18th and 19th April 2025
18th and 19th April 2025
TrailO
General Information
Both days of TrailO will be part of the 2025 British TrailO League (BriTOL).
We recommend those who haven’t done TrailO before, or haven’t done it for a while to have a read of the IOF Technical Guidelines and Rules on the IOF website.
Any queries may be directed to the TrailO Coordinator (John Kewley, MDOC) via the Contact Form.
Assembly/Registration
Each day at Assembly/Registration you’ll find:
- An Accessible toilet (till 17:00)
- Handout of the TrailO specific number bibs - please add any medical conditions and/or medication you take on the reverse of the bib
- Handout of Control Cards (on D1 these will include a route map for the TempO)
- Borrowing of SI-cards for those that don’t possess them
- Borrowing of pin punches for those that don’t possess them
- Limited Entry on the day for the Standard Class is possible (subject to map and control card availability), but please bring cash (exact change preferred).
Prize Giving
Medals and a small prize will be presented to the top 3 in each of Elite Open, Elite Physically Challenged and Elite Junior. Prize giving will take place for both days once the Day 2 results are finalised.
Starts
Pre-starts will be within 50m of Assembly on both days. Start times will not be pre-allocated. First starts will be for those who are manning the TempO stations and they will need to finish their own courses (and in some cases also after having finished their FootO course) before we can start other competitors so please be patient.
Friday 18th April 2025
Crookes Valley & Weston Park
Format and Venue
TrailO on Day 1 will be a Combination TrailO with TempO followed by a PreO Sprint (A/Z) course whose results will be combined for the Day 1 classification (TempO time taken + 30s for each TempO error + 60s for each PreO error).
Assembly will be at Weston Park Museum.
Parking
There are some disabled spaces for those Pclass competitors with “blue badges” available a short distance away from the event centre (see Event Details when available). We also have 4 more spaces reserved for Pclass who don’t possess a “blue badge”.
Everyone else, including helpers, will likely have to use paid parking as the surrounding area is mostly resident permit and/or 4-hour max paid parking Mon-Sat (BH flexibility is not extended to Good Friday). The nearby Q-Park is the most convenient. Other possibilities will be added to the Event Details later.
Those also doing the JK Sprint should park in the west part of Sheffield to minimise the walk between event centres.
NB: Watch out for the Clean Air Zone if you have a vehicle which is subject to it.
Please note: You MUST NOT use Crookes Valley Road while travelling to the event whether in car or on foot - it is the edge of the previously advertised embargo, but please do not use it.
Terrain and map
Campus and park terrain, tracks are tarmac.
Map is to ISSprOM 1:4,000 map with 2.5m contours, newly revised for TrailO by Ian Cooper (South Yorkshire Orienteers).
Courses
Courses are subject to final controlling.
TempO part
Elite and Standard: 4 TempO stations of 5 problems for both Standard and Elite. As is usual for TempO, zeroes will be possible on both courses.
PreO Sprint part
All controls in both courses are either A (correct location) or Z (wrong location).
Elite: 18 A/Z controls, time limit TBC but provisionally 20 minutes
Standard: 14 A/Z controls, time limit TBC but provisionally 23 minutes
Saturday 19th April 2025
Hesley Wood
Format and Venue
Day 2 TrailO will be a classic PreO course at Hesley Wood Scout Activity Centre.
Parking
There should be plenty of parking at the venue, but some may fancy the walk from the JK Middle car parking only a 5-minute drive (1km walk) away.
Terrain and map
Woodland terrain, tracks are hardcore, but a bit soft in places.
Map: a newly produced ISOM 1:4,000 map with 2.5m contours adjusted for TrailO by Dave Peel (Peel Land Surveys). It uses brown-infill for the forest tracks that you are permitted to use.
Courses
Courses are subject to final vegetation checks (for visibility of terrain and kites). Course lengths are approximately 700m (1100m total including distance to start, between finish and TCs and back to Assembly). Both courses have a time control at the end of the course on the walk back to Assembly. Elite have an additional control part-way round.
PreO (Standard Class)
18 controls with a single 3 problem Time Control (no zeroes).
Zeroes will only be possible on the single kite controls labelled “A” (also known as A/Z controls) in column 2 of the control descriptions; controls labelled “A-B”, “A-C” etc. will not have Zero as an answer on the Standard course - you must select one of the kites.
PreO (Elite Class)
28 controls in 2 parts with a 3 problem time control between the parts and another after the course. You must remember to punch the Finish at the end of part 1 and re-start at the part 2 Start after the first time control.
Normal rules apply so there will be no Zeroes at Time Controls, but any control on the Elite course has the potential to be a Zero.
General Information about TrailO
Trail Orienteering is an orienteering discipline testing map reading in natural terrain. The discipline has been developed to offer everyone, including people with limited mobility, a chance to participate in a meaningful orienteering competition. Manual or electric wheelchairs, walking sticks, and assistance with movement etc. are permitted as speed of movement is not part of the competition. Trail orienteers must identify on the ground control points shown on the map. As this is done from a distance, both able-bodied and participants with disabilities compete on level terms. Proof of correct identification of the control points does not require any manual dexterity, allowing those with severely restricted movement to compete equally. Most trail orienteering events have classes open for everyone. Athletes who cannot participate on reasonably equal terms in the sport because of a functional disadvantage due to a permanent disability are eligible for the physically challenged class.
Any interested newcomers who have not taken part before can find more information on the British Orienteering TrailO webpage which explains the way the competitions work. All events will be suitable for able-bodied and disabled participants including wheelchair users, and the Elite class will have a separate classification for competitors who meet physically challenged criteria.