23/06/2022 Evening MapRun – Coleford 2022

23/06/2022 Evening MapRun – Coleford 2022

Coleford 2022

We are back in the Forest of Dean for this race, but mixing suburban Coleford and its satellite villages with a bit forest path running, so plenty of variety. Paths are generally large and well used, so shorts OK, with relatively little risk of stings and scratches, except perhaps in one or two places.

Directions and Parking

Parking and assembly are at Coleford Skate Park, Coalway Road, which is open until 21:00

What Three Words: ///arena.mimed.punctual

Grid Reference: SO580106

There are toilets available in the car park.

The Area

This is very much a map/course of two halves; on the West side, Coleford itself, with an extent of uninspiring dead end industrial estates which I have largely ignored; on the East, the satellite villages of Mile End, Broadwell, Coalway, and a strip of forest well populated with decent footpaths, which are reasonably well mapped. And down the middle, two golf courses and some agricultural land. Unfortunately one of the paths crossing the latter is currently over-planted with oilseed rape, so whilst you may be able to get through(it's a right of way), it's not advisable, as anyone who has tried to walk through a crop of mature rape will know. This detail will be marked on the event maps, but not on the long term phone map.

The central golf course has a right of way across it, and a couple of controls on the edge. You are free to cross it, but be warned that the right of way is not signed, is vague on the ground, and crosses several fairways, which in daylight may be in use. It's important that you pay close attention to golfing groups, and do not interfere in any way with their play.

Finally, the paths on the North west side of the golf course are very overgrown, but you can run parallel to them on the edge of the course itself, without interfering with golfing play.

So you'll need to decide, on the day, which side looks the more attractive, points wise, or whether you reckon you can pick up the best of both sides.

Timing and Fees

Starts from 1830 to 1900.

To guarantee a map, you will need to pre-enter via Fabian4: this is open until midnight on Tuesday 21 June. A few extra maps will be available for entry on the day, but don't rely on this!


Enter Online

Entry fees: £5 seniors, £2 juniors. Competitors aged under-16 must be accompanied. The fee covers third party liability insurance, a map printed on waterproof paper, and post-run cake!

We may or may not be able to take card payments, so bring cash if planning to enter on the day.

The course

It’s a one hour score event using the MapRun app:

  • Checkpoints 1-10 are worth 10 points.

  • Checkpoints 11-20 are worth 20 points.

  • Checkpoints 21-30 are worth 30 points.

Score as many points as you can within an hour. If you’re late getting back, there’s a 10 point penalty per minute over.

You'll be issued with a waterproof map, A4, scale 1:10,000, before you start.

Please make sure you’ve installed MapRun6 before the event. If you haven’t used MapRun before, don’t worry – it’s easy to use, and we have full details on getting started.

You should download the course to your phone ideally before coming to the event, as sometimes there is little or no phone signal once there. The course will be published a week or two before the event, and once published you can download the course either by finding it in the MapRun6 app in the UK/Gloucestershire/Current Series folder, by scanning the QR code below with your MapRun6 phone,

Coleford 2022 QR code

or by tapping https://p.fne.com.au/openevent/?id=21982&auth=683462 on your MapRun6 phone.

MapRunG (Garmin watch) users: if you have MapRun6, you do not need the event PIN number to download the course to your watch. This means you can download the course before your arrive at the event, in case there is no phone signal there.

Safety

  • The course is largely located in an urban environment necessitating many road crossings, so under 16s must be accompanied.
  • One or two sections of road have no pavement either side. Take particular care on these.
  • Bright clothing recommended, to help you being see by motorists
  • If crossing the central golf course, be careful to watch out for golfers, and do not interfere with their play, or put yourself at risk of being hit by a golf ball.

Although all legal Covid restrictions have ceased, you should NOT attend if you are Covid positive, or suspect you are.