Trail Orienteering at the JK

There are PreO (conventional TrailO) courses on Days 1 and 3 only. Each day there are two courses on offer, one at Elite standard and another easier course for PreO novices. Entry is by pre-entry for Elite but on the day for novices.

On Day 1 the Elite PreO course is not a TrailO Ranking event. It is 1.1 km in length (85 minutes time allowance), whilst on Day 3 the course is 2.5 km with a time allowance of 140 minutes.

The Novice PreO course is 1.0 km on Day 1 and 1.3 km on Day 3. The time allowance on both days is 75 minutes.

The PreO competition is timed so that competitors can walk round their course after completing their FootO run on both days. Please try to arrange your FootO Start times early enough to enable you to do this.

Entries: should be made using the links given on the Entries page. The Entry fee is £10 (for seniors) and £5 (for juniors and students) each day.

On Day 1, Registration opens at 13.00, with starts between 14.00 and 17.00. Registration will be in the main Assembly area, and there will be a walk of about 500 m from there to the PreO Start in Singleton Park. Dogs: on a lead in assembly but not in the buildings.

On Day 3, Registration opens at 12.15 with starts between 12.30 and about 15.00, with courses closing at 17.00. The PreO Start/Finish will be about 250 m walk from the main assembly area. The competition area is very exposed and competitors must come suitably equipped in the event of  adverse weather conditions. Dogs: we regret that this is sheep country and that dogs are not allowed in any part of the terrain, including the car parking and the assembly area.

The course is suitable with care for competitors using wheelchairs on each day. As we are very short of helpers, such competitors are requested to provide their own escort if possible. On Day 3 the road surface is very rough once the tarmac surface ends. Escorts need to be fairly robust. It may help if chairs can be pulled with a rope on slopes as well as being pushed. Please contact the organisers if you are unable to bring an escort.

Please note that the PreO courses will be planned to the comply with the latest 2014 IOF Rules and Technical Guidelines. The major rule change is that the time allowed to answer a Timed Control is now reduced to 30 seconds, although the time penalty for an incorrect answer remains at 60 seconds, and a correctly answered timed control no longer scores a point if corrrectly answered. A competitor's score now records the total number of correct answers at ordinary PreO controls plus the total time penalties accrued at the timed controls.

Trail orienteering is a sport offered to people with widely differing physical abilities, including those with severely restricted mobility, who all compete on equal terms. In the PreO version of TrailO, competitors travel along a track or marked route and study clusters of control markers placed in the terrain. They are issued with a very detailed map and control descriptions. A compass is also a necessity.

With these aids they must decide which (if any) of the markers relates to the feature depicted by the centre of the circle. Movement up and down the track is permitted but no one may approach the control markers in the terrain. The markers are designated A - E, as seen from left to right while at a decision point marked on the track, and the result must be recorded by marking the relevant box on the special control card. Some controls have a maximum time for this decision making and the actual time taken is recorded to act as a tie breaker for those with the same number of points for correct decisions. 

TrailO is an individual sport and consultation or discussion is not allowed on the course, nor are decisions to be communicated to any other competitor. Competitors in TrailO are not allowed to go into the terrain but must stay on the paths or marked routes.

For those coming to a TrailO event for the first time, before you take part we strongly recommend you read Brian Parker's very informative “Introduction to TrailO” to be found on the IOF website.