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A competitor's view

of MapRun

Last edited: Sat 6 Apr 2019

Jenny West relives her first MapRun experience for the benefit of others new to the format.

I thought that it would be an interesting novelty event but wasn't sure about there being nothing to see at the control site.

At the club night we had a go at a course around Longrun Meadow and French Weir Park set up on the new MapRun system by Jeff Pakes. The app was simple and free to down load onto a smart phone (you need GPS) and setting up was also simple and intuitive.

You can print off a map of the course (or you can use the map on your phone) and navigate as usual, but when you arrive at a control location, there is nothing to see and instead of punching or dibbing you just run past and your phone beeps and vibrates, telling you that you are in the right location and have collected that control.

I thought that it would be an interesting novelty event but wasn't sure about there being nothing to see at the control site.

Screenshots of the app

Screenshots of the app
Credit: My O Maps

I arrived in thick down jacket, woolly hat and wellies ready for an interesting bimble around the park. But as soon as I heard the first beep as my phone registered the start, it became strangely addictive! Jeff had set up a 20 minute score course and I found myself involuntary jogging towards the first control! I had a fun 15 minutes navigating my way around 17 of the 20 controls but was then so hot I called it a day and visited the finish. My phone had been in my pocket during the course and when I got back to the COACH centre I noticed that it was asking me if I wanted to finish, as I hadn't visited controls 10, 14 and 28.

I think that this would be a great introduction to orienteering for teenagers, most of whom seem welded to their phones

Angela and Vikki compare their routes

Angela and Vikki compare their routes

I was happy to stop and the original time I visited the finish location appeared as my time (it's a good safeguard in case you run too close to the finish whilst running the course). Once you down load your run, it is fairly intuitive to get to the results page which is instantaneous. You can also see the track of your chosen route around the course; never having engaged with Routegadget before, I found this fascinating. I give it a 10 out of 10.

Angela looking purposeful

Angela looking purposeful

Some courses may have a PIN code on them which you need to type in to your phone before it will be active on that course. The Longrun course has now had the PIN taken off so you can print off a map and go and try it any time you like.

I think that this would be a great introduction to orienteering for teenagers, most of whom seem welded to their phones, although once they have orienteered with a phone they may never want to put it down and use dibbers and punches instead!

- Jenny West