Coatham Woods

Cleveland Schools Orienteering Association
sponsored by the Tees Forest
invites schools to participate in the fourth event of the 2006-07 league at
Coatham Woods, Long Newton
on Wednesday, 28th March 2007

Directions:	From the A66 between Stockton and Darlington, take the eastern of the two exits signed Long Newton. (This is the first exit if you are coming from the Stockton / Middlesbrough direction – the second exit if you are coming from the Darlington direction). Then take the first left to park as directed on a narrow cul de sac at grid reference NZ 386167. Please note full size coaches will need to unload passengers here and return to collect at an agreed time, as the road will probably not accept coach parking. Minibuses will be okay.
Timing:	Start times are available from 2.15 to 5.15 pm. All start times must be reserved in advance via the Internet entry system on the CLOK web site at www.clok.org.uk. Telephone or email Mike if you have not already agreed (or have forgotten) a password which you will need to complete your entry. (01287-624521). It is recommended that, as large numbers of competitors are anticipated,on-line entry is completed early in order to reserve your preferred start times. It then becomes your responsibility to get runners to the start on time, as it may be quite difficult to re-arrange start times on the day. Typical running times are from 10 minutes (best primary school runners) to 70 minutes (slowest secondary school runners).
Prior notice:	The entry system is now open. You can use it to reserve start times, and you can enter the names of the runners against the allocated times. If you do not register the runners' names by 5 p.m. on the Tuesday evening before the competition then they will not appear in results on the day and can only be incorporated into the final results with difficulty.
Cost:	£1.00 per runner. This may be paid on the day or invoiced to school each term. Reserved no-shows 50p.
Timing system:	This event will use EMIT electronic timing. The use of EMIT cards can be demonstrated to first-timers on request. The cost of replacing a lost EMIT card is £20.00.
Format:	There will be three courses. The White course is designed for primary school runners in years 5 and 6 and generally follows paths. White course runners may compete singly or in pairs. The Orange course is for secondary school runners in years 7, 8 and 9 and requires more map reading ability. The Light Green course for years 10 and 11 requires competence both in map reading and in route choice. Compasses may be useful on the Light Green course. The map is the usual six colour orienteering map, at a scale of 1:5000 (1 cm on the map = 50 metres on the ground), recently updated. The maps will be pre-marked with the courses and control descriptions, and placed in plastic folders. Each competitor will receive an EMIT card (one between pairs), which is numbered and allocated to an individual start time. The card will also be allocated to the competitor's name(s), assuming that these have been registered via the on-line entry system. White course runners will also receive their maps. Maps for the Orange and Light Green course runners will be handed out at the start. On the map, the courses are marked as follows. The start is shown by a red triangle. The controls, which must be visited in their numbered sequence, are marked by red circles. The finish is shown by a double circle. On the ground, controls are marked with red and white kites identified by two letters corresponding to the letters on the control description sheets. At the control there is also a docking station into which the EMIT card should be entered to register the competitor's time of arrival at the control. At the finish the card will be downloaded by the finish team and the competitor will receive an immediate print-out showing the overall time taken and the times between each control and the next. We would prefer inexperienced runners to run down a course, or run in pairs, rather than have a terrible time on a course too hard for them. It is thus acceptable to run the course designed for the competitor's age group, or an easier or harder one depending on ability.
Results:	It is hoped that results will be available on the day. Preliminary results will also appear on the CLOK web site, but this will not happen until the following weekend, because the CLOK webmaster will be away on holiday. Either go to www.clok.org.uk and follow the link to the Schools orienteering section or go directly to www.clok.org.uk/Schools. Competitors' names will only be shown in the preliminary results if they have been registered via the on-line entry system by 5 p.m. on the Tuesday. There will be certificates for the first three individuals and the first two schools on each course. At the end of the season there will be a league trophy for the first school in each of the three sections and a trophy for the first Redcar and Cleveland school, awarded on the basis of the seven events in the series.
Scoring:	The winner on each course gains 50 points, the next 49, the next 48 and so on. Those running down a class gain half points, as do those running in pairs on the Orange and Light Green courses. The best six scores from a school count towards the competition. The winning school on each course gains 5 league points, the second 4, and so on. The 2006-07 Annual League is scored over seven events, two each in the Autumn and Spring terms, and three in the Summer term.
Risk Analysis:	Injuries – A first aid kit is at the finish, and a trained first aider is on site. Injured runners should return directly to the finish or, if this is impractical, stop the next passing competitor or event patroller (who is equipped with a two way radio) and send him/her back immediately to report the incident. Safety Check – Each competitor (or pair) has an EMIT card linked to name and start time. The return of this card confirms the return of the competitor (or pair). It is important that each pair stays together throughout their run, and all competitors running in pairs should be made aware of this. General Public – There is no reason for any competitor to respond to members of the general public not known to them, and such responses should be discouraged by the supervising teacher. During the event the competition area will be patrolled by member(s) of CLOK who will have an orienteering map and a two-way radio. They will ensure fair play and deal with any problems. Hazards – The area is bounded on the west by a busy B road, from which it is separated by a fence or hedge. There are three watercourses that cross the area, one of which runs through the middle of the map. Competitors must not leave the park to the road in the west, nor enter the arable farm land on the eastern side. Courses will be designed to avoid the hazards and use bridges to cross the watercourses, but runners should be advised of their existence. There are also some ponds in the park. Traffic – The area is free from traffic apart from near the start, where contractors are working on the water works. There may be occasional cyclists and dog walkers on the paths in the park, and competitors should be aware of this. If lost – keep the road to your left and use that as a guide to head north until you return to the start area at the northern extremity of the map. Responsibility – CLOK is organising this schools competition as specialist advisors, and it remains the responsibility of the supervising teachers to be familiar with the risk analysis, to ensure discipline, to obtain parental consent forms and to retain responsibility for the safety and well-being of the competitors under their care. The event is registered with the National Governing Body and as such has third party insurance cover, but the safety of your competitors remains your responsibility.
Finally:	The team of CLOK volunteers look forward to welcoming you to the fourth event of the 2006-07 league at Coatham Woods. Remember to call Mike in advance if you need a password and enter in good time!

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