Organising a Street Orienteering Event

Advance Organisation – 30 days out

  • Identify a suitable pub for the event. This may have a separate room or easily identifiable section of the main pub area which can serve for registration, download and bag storage. Ideally, food should be available for after runs.
  • Obtain the timing kit and dibbers from the appropriate person (or previous organiser).

Planning the Event

Control Numbers Score
10 – 19 10
20 – 29 20
30 – 39 30
40 40
50 50
  • Distribute the thirty least value controls evenly across the area, rather than concentrating the high score controls around the edges – this will make people think more, and give lesser orienteers the chance of bagging a high score.  The two high value controls should be placed as far as possible so that most competitors can get one of them, but only the better competitors can get both.
  • To avoid arguments about answers, the description sheet should give three reasonable answers to each question, with the right one to be circled.  We will deduct the value of the control if a wrong answer is circled.
  • Please try to avoid too many similar types of answers in adjacent rows – in particular post box clues on consecutive rows should be avoided.
  • Once the competitor reaches the control, the answer to the clue should be easy to find – it is not a treasure hunt!
  • A template clue sheet is available here: Google Docs [PDF Version to follow].

Prior to the Race Evening

  • Print out the StreetO Registration Desk – Event Info Sheet for display on the registration desk. Google Docs [PDF version].
  • Print out maps. It is best to use waterproof paper to print out the maps. Either ask Alan to see if there are leftovers from a previous event, or else order via Amazon https://amzn.to/2OLyfJK 
  • Bring some spare pens / highlighter pens for competitors who may have forgotten them.
  • You should check the Facebook event and the Google Docs event registrations for details of entries. It may be helpful on the night if you have these entered on the event worksheet ahead of time.

Race Evening

  • Arrive at the pub by 18:10 so you can check in with the pub staff and set up registration.
  • Set up the Clear, Start and Finish boxes and the Start Kite. If needed, directional signs may guide entrants to the registration area which may display an orienteering kite for further identification.
  • First registrations will typically start arriving around 18:15.
  • Bring some old example maps from a previous event to help explain the map to newcomers.
  • Entries
    • Use the Google Spreadsheet. In the event worksheet, you just need to select the name of the competitor from the drop-down list. The Club, Age Class and Entry Fee information should update accordingly. If you don’t have a Google account / access to Google spreadsheets, Alan may be able to lend you a tablet to allow you to process event results.
    • If you need to enter a competitor who is not listed in the dropdown, add them to the Lists spreadsheet. Enter name, gender, age class and club. Fee should update automatically. Once added, you should be able to select the name if the event spreadsheet.
  • Event Results
    • Event Results – enter the minutes late (if any) and the Gross Score. The net score (after penalty), handicap score and all other values for the event should automatically calculate.
    • A Post will have been created on the website with the results of the event. Usually this will be timed to be published at 9pm on the night of the event. This pulls the results of the event from the Google Spreadsheet.