SW Sprint Championships
The SW Sprint Championships take place in Poole, utilizing the urban terrain of Poole Park, Baiter, and surrounding housing estates. This orienteering event consists of two separate sprint races held on the same day. The final standings are determined by the accumulation of times from both the morning and afternoon sessions. The event serves as the South West Regional Sprint Championships for eligible SWOA club members and also counts toward the SEOUL league.
Participants can choose from four different courses based on age categories and gender:
- 3.5 km - Men's and Women's Open (ages 17-35)
- 2.8 km - Veterans (40+), SuperVets (55+), and UltraVets (65+)
- 2.0 km - HyperVets (75+), Women's UltraVets, and Juniors (under 16)
- 1.2 km - Young Juniors (under 12)
The terrain features parkland and urban environments with multiple road crossings. Navigation is aided by maps at a 1:4,000 scale printed on waterproof paper, featuring control descriptions. All controls are SIAC enabled with punching starts and finishes. Competitors are advised to wear high-visibility clothing and standard running or trail shoes, as metal spikes are not suitable for the paved surfaces.
The event center is located at Baiter Park near the Harbourside 2 car park. Facilities include nearby public toilets, and the location is accessible via public transport from Poole Bus Station. Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.
Event Information
SW Urban Sprint Distance Championships: there will be a morning and afternoon race. The times from each will be added together to determine the Championship results. Only members of SWOA are eligible for awards. Championship awards will be given to winners of age categories as this is an Urban Sprint.
The running order:
- 10.00 Registration opens for any last minute entry changes and hire dibber collection.
- 11.00 Prologue start opens. Pre-entries from racesignup simply need to proceed to the start.
- 11.45 Prologue Start closes
- 12.30 Prologue Course closure
- 14.00 Finals start opens. Pre-entries from racesignup simply need to proceed to the start.
- 14.45 Finals Start closes
- 15.30 Finals Course closure
Safety has always been our number one priority, especially for junior competitors. Please do take care at all crossings and wherever the surfaces may be slippery. Please would all competitors take care to avoid bumps with members of the public, especially around blind corners.
Officials
Planner: Lyra Medlock (EUOC)
Controller: Roger Crickmore (WSX)
Organiser: Bruno Smith (WSX)
Courses
To be eligible for SW Champs you must enter a class appropriate to your age/gender. Participants may enter any of the courses, however, to be eligible in the championship, you must either enter the class appropriate to your age/gender or "run up" in a more challenging class.
The entry form will not allow you to "run down" an age class. Instead you will have to choose a course-based class e.g. "3 (non champs)" if your BOF Age category would put you on course 2. N.B. Choosing a course-based class will exclude you from the championships, even if that is an appropriate course for your BOF age class.