| Name | Icenian 2017 |
|---|---|
| Date | |
| Type | Race |
| Club | CUOC |
| Location | Highlodge (OpenStreetMap, Google Maps) |
| Race ID | 67966 |
| Notes | Level B - Day 1 of the Icenian Weekend |
| Links | Start list Final Details (PDF of this page) |
| Results | Icenian Trophy (Club Cup) Results Routegadget |
The results (with splits) have now been published and routegadget is live.
The results of the Icenian Trophy are also out: congratulations to NOR for taking the title with an impressive 785.2 points out of 800! The eight victorious counters were Helen Lloyd (Brown, 100.0), Ella Gilbert (S Brown, 100.0), Mick Liston (S Blue, 100.0), Laurence Ball (Black, 99.8), Katerina Skarkova (S Blue, 98.9), David Ball (Green, 98.3), Kim Eden (Green, 95.3) and Ian Shephard (S Blue, 92.9) Deserved mentions also to WAOC (770.5) - who narrowly missed out on defending their 2015 title - and SUFFOC (753.8) for a strong showing with a smaller pool of competitors. In the battle of the smaller clubs, the four impressive SMOC runners managed to average within 80% of the winning times on their respective courses. The full final standings are linked above.
A big thank you to everyone who competed and/or assisted with the running of the day. Check back here in the next couple of days for the all important race report.
I had just finish 2 successful controller jobs for Suffolk and Norfolk OC’s in close succession, closely followed by coaching day for the EAOA junior squad, was patting myself for getting through with all concerned happy. An email hit the inbox from Rory, CUOC were have problems finding a controller for the up and coming Iceni, firstly I did not really look at the date and must have been on small high after getting through the previous few weeks, but I said yes, I could help. Helen got in touch with the map and I went down to look around, now not happy teddy bear. The map was very out of date and had a couple of run ins with rude mountain bikers. CUOC found someone to update the map and after a re-plan by Helen we started to get somewhere. But we were now into the middle of January, with a small fast ball of my College being OFSTED inspected we got all checked and maps off to printer on time. The only minor issue was how was I going to get all the controls check before first start with sunrise at 7:30ish, well with the aid of new head touch and some planning of which controls I could get around in the dark and asking for the starts to be delayed I thought I could get round in time. Well 24Km and 4 hours after starting and a minor delay waiting for the final controls to be put out I checked the printout at 10:30 just in time to not delay the starts to much.
Hope you all had a good day, Helen did a good job with the limitations of the forest and the ever-present mountain bikers. Rory and Jeremy did a good job especially with Auto download giving up the ghost mid-morning (with some help from Daniel the NOR download guru and later for other members of the CUOC team in sorting it out). Then, when a competitor that had punched the start with different dibber to the one registered and then decided not to complete the course, also did not report to download, while further compounding the problem by taking her children off to the High Lodge play equipment. Everything was sorted before we had to start a real search, it is a reminder to competitors that a lot is done on your behalf to ensure a safe e`vent takes place and we who look after the e`vent for you need you to take responsibility to follow the rules.
If you enter, use the dibber you have entered with, or ensure you change that detail before going to the start, if you punch the start always report to download. Those of you with access to more than one dibber do not use a different to the one registered.
Thanks to all of the competitors who helped in the search of the High Lodge facilities and for keeping myself informed while we tried to find the lady.
I really enjoyed the CUOC members enthusiastic help and the way they pulled together when things need doing.
There were a lot of very positive comments on the day and although I was having a minor panic at 9:45 while waiting for the final controls to go out I had a good day and happy I could run 24Km and still be with it enough to have some helpful talks with the competitor throughout the day. Well done CUOC and a big congratulation to my Club NOR for winning the cup.
Michael Chopping
Since CUOC use their areas in Thetford forest in rotation for the Icenian, it was already decided that we would be using Highlodge for the Icenian. Despite problems including re-mapping the area 1 month before the e`vent and MTB tracks through the best parts of the area, planning the courses was still an interesting challenge, with lots of route choice legs through and around the various blocks of forest. It was a shame that only the longest courses made it into the north west part of the area, a complex area with lots of depressions and pits, but hopefully there was still plenty of navigational challenge on all the courses. Looking at Routegadget after the e`vent has been very interesting, as the variety of routes taken is far greater than i imagined it would be. I hope everyone enjoyed the running at the Icenian.
Helen Ockenden
With an additional 418 emails in my inbox, another Icenian is finished! It was great to see so many orienteers supporting the race (I will get in trouble if the e-v-e-n-t word is used), and lots of happy faces at the finish. Apart from the hiccup with a malfunctioning download (thank you to everyone for their patience and advice with this), I felt everything went well, with only a few other minor problems. A big thank you must go to the team of 21 helpers from CUOC, DRONGO and elsewhere who took a day out of some very hectic schedules to make sure everything ran smoothly. Your help was very much appreciated.
As the first major race for both Rory and I, the Icenian wouldn’t have been possible without the support of a team of DRONGO’s. Massive thanks must therefore go to Ben Windsor for answering our endless list of questions, Matthew Vokes for coming all the way from the Lakes to help out and John Ockenden for an emergency mapping trip in some pretty poor weather. The number of emails I received is a reflection of just how much support they provided in keeping us on track.
Once again, CUOC is very grateful for the help, lifts and equipment provided by WAOC and EAOA members. The Icenian wouldn’t have been possible without it. The Forestry Commission were also very cooperative and accommodating, contrary to many of the stories I had heard about previous Icenians in Highlodge, even agreeing to discount the car parking! The St John ambulance volunteers also deserve a mention for giving up their time to keep the race safe, and were very helpful as an extra pair of eyes out on the courses – thank you.
We are very grateful to Michael Chopping for agreeing to control; he did an excellent job. He was very accommodating of some tight deadlines due to the last minute remapping, was very efficient at answering emails, and made sure we were on top of everything. His advice regarding the mountain bike trails was also very useful. Thank you for all your work.
Helen did a brilliant job to get some interesting courses out of the area, despite working off a constantly changing map and losing some of the most interesting features to mountain bike OOB half way through the planning stage. Finally, thanks must also go to my co-organiser Rory Burford, who despite leaving CUOC and having a huge amount of work himself, put in many hours to make the Icenian happen.
See you all at the city race on 28th October!
Jeremy Knott
Last update: 04/02/17
CUOC warmly invites you to the Icenian 2017, which will be held in Thetford Forest on Saturday 4th February 2017. This race will be Day 1 of the 2017 Icenian Weekend; details regarding the second day are now available on the WAOC website. It will also be part of the East Anglian League (see below).
See below for the final details. Please return to this page in the days preceding the competition: any late announcements will be made here.
Competitors may enter the course of their choice. Recommended courses are shown in the table below. These coincide with both the EA league classes and the minimum scoring classes for the Icenian Trophy.
| Course | Length / km | Climb / m | M Classes | W Classes | Map size | Entered () |
| White | 1.3 | 10 | A4 | |||
| Yellow | 2.1 | 10 | M10 | W10 | A4 | |
| Orange | 2.9 | 15 | M12 | W12 | A4 | |
| Light Green | 3.9 | 15 | M14 | W14 | A4 | |
| V Short Green | 2.8 | 10 | W85, W90 | A4 | ||
| Short Green | 4.0 | 15 | M75, M80, M85, M90 | W65, W70, W75, W80 | A4 | |
| Green | 4.9 | 20 | M70 | W16, W55, W60 | A4 | |
| Short Blue | 5.6 | 25 | M65 | W18, W20, W45, W50 | A4 | |
| Blue | 6.4 | 30 | M16, M55, M60 | W35, W40 | A4 | |
| Short Brown | 8.0 | 50 | M18, M20, M45, M50 | W21 | A3 | |
| Brown | 9.5 | 45 | M35, M40 | A3 | ||
| Black | 11.5 | 55 | M21 | A3 |
For juniors/beginners/enthusiasts wanting an extra run, the organising team can also point you to the nearby Gruffalo orienteering course, maintained by the Forestry Commission. No string course will be available.
Entry on the day will be available for all courses subject to availability of maps. Spare maps will be printed for orange, yellow and white courses.
Registration will be open from 10:00 to 12:00.
SportIdent electronic punching will be used. Backup pin punches will be provided at all controls: should an SI-box fail, competitors must punch their maps with the pin punch provided. Please be aware that SIAC functionality will be turned off, so a physical dib is required to register at each control. Correct punching will elicit confirmatory beeping and flashing from the station.
The first start will be at 10:30 and the last start will be at 12:30. The start list is available here.
| Before 15 Jan | Before 29 Jan | After 29 Jan & EOD | |
| Seniors (BOF members) | £11.00 | £12.00 | £13.00 |
| Seniors (non BOF members) | £13.00 | £14.00 | £15.00 |
| Juniors and students | £3.00 | £4.00 | £4.00 |
| SI Hire | £1.00 | £1.00 | £1.00 |
A £1 discount is available to those who enter both days at the same time. See here for the entry list.
people have pre-entered for the race.
The High Lodge Warren (Grid Ref: TL811852) is located between Brandon and Thetford, south of the B1107. The Forestry Commission impose a one-way system throughout the area: see map below for entrance and exit.
Postcode: IP27 0AF
Competitors are encouraged to approach from Thetford, along the B1107 (westbound).
Thetford is served by the A134 (Bury) from the south; by the A11 (Cambridge) from the southwest; by the A11 (Norwich) from the northeast; and by the A134 from the north. The B1107 begins at a roundabout on the Thetford Bypass (A11), just south of the river; competitors arriving on the bypass should follow the signs for Brandon. The entrance to High Lodge is around 4.5 km along this road on the left hand side. There will be orienteering signs in advance of the turning.
The parking tariff has been reduced to £3 for the day. We will be using the northernmost of the High Lodge car parks (Fox). After turning into High Lodge, you should collect a ticket from the barrier and then follow the road left into the parking area; the route to Fox car park from the entrance will be marked. A marshal will be present to stamp your ticket. Once parked, please take your stamped ticket to the visitor centre (see map) in order to pay for your parking.
The nearest station is Brandon Station. This is just over 5 km from assembly (allow 20-30 minutes on a bicycle). To reach High Lodge from Brandon, cyclists should turn left out of the station and continue along the high street. At the end of the road, they should turn left (by Barclays Bank) and then continue along the B1107 (eastbound) for 2.4 km. Please take note that this route involves a potentially dangerous right turning across the road in order to reach the entrance - caution should be exercised if travelling by bike.
Assembly will be located in the wooded area on the south side of the Fox car park. Two tents will be erected. Registration will be open between 10:00 and 12:00 at the first tent; this tent will also handle SI-Card hire, EOD and enquiries. The second tent will contain the download station, which every competitor must visit before leaving. Public toilets can be found to the south, as can the start. Click to enlarge the map below.
The finish is 1 km from the download tent (located in the assembly area). Both routes will be marked with red and white tape.
The St John Ambulance will also be stationed at assembly. Please don't hesitate to approach them if you have any injuries/cuts/health concerns before or after your race.
Results will periodically be displayed near the download tent. Full results will be posted to the CUOC website shortly after the competition. A link to the CUOC Routegadget will also be made available for those wishing to compare their route choices.
The race will take place in the High Lodge area of Thetford Forest. This a large pine plantation of varying ages and densities, interspersed with sections of deciduous forest. The map features both patches of white (runnable forest) and dark green (forest fight). The woodlands are crisscrossed by a number of paths, as well as some mountain bike trails (see Safety Information).
The High Lodge map has been newly updated as of January 2017 (scale is 1:10,000, with 5m contours). Maps will be printed on waterproof paper.
The map uses several symbols for special objects. The following legend describes these special features, and will be printed with the map.
Some sections of mountain bike track are marked with a thick purple line (uncrossable boundary). These tracks are not to be crossed at any point where the uncrossable boundary symbol is present as cyclists will be travelling extremely fast along these stretches. See below for an example:
Other mountain bike tracks (encountered on some of the longer courses) are instead marked with purple crosses (forbidden route). These tracks can be crossed anywhere but cannot be used to run along. Competitors must give priority to mountain bike riders, and cross with care when it is safe to do so.
A key concerning conventional orienteering symbols will not be on the map, however copies will be available at registration for those unfamiliar with them. See here for a sample.
Loose control descriptions will be available in the start boxes. Control descriptions will also be printed on the maps.
High Lodge is maintained by the Forestry Commission, and a strict no smoking policy applies throughout the entire area. Any person seen smoking (participant, spectator, official) will be asked to leave the competition.
For the safety of competitors, two peripheral sections of the map have been marked out of bounds: an area of dense mountain bike trails along the western edge, and the rifle training area in the south east corner. In addition to these, there are also a number of further mountain bike trails that have been marked as uncrossable (see above). In line with British Orienteering rules, any orienteer seen transgressing these areas will be disqualified without exception.
All competitors take part at their own risk. The competition team will impose reasonable measures to reduce the likelihood of accident or injury, but the first person responsible for your safety is yourself.
High Lodge is home to a number of mountain bike trails, which may be in use throughout the day. To reduce the risk of collision between orienteers and cyclists, some of these trails are marked out of bounds on the map. Courses have been carefully planned such that it will be unnecessary to cross dangerous MTB trails in the forest. Nevertheless, competitors are urged to exercise caution, especially when running along paths. In some places, mountain bikers may need to cross a major path in order to reach the next MTB trail: such junctions are clearly marked by wooden posts along the edge of the path.
Due to ticks and brambles present in the forest, full leg cover will be mandatory. Please take the time to check for ticks after the race.
Competitors are expected to dress appropriately for the weather. If bad weather is forecast, the Icenian team may decide to make the carrying or wearing of waterproof cagoules compulsory. This will be announced on the Icenian webpage on the morning of the race and at registration and will be enforced at the start.
All orienteers must also carry a whistle. If aid is required (due to injury or other emergency), competitors should let out six long blasts followed by one minute of silence (the international signal for distress). The appropriate rescue reply is three short blasts.
The safety bearing for the day is north, which will bring you to either a road or a fence. Competitors hitting a road need travel west along the road until they reach assembly; competitors who meet a fence need travel east. This information will be repeated on the map or the control descriptions.
Children are welcome at the Icenian - both as participants or supporters. The forest and the assembly area can however present a number of potential hazards to unsupervised children, and it is essential that each child can be accounted for by a responsible adult at all times. It is left to the discretion of guardians/responsible adults whether or not a junior should be allowed to run without a shadowing adult; juniors doing so must be both aware of the hazards of the forest and able to finish before courses close. Guardians must also consider the number of children for which they can provide adequate supervision (e.g. one adult to every three children over the age of 12, or two children under the age of 12).
Please could both competitors and their guests refrain from climbing on the piles of rocks or timber that can be found throughout the whole area. The organisers cannot guarantee their stability, nor the safety of anyone who chooses to climb them.
The Icenian Trophy will be awarded to the best performing club. Up to 100 points are to be awarded for an individual performance, calculated relative to the time taken by the fastest finisher of each gender on a given course. Points awarded to the eight highest scoring members of each club (using no more than five scores for any gender) will go towards the team total. See here for a more comprehensive set of rules.
The Icenian Trophy is proud to be part of the 2017 East Anglian League. This is an individual competition, whereby competitors score points according to their results in designated races throughout the calendar year. The eventual champions are then determined by the sum of their top four scores. Explicit entry to the EAL is not necessary: scores are calculated automatically. For more information, please see the East Anglian League website.
In the unlikely circumstance of extreme weather conditions or other unassailable problems, a decision may be made to cancel the competition. In this case a notice will be posted on the CUOC website at the earliest possible opportunity, and online entrants will be contacted by email. CUOC reserve the right to retain all or part of the entry fee to cover costs already incurred.
Special thanks to John Ockenden, for his dedication to the remapping and his advice regarding the organisation. Thanks also to WAOC for their assistance in running the competition, and to the various orienteering elves who have volunteered their time as helpers throughout the day.
| Planner | Helen Ockenden (CUOC) | |
| Organiser | Rory Burford (DrongO) | rory.burford@bristol.ac.uk |
| Organiser | Jeremy Knott (CUOC) | icenian@cuoc.org.uk |
| Controller | Michael Chopping (NOR) | , |
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