Southampton City Race – Final Details
Revision 4 dated 30 October
Final course and map details
Revision 3 dated 25 October
Bibs to be worn on the front
Addition to Course Notes re cafe outdoor seating areas being out of bounds
Revision 2 dated 16 October
Change to junior course starts times.
Addition of EOD on all courses.
Other minor revisions.
Welcome
Southampton Orienteering Club extend a warm welcome to the Southampton City Race. This is the first event of the November Classic Weekend, a National level urban event and counting towards the UK orienteering League, the UK Urban League and the Southern England Urban Orienteering League.
We’d like to thank you for entering the event and hope that you enjoy the day.
If you don’t read anything else, please read this
Start times will be pre-allocated. Parking may be tricky. You will need to visit the event centre to collect your emiTag and bib. The start procedure for courses 1 to 5 is longer than usual.
To give yourself adequate time for parking, collecting tag and bib and getting to your start location, we recommend you arrive in Southampton at least 1 hour 15 minutes before your start time.
Event centre
The event centre is the Spark Conference Centre, Solent University, East Park Terrace, Southampton SO14 0YN. Here you will find tag and bib issue, a secure bag drop, toilets, download and results.
If you have ordered 50th November Classic merchandise you will be able to collect it from here.
The event centre will be open from 11:00 until 17:00.
Getting there
Public transport links into Southampton are very good. The event centre is a 15 minute walk from Southampton Central train station. There are seven bus services that stop at Solent University.
When approaching the event centre on foot, please be aware that the parks and green areas of the city centre are out of bounds. Please keep to the main thoroughfares.
Car parking
There is free parking at the event centre on a first-come, first-served basis. Access to the car park is from the western carriageway of St Andrews Road at GR SU422123, Lat/Long 50.909502, -1.400328. There will be no signs for the car park.
If you are navigating by postcode then use SO14 0YN, the postcode of the campus. Drive past the campus buildings heading South. At the crossroads turn left and left again at the roundabout. The entrance to the car park will be on your left.
It is a private car park that is open and free to the public at weekends. Although there are 200 spaces it is unlikely that later arrivals will be able to park at the event centre. We’re not allowed to manage the parking so there will be no car park marshalls. If you intend to park at the event centre please leave yourself plenty of time to put plan B into effect. You could well waste 10 minutes looking for a free space, 15 minutes finding a public car park and 15 to 20 minutes walking from your car to the event centre! And you need to be at the event centre at least 30 minutes before your start time.
Details of the city centre pay and display car parks can be found online at www.southampton.gov.uk/roads-parking/parking
Entry and Fees
See www.novemberclassic.org for online entry fees. Online entries close at midnight on 30th October.
Entry on the day will be available on all courses subject to map availability. EOD prices are £8 for juniors and under 25’s on all courses and also for adults on courses 6 or 7. The EOD fee for adults (age 25 and over) on courses 1 to 5 is £16.
Courses
The distances given are straight line.
| Course | Class | Distance | Controls |
| 1 | Open Men (MO) | 6.9 km | 36 |
| 2 | Open Women (WO)
Veteran Men 40+ (MV) |
6.0 km | 31 |
| 3 | Veteran Women 40+ (WV)
Supervet Men 55+ (MSV) |
5.4 km | 28 |
| 4 | Supervet Women 55+ (WSV)
Ultravet Men 65+ (MUV) |
4.1 km | 22 |
| 5 | Ultravet Women 65+ (WUV)
Hypervet Women 75+ (WHV) Hypervet Men 75+ (MHV) |
3.3 km | 22 |
| 6 | Junior Women 16- (WJ)
Junior Men 16- (MJ) |
3.1 km | 27 |
| 7 | Young Junior Women 12- (WYJ)
Young Junior Men 12- (MYJ) |
1.9 km | 20 |
Clothing
Shorts may be worn. The terrain is suitable for normal running shoes or trainers. See Course Notes below for details of the terrain. Pease wear bright clothing to make yourself more visible to traffic and pedestrians.
Bibs, tags and bags
All competitors must report to the event centre in good time to be issued with a numbered bib and EMIT touch free emiTag. Bibs must be worn on the front during the competition. Safety pins will be provided. emiTags are worn on the wrist and must be returned at download.
If you own your own EMIT brikke you will not be charged for your use of the emiTag.
There is a secure bag drop in the event centre. Your bib has a tear-off tag to attach to your bag. You’ll need your bib to retrieve your bag after your run.
Timing
Event Centre opens: 11:00.
Bib and tag collection for pre-entered competitors: 11:00 – 14:45.
Entry on the day registration: 11:00 – 13:15.
Start times:
Adult (courses 1 to 5) – 12:00 until 15:00. Allocated start times.
Junior (courses 6 & 7) – 13:30 until 15:00. Open start times.
Courses close at 16:30.
Adult courses route to start
The route to the start will be signed from inside the event centre. Look for the signs on the left-hand side of the atrium, leading down the stairs. Do not leave through the main doors.
For the adult courses (1 to 5) there is a five minute walk to the pre-start. You will enter the pre-start at -8 minutes. Therefore you should leave the event centre to make your way to the start at least 15 minutes before your start time.
The warm-up area is located just before the pre-start.
There is a 300m route from the pre-start to the start marked by streamers.
Junior courses route to start
Course 6 and Course 7 each have their own start area. Please leave the event centre through the main entrance and follow the signs to your start.
Juniors should allow themselves 5 minutes to get from the event centre to their start. The route to the Course 6 start involves crossing two roads at light-controlled crossing points. The route to the Course 7 start is via one of those crossings. Both crossings will be marshalled.
Start procedure
All competitors will have a punching start. On courses 1 to 5 start times are allocated and you should make all efforts to be on time. If you don’t you may have a long wait for a start slot on your course.
As you enter the -3 box you will clear your emiTag. Please make sure your tag flashes. This is your indication of a successful punch at the controls.
Loose, waterproof control descriptions will be available at -3. A blank map will be available at -2.
As you leave the start please make sure that you “punch” at the start control and your emiTag flashes.
Map
The 2012 Southampton City map has been revised and extended northwards by Colin Hicks to include the ornamental parks, and civic buildings. The map is at 1:4000 scale to the current specification (ISSOM 2007) for sprint maps.
Control descriptions are on the map and available loose at start -3. All courses have IOF control descriptions. Course 7 also has text control descriptions.
Punching
In the case of your emiTag not working (i.e. no light flash on punching) please use the pin punch attached to the control and punch the map. Report this at download. Remember, it is your responsibility to check that the emiTag has been correctly activated at the start and at each control. A missing electronic record of visiting a control will mean disqualification unless there is visible evidence of the pin punch on the map.
Course notes
The urban terrain of central Southampton is gently sloping southwards towards Southampton Water, with no real height difference until the City walls are encountered in the south of the map. The map area includes ornamental parks, civic buildings and shopping, residential and historical areas.
Please take care out on the courses. The normal urban hazards are out there including kerbs to trip up on, roads to cross and pedestrians to bump into!
Competitors will need to be careful in damp or wet conditions in the old town area on the stone paths and City walls, which can be slippery.
Courses 1 to 6 inclusive will have a compulsory timed out section across the busiest road at a marshalled, light-controlled pedestrian crossing. Please wait for the green light and take notice of any instructions given by the marshals.
There are areas where there are on-street cafes, bars and restaurants. Where these impinge on the courses they have been mapped as “closed area”, the same symbol as temporary out of bounds/construction site. In these places there is an obvious narrowing of the pavement area, so be extra careful with interaction with the general public, and please don’t run through these premises seating areas.
The finish
The finish is a 100m walk from the event centre. Please cross the road at the pedestrian lights when making your way back to the event centre.
The finish area is a great place to spectate the latter stages of all courses.
Download and results
Download and results are in the event centre. Please download as soon as possible after you finish. You must report to download even if you retire. Results will be displayed live in the event centre and live online at www.race-results.info.
Traders and refreshments
Our friends from Ultrasport will be in the car park with their amazing range of orienteering and running equipment and clothing.
The Flying Aubergine café, located across the road from the event centre and right next to the finish, serves hot and cold food and drinks. They have a great menu including vegan and vegetarian meals. They are offering a 10% discount on food (not drinks) to all competitors.
Raffle
There will be a free raffle for competitors. Up And Running and Ultrasport have kindly donated prizes. Your bib number will be your raffle ticket number. We’ll make the draw during the event with the lucky winner able to collect their prize before they leave or at the Classic the following day.
Things to do
There are plenty of things to do and see in Southampton. Check out www.discoversouthampton.co.uk/events
On the day of the event Southampton FC are at home to Burnley. Kick-off is 3pm.
In the evening there’s a firework show at Mayflower Park. See www.mayflowerparkfireworks.co.uk
The small print
emiTags
If you lose your emiTag the charge is £50.
Photography and O-Safe
Photography is not allowed in the toilets or any “changing area” including the car park.
Any concerns with photography or the behaviour of anyone toward any child or young adult must be reported to the event organiser or other official.
Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility, play your part, report any concerns and put good practice into effect.
Dogs
Dogs are not allowed on the courses or in the event centre.
Risk assessment
A comprehensive risk assessment has been carried out by the organiser and will be available to read at the event. Participants take part at their own risk and are responsible for their own safety during the event.
Insurance
The British Orienteering insurance policy provides public liability cover. Please note that if you have competed in three orienteering events and have not joined an orienteering club that is a member of British Orienteering, then you are not covered by this insurance.
Medical conditions
If you have a High Risk Medical Condition you are invited to download and complete this form: https://www.britishorienteering.org.uk/images/uploaded/downloads/officials_handbook_safety_firstaid_medical_form_280514.doc and place it in a sealed envelope with your name on it. This can be left at registration. Envelopes will only be opened if required for a medical emergency. Unopened envelopes should be collected after the event. Any unclaimed envelopes will be destroyed after the event.
Event cancellation
If the event has to be cancelled for reasons beyond our control, SOC reserve the right to retain all or some of your entry fee to cover committed costs.
Officials
Planner: Colin Hicks
Controller: Roger Thetford TVOC
Organiser: Pete Davis – 07448 984748