City of Bristol Races - Race Information
 
Final Details in a printable format are available here.
 
The activities over this weekend include :
 
A special Photo-Orienteering Trail which you can do at anytime. 
Photo-trail maps will be displayed in, and be available from, the Event Centre. Can you match the 26 photos to the 26 locations around the Harbourside where the photos were taken? 
Explore more of Bristol’s historic Harbourside with this new Photo-trail map in your own time at your own pace stopping off perhaps for some refreshment en route. The Photo-trail map includes discounts to a lot of places to eat and drink around the Harbourside.
 
On Saturday 10 June the City Race Euro Tour scoring event will explore a large area of Bristol’s historic Harbourside and up to the Georgian streets of Clifton and include a number of small scenic urban parks and views of Brunel’s famous Clifton Suspension Bridge and SS Great Britain
 
Photo credit Visit England
 
On Sunday 11 June the UK and Southern England Urban League scoring event will start from nearby Castle Park and discover more of the historic Harbourside’s old quarters and many new developments 
 
Both are British Orienteering Level B events and will count separately for UK national ranking points.
Special courses designed for Newcomers are also offered on both days featuring some of the best tourist locations and viewpoints
 
All activities are based from the same Event Centre at the Cash Hall within the very centrally located Bristol City Hall -  {photo below and Practical Information}
 
INFORMATION COMMON TO BOTH DAYS:
 
A short history of the competition area, Bristol's historic Harbourside, with photos is here. Reading this will acquaint you with the past and present nature of the competition area.
 
The competition areas are, in places, highly complex.
It is essential that all participants fully familiarise themselves with the content of this Map Information document in advance of the weekend. It covers both days and has received input from both mappers and Controllers and is intended to ensure participants are fully familiar:
  • with some non standard mapping conventions which are being used to aid legibility, and
  • gives strict guidance on 'Out of Bounds' and how to remain safe and avoid being disqualified

PLEASE READ IT. It will greatly enhance your safety and enjoyment of the courses.

SI electronic punching will be used. SI cards can be hired at the Event Centre for £1.50 per race (free to Juniors and students).

Controls will need to be 'punched', including by those running with SIAC cards.

Course A on Saturday and Courses 1 & 2 on Sunday each have more than 30 controls. So if your SI card does not have capacity to hold more than 30 controls please exchange it (at no charge) for a higher capacity card at the Registration desk in the Event Centre.

Should you lose a hired SI card, or fail to return it, you will be charged the full price oa a replacement (currently £40). You are advised to bring some thin cord to make a wrist loop to secure your SI card.

Mandatory race numbers (bibs) should be collected from the Event Centre in advance of proceeding to your Start on Saturday. They will be displayed for ease of collection in alphabetic order of your surname. Please retain the same number and wear it prominently on both days. Safety pins will be available.
They are required for both safety and fairness reasons.  They also ensure that competitors are recognised as taking part in an orienteering event. Competitors must ensure their race (bib) number is clearly visible to marshals around the course at all times. 
You should also please complete the details on the reverse of the bib so that in the case of an emergency or medical need appropriate action can be taken.
 
Control Descriptions will be printed on the map.  Loose control descriptions will be available in the start lanes.  
Newcomers Course control descriptions are written in English ( rather than as pictograms ) and only appear on the maps.
Maps and control description sheets will show the Course designation only i.e. Course A, B, C etc on Saturday, and Course 1, 2, 3 on Sunday. 
Ensure you know on which course you are running. Course Details are shown below and will be displayed in the Event Centre and at each Start.
 
Start Times will be published here
Please ensure you allow yourselves sufficient time to get to your Start location in good time well ahead of your allocated Start Time. Call up will be at Start Time less 4 minutes.   
 
As many courses are very full it may not be possible to slot you into a later time for a considerable period after your allocated start time if you miss it. It will be a ‘punching’ start.
There are no toilets near the Starts ( except the Junior Start on Saturday ). Its recommended you use the toilets in the Event Centre before setting off on the short walk to the Starts.
 
It is your responsibility to ensure that your SI card registers at the Start and at all subsequent controls. 
Back up pin punches will be attached to each control. If the SI box does not respond to the correct placement of your dibber you must clip the title section of your competition map to show that you have visited that control.
 
Junior competitors ( i.e. anyone under the age of 16 as at 31 December 2017 ) should be accompanied by an adult to the separate Junior Start on Saturday and to the single Start on Sunday and from the Finishes. Routes to Starts { link to maps in Practical Information } and from the Finishes will be shown in the Event Centre and taped on the ground. Whilst they are not far they do cross very busy roads and due diligence is required.
Juniors on Newcomers Courses must be accompanied both to the Adult Start on Saturday and to the single Start on Sunday, AND be accompanied around their whole course by an adult. 
 
Water: There will be no water provided at the Finish. The Event Centre has a Caffe Gusto cafe, with a wide selection of drinks available.
 
Finish & Download: When you have finished your course please go directly to Download in the Event Centre. If you do not complete your course also go directly to Download so that we know you have returned safely, and this will prevent unnecessary search operations.
 
Medals and Prizes: the top three finishers in each Class within the City Race Euro Tour event on Saturday, will be awarded medals and prizes. Additionally the top three finishers within each Class of the UK Urban League event on Sunday will be awarded medals. 
The Lord Mayor of Bristol will present these medals and prizes at one cere-mony for the weekend to be held in the Event Centre at Bristol City Hall’s Cash Hall at 1415 on Sunday. It will be a swift ceremony when some spot prizes will also be distributed, so do ensure you are there. 
Prizes are fairly bulky, so if you are not present do make arrangements for your prize to be collected at the Prize Giving by a club mate, as it will not be possible for them to be posted or collected subsequently.
 
Saturday 10 June
Officials
Organising Club : BOK
Coordinator : David Hunt, BOK
Organiser : Mark Dyer, BOK
Course Planner : Matt Leathwood, BOK
Controller : Roger Thetford, TVOC
 
Map   
Name : Bristol Harbourside North & Clifton Wood 
Surveys : June 2013 - 2016 and updated 2017 by Matt Leathwood & David Hunt
Cartography : Matt Leathwood
Scale : 1:4,000
Format : A3+
Contour interval : 5m
Based in part on an earlier map by Duncan Birtwistle, UBOC & Dudley Budden, BOK
 
Timings
Event Centre opens : 1100
Registration : 1100 - 1330
Starts : 1230 - 1430
Courses close : 1600
Event Centre closes :  1630
Time to Start : < 10 minute walk to both Starts. Adult start is north of Event Centre. Junior start is south of Event Centre.
Time from Finish  (next to Junior Start): < 10 minutes
Juniors : to be accompanied to their separate Start by an adult. Junior starts times limited to 1230 - 1330
 
Courses
Classes conform to current City Race Euro Tour categories. As such some age classes are allocated to different courses than is usual in the UK.
 
Planner’s comments and advice: Courses have been planned to take in some iconic locations and views, with a great mix of urban terrain.  Do absorb the views of Georgian Clifton, Brunel’s famous Clifton suspension bridge and his Floating Harbour. 
Although there is a short spell in parkland at the Start, road shoes would definitely be best.  Whilst the map may imply woodland, Clifton Wood is now an area of steep urban terrain.
 
As with all urban races, please take care when crossing roads, use pavements where possible and take care on uneven pavements and stairwells.  
Most of the roads are fairly quiet, however in the SW of the map there is a particularly complex road system at the entrance to the Floating Harbour. Here roads, some of which are elevated, are very busy and crossing them has been marked out of bounds.  
In this area there are also several fences marked as uncrossable to ensure you use safe crossing points.  Cutting across these fences and roads would be both highly dangerous and give an unfair advantage, so there will be marshals in this area to ensure a safe and fair event. 
Enjoy the challenge of working out the safe and fair route and do not risk your safety or disqualification by disregarding the marked out of bounds or the marshals. 
In this area there are also some steep spiral stairwells, blind corners and a couple of sections where you will be next to the harbour edge with no fence to the open water.  So do take appropriate care. Juniors do not visit this area.
 
Remain alert to the Finish as en route there are a lot of controls in similar locations so do check carefully control codes.
 
The Harbourside area can get very busy, particularly around the cafes and bars.  Please be courteous to members of the public, respect the out of bounds on the map and take time to review the pre-race map information { link }, particularly the multi-level mapping conventions used.
 
Preparations for the Bristol Triathlon, which takes place on Sunday, will be starting mid afternoon on Saturday. Whilst these will not impact upon route choices some additional unmapped infrastructure maybe in situ around the SW part of the map.
 
 
 
Course Class /  Gender & Age as at 31 December 2017 Start Straight Line Distance - KMs  Optimal Distance - KMs Climb in metres Number of Controls
A Senior             (Men 21 - 34)   North - Adult 8.2 11.6 250 38
B Veteran            (Men 35 - 49) Senior       (Women 21 -34) North - Adult 6.7 9.8 190 27
C Supervet          (Men 50 - 64)   North - Adult 6.2 9.1 175 27
D Young Adult  (Men 17 - 20) Veteran       (Women 35 -49) North - Adult 5 7.3 150 24
E Men Ultravet               ( Men 65+ )   North - Adult 4.4 6 100 21
E Women  

Young Adult  (Women 17 -20) Supervet     (Women 50 -64)

North - Adult 4.6 5.7 75 19
F   Ultravet         (Women 65+ ) North - Adult 3.5 4.4 85 19
G Youth                  ( Male 13 - 16 ) Youth           (Female 13 - 16) South - Junior 3 3.8 20 19
H Junior ( Boys 12 and younger ) Junior ( Girls 12 and younger ) South - Junior 1.4 1.6 10 12
I Newcomers - Short North - Adult 3.2 3.6 65 15
J Newcomers - Medium North - Adult 4.2 5.2 80 21
             
 

Sunday 11 June

Officials
Organising Club : BOK
Coordinator : David Hunt, BOK
Organiser : Mark Dyer, BOK
Course Planner : Paul Gebbett, BOK
Controller : Chris Branford, WIM
 
Map   
Name : Bristol Harbourside East & Temple Quarter 
Surveys : 2016 and updated 2017 by Chris Johnson, BOK
Cartography : Chris Johnson
Scale : 1:4,000
Format : A3
Contour interval : 2m
 
 
Timings
Event Centre opens : 0930
Registration : 0930 - 1130
Starts : 1030 - 1230
Courses close :  1400
Prize Giving : 1415 - 1430
Event Centre closes :  1500
Time to Start : 10 minute walk to Start 
Time from Finish : < 10 minutes
Juniors : to be accompanied to Start by an adult. Junior start times limited to 1030 - 1130
 
Planner’s comments and advice: The courses will visit a variety of urban terrain, with scenic Harbourside and waterside being a prominent feature. You will also visit a variety of parkland, new office developments, complex residential areas and residential streets, which will test your urban orienteering technique and offer a good variety of terrain as well as visiting a number of interesting historic parts of the east side of Bristol City Centre. If you take the time you will notice a number of historic buildings and sights around the course.

As is normal with urban races, there are uncrossable features on the map. Do make yourself aware of these symbols on the map. This includes olive green, which is either private property or other areas which are forbidden to enter or cross. This includes many planted areas and flower beds, which look like they are crossable, but are forbidden in order to protect them. Not only will this damage these areas, it will damage our reputation and is definitely unsporting if you aim to gain an advantage by crossing them.

Junior courses cross one lightly used road near the Finish, and a busy crossing midway.  Both these crossings are marshalled. The latter will also be timed out for juniors.
Some adult courses cross churchyards where on Sunday morning worshippers may be congregating or exiting. Please be respectful.

 
Courses
Conform to current UK Urban League categories, and as such some age classes will be on courses that are different from the Saturday Euro Tour race.
 
Course Class /  Gender & Age as at 31 December 2017 Straight Line Distance - KMs  Optimal Distance - KMs Climb in metres Number of Controls
1 Open            (Men 17 - 39)   7.5 10.1 50 39
2 Veteran            (Men 40 - 54) Open            (Women 17-39) 6.3 9 40 36
3 Men Supervet          (Men 55 - 64)   5.5 7.8 30 28
3 Women   Veteran       (Women 40-54) 5.3 7.6 30 28
4 Men Ultravet               ( Men 65 - 74)   4.2 5.7 30 23
4 Women   Supervet     (Women 55 - 64) 4.1 5.7 30 23
5 Hypervet             ( Men 75+ ) Ultravet                (Women 65-74) Hypervet               (Women 75+ ) 3.2 4.5 30 16
6 Junior                 ( Male 13 -16 ) Junior                    ( Female 13-16 ) 2.2 2.7 20 18
7 Young Junior       ( Boys 12 and younger) Young Junior ( Girls 12 and younger) 1.8 2.1 10 18
9 Newcomer Medium 3.8 5 20 21
10 Newcomer Short 2.7 3.5 10 17
 
ON BOTH DAYS
ENJOY YOUR COURSES, TAKE IN THE GREAT VIEWS AND TAKE CARE

Safety:  All competitors take part at their own risk.  

Do not let your competitive nature outweigh your common sense.
 
You are responsible for their own safety and that of fellow competitors and members of the public.  
The competition areas are complex city centre environments with all the usual hazards that implies. The busiest roads are clearly marked on maps as out of bounds and must not be crossed. See further details within Map Information { link } above. Many minor and other roads may be crossed with care; traffic always has priority, and will be driving on the left. In housing estates light traffic can be encountered coming from random directions.
Competitors are recommended to wear hi-viz running tops to aid their visibility to traffic and others. If the weather is poor then the usual running shorts and tops may need to be substituted for something more suitable for bad weather. Run wide around corners. Many routes are shared with pedestrians and cyclists and so do take care and look out for and respect other users of the area.
Courses do come close to the unprotected edge of the harbour in places, where particular care is needed especially in wet weather when boardwalks can become slippery. Juniors should be suitably advised by parents and guardians.
 
First Aid will be provided in the Event Centre with a small First Aid post also at the Finishes.  
Emergencies must be directed to the nearest hospital Accident & Emergency Department (A&E) at the Bristol Royal Infirmary (BRI), Upper Maudlin Street, BS2 8HW Tel. No. 0117 923 0000  less than a mile of from the Event Centre.  

The Event Risk Assessment is available at Enquiries for you to read about any event specific risks. If you become lost please ask for directions back to the Event Centre which is within Bristol’s City Hall which is on your competition map.  Day Organiser’s mobile number (07464 597013) is included on the map for use only in an emergency.

Insurance:     British Orienteering members will be covered by British Orienteering Public Liability Insurance. All other competitors will be covered by that public liability insurance for a maximum of three British Orienteering registered events.

Photography: BOK’s official photographer Steve Rush will be out and about taking photographs during both days. These will be displayed on the big results screen in the Event Centre on Sunday morning. Anyone wishing not to have their photo taken or not to have it displayed please contact Steve, before the event, by emailing him at highridgefc@hotmail.com with your race number(s), and add to your email headline 'BOK Blast photo permission’

Head or body cams maybe used if you wish whilst on courses but care should be taken not to be intrusive.
 
Dogs are not allowed on the courses or in the Event Centre.