Helping

TVOC members – PLEASE contact your team leader to offer to help, or contact the organiser. They will give you the discount code to use when you enter.

Directions / Parking

Covered bike racks available at Wantage Health Centre, OX12 9BN.

Easily accessible by bus from several directions, including railway stations. Be green and leave the car at home!

Wantage Health Centre is the nearest stop, on S9 (Oxford, every 30 minutes), X1 (Abingdon and Oxford, hourly) and X35 (Didcot, hourly). X36 (Didcot, every 30 minutes) stops 700m away at Grove Airfield Memorial. 67 (hourly) and 68 (2-hourly) from Faringdon stop in Wantage town centre, 1500m away.

By train:

• Didcot Parkway (from London, Reading and the west), then take the X36 for 30 minutes to Grove Airfield Memorial.
• Oxford (from Birmingham, Worcester and Southampton), then turn right and right again out of the station to walk under the railway, continue to the second bus stop (700m total walk) for the S9 for 38 minutes to Wantage Health Centre.

Bus fares are £3 single onboard, no returns.

If making more trips, buy a MyBus Oxfordshire day ticket for £6.50 onboard. Group tickets also available if 4 or 5 of you – see operator’s website or email the organiser for details (at bottom of page).

Parking: at Wantage Health Centre, OX12 9BN.

Terrain Description

Wantage town centre plus a number of housing estates of varying age and complexity, and Grove Fields. Course 8 (MYJ, WYJ) is approximately 50% tarmac and 50% grass; course 7 (MJ, WJ) approximately 80% on tarmac / gravel and 20% on grass / dirt; other courses should expect  roughly 95% on hard surfaces and 5% on grass. Shorts and vests are permitted.

The Map

Brand new 1:4000 map of a new area, created during 2025 by Bob and Pattie Beresford (TVOC) to the sprint map specification ISSprOM 2019-2 revision 6.

The full map, used by courses 1 to 3, is double-sided and SRA3 size. Those courses start on Wantage West (portrait orientation), continue onto Wantage East (landscape) and return to finish on Wantage West.

Courses 4 to 7 use a single-sided SRA3 map. Course 8 uses a single-sided A4 map.

After control 129 (as shown, on all courses), please use the underpass to cross Mably Way.

Please familiarise yourself with out-of-bounds symbols – they are highlighted in purple in this map legend. You must not enter, lean or jump across such features, as it may jeopardise our access for future races.

Courses

Entry is by class.  To be competitive in the South of England Orienteering Urban League (SEOUL), enter the appropriate urban league class as shown (or run up). If you’re not interested in this league, then ignore the Class details! Just enter whatever length of course you fancy, by entering Course X Other.

Note that unaccompanied under 16s may run only course 7 (MJ / WJ) or course 8 (MYJ / WYJ). Course 8 uses pavements in a residential area and crosses some small culs-de-sac. Course 7 crosses some quiet residential roads with low-speed traffic.

All courses are passable with pushchairs.

Lengths are the shortest running distance.  Climb is negligible on all courses.

Start Times

The start is 500m from the front of the Health Centre building. The route crosses the busy Mably Way. Under-16s must be accompanied by an adult to the start.

Start times are from 11.00 to 13.00, to  avoid any overlap with Grove Fields parkrun. (So do the parkrun, catch your breath, have a drink, and then tackle the orienteering.)

Courses close at 14.30, by which time you must have downloaded.

How To Enter

Entries will be via SiEntries, using the link at the top of the page. There will be no entry at the event, but you might be able to enter via SiEntries before you leave for the event (subject to maps still being available).

If you want to take part as a family group or a group of friends, you are welcome to do so. Just make one entry in one name. In the entry process, you will be asked for the names of the additional members. We recommend each person has a map, so they can follow where you are all going. You will automatically receive one map, but the entry process asks you if you would like extra maps – these cost £1 each. Note you will have one timing chip for the group, and you will appear just as one entry in the results.

Entry Cost

Up to Sunday 21st September
BOF members £12 / non-members £14
Course 7 & 8 – £8
Juniors & Students £4

Monday 22nd September on
BOF members £14 / non-members £16
Course 7 & 8 – £8
Juniors & Students £5

Hire of individual SIAC (contactless timer): £2 (Lost SIACs charged at £65)

Facilities

Portable toilets. Assembly will be outdoors and adjacent to the finish. (We don’t have access to the Health Centre building.)

First aid point will be adjacent to the finish. If you have a pre-existing medical condition, please write it in a sealed envelope and hand it to enquiries; it will be destroyed after the race.

Water will not be provided. Please bring your own refreshments and ensure you are adequately hydrated.

Compass Point (equipment shop) will be at assembly – now confirmed.

Dogs

TVOC’s policy is that dogs are not permitted on courses.

Further Information

Safety

Run within your limits. Run wide and cautiously round tight corners. Watch out for and give way to dogs, cyclists, other pedestrians and cars.

Wantage is a busy town, especially on Saturdays. Take extra care when crossing larger roads such as the A417 and A338.

Officials

Organiser: Tom Dobra (TVOC)    email organiser      
Planner: Roger Thetford (TVOC)
Controller: Alan Kersley (BADO)