Type of event: Race, Night
On a quite cold & (almost) dry evening, those who ran as far as the northenmost ridge had great views over the lit up villages below.
We had a good mix of ages and abilities amongst the 20 or so participants, eight of whom were from Devon OC...well the event was held just over the border in Devon, after all! Also from our neighbours to the south was our planner for the evening and series winner in 2016 & 2017, Robin Carter. The course winner Duncan Taylor is pictured discussing his route with Robin and her partner James Jackson.
"Robin planned an excellent QOAD and there was a good turn out"
Roger Craddock (chairman)
Robin & James study Duncan's winning route in disbelief!
Credit: Link to his route
Duncan got all 500 points and with just two seconds to spare of his allotted hour! An excellent feat and well done to him for 'going for it'.
As often happens, the two sets of controls (blue and red) formed two rather nice loops, ensuring that anyone with the necessary fitness could aim for the full prize without too much of a dilemma over route choice.
Those further down the ranks can console themselves that they had to make some quite tough decisions as to which controls to go for. This inevitably adds to the pressure, especially when deciding whether to persevere in hunting down controls in some of the trickier areas of complex contours.
QOADs is back in six weeks (17 February) when Fyne Court & Broomfield Common becomes the next venue to come under the glare of our multi-lumen headtorches
- Jeff Pakes
The next day, four members treated themselves to a trip east to the area used for the November Classic in 2016. Martin Lewis showed stamina by running in two events in less than 24 hours, having ran at the QOADs too. By finishing in the top half on Light Green, he (and Steve Robertson on Blue) achieved the "colour standard", which some clubs still announce after their events. Also there was Julia R and Pete Akers.
Sunset over Blackborough Common
Credit: Lewis Clarke
Heed the QOADS' warning!
Credit: Will K
Our series of night events, with a score course for all abilities.
See our page dedicated to night events, including the latest league table.
All those participating must wear a head torch plus carry a spare and a whistle for emergencies.
Series Co-ordinator: Roger and Judy Craddock 01823 323850
Parking: alongside road adjacent to entrance to wood
Format: one hour score course for all abilities.
Scoring: different points awarded for each control dependent on its difficulty e.g. 15 for easy control 50 for difficult or far away control. Maximum points available typically = 500.
Penalties: will be deducted for late finishes at 10 points per minute and pro rated to fractions of minutes.
Restriction: controls are divided equally into two blocks, red and blue. You can switch between one set of controls to the other only once. e.g. If you started on red, once you have dibbed a blue control you must continue on blue. This format allows stronger runners to cover more ground i.e. two loops of the area.
Newcomers: it is possible to select a sequence of controls that would be no more difficult than a Yellow or an Orange course. To make it even easier, if you attend JOG training during the day you can see where the night controls are located.
Seniors £5 (non-BOF members £8)
Junior/Student £2
Dibber Hire: £1
Registration: 17.00 – 17.45
Starts: as soon as it is dark enough. The latest possible start time is 18.15.
Wooded plateau with cleared areas. The steep sides surrounding the plateau contain quite complex contour detail
Planner: Robin Carter
Safety and Risk: A comprehensive risk assessment will have been carried out by the organiser, but participants take part at their own risk and are responsible for their own safety during the event. All participants must report to download whether they finish their course or not.
Privacy: when participating in our events/activities your name may appear in the results section of this website or in newspaper reports. Read our data protection page to see how we look after your personal data.
Photography: QO has an agreed policy on the taking of photographs at events, based on national guidance. This provides a sensible balance between the benefits and risks associated with the taking and use of images. If you are unsure about acceptable practice, please speak to the event organiser.
Safeguarding: QO is aware of it's responsibilities in safeguarding and child protection. To comply with The Child Safeguarding Practice Review and Relevant Agency (England) Regulations 2018, we now provide an email address for individuals to report concerns to the Lead Safeguarding Officer. This address is safeguarding@britishorienteering.org.uk.