes: |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow | 2.1k | 80m | TD2= Easy. |
| Orange | 2.7k | 110m | TD3 = Moderate. |
| Light Green | 3.1k | 140m | TD4= Hard. |
| Short Green | 3.5k | 130m | TD5= Hard |
| Green | 4.9k | 210m | TD5 = Very hard Double sided map |
| Blue | 6.7k | 310m | TD5 = Very hard Double sided map |
Distance to the Start is 500m with 35m climb. Allow up to 10 minutes. TOILETS HERE.
Return from the Finish is 700m downhill, passing the toilets.
Download will be at Registration.
Entry Details
EOD only (PFO EOD Form below)
Adults: £9.00, BOF members £7.00,
Juniors £4.00. BOF members £3.00
Dibber hire £1, but £40 if lost.
Dog restrictions
Dogs not permitted in the school grounds.
Well behaved dogs are permitted on courses. Be aware of other users in the area and some adjacent sheep fields.
Dogs may be exercised freely in the competition area after your run. Please observe canine etiquette.
Facilities
TOILET INFO: at the Start and accessible on your way back from the Finish.
Our thanks to Hyndburn Borough Council for use of these facilities.
Miscellaneous
For general enquiries -
Download this entry form./ Complete and hand in at Registration:
PFO EOD Form
Contacts / Officials
Planner: Gillian Rowan-Wilde PFO
Controller: Steve Wilson SELOC
Organiser: Lee Gosling PFO