GuildfordSun 15 Jun, 2025

Urban

Regional level event

Explanation of Event levels

Local events are usually low key and in the 'localised' area, ideal for newcomers to try the sport. Training are non competitive events used for training and coaching, aimed at members of the club, but they can attract people from neighbouring clubs, and are often ideal for newcomers to try the sport. Regional events attract participants from around the local Region, National events are high quality competitions that will attract people from far away, Major events are Major Events such as a British Championships.

Terrain type: Urban

Results

• Results
• RouteGadget

Report

Planner's comments

Well done everyone for getting round on a very warm day! I'll admit that throwing you into committing to a long route choice right at the beginning was a bit mean - a necessary evil to get to the more interesting bits. I was pleased to find that 'team east' and 'team west' seemed fairly evenly split, which showed it was a good challenge.

Sorry that there were a few niggles with the map, and there were a couple of purple line cuts that I missed. I hope it didn't throw you off too much.

I'm particularly proud of the younger juniors: having been denied their own course when we had to cancel it earlier in the week, they stepped up admirably to the challenge of running course 6. First time tackling a double-sided map, and for many it was the longest course they had run.

Overall it sounded like lots of people enjoyed the courses, which is always good to hear. I'm glad many of you liked those last few short controls before the finish - I know those paths well, and it was my favourite bit to plan.

Sophie Gordon

Controller's comments

Thanks to Sophie for some great courses. Unfortunately the area has some dead running between the complex areas. Apologies for missing a couple of line cuts. Also there were a couple of late changes (I felt the updated map wasn't correct in one area), resulting in 135 being slightly out of position, and without 'cut' lines.

Pete Jones

Organiser's comments

Thanks to everyone for turning out on what was a fairly warm day, I'm glad I sourced the water.

Even with a couple of small niggles (mentioned above) I heard lot of positives about Sophie's courses.

I echo Sophies comments about he Juniors. Well done to those MYJ and WYJ competitors who "ran up" to course 6 following the traveller incursion at Stoke Park. For most it was probably the longest course you have run. I'm glad we made the choice early and moved assembly (several times). Lesson learned, for adults a map flip isn't uncommon but for most Juniors its something new and we should have briefed them better in the start lane.

Jon Darley

Last updated: Mon 16 June, 2025

Overview

The Guildford Urban is back for 2025. This year we use the area to the North West encompassing Abbotswood, Merrow and Burpham.

We offer the full range of UK Urban classes. Accessible by Car via the A3 / A25, nearby Park and Ride and accessible by Train / Bus to the Spectrum Leisure Centre.

10/06/25 NOTE: Travellers have moved onto Stoke Park therefore we have discontinued course 7, which was to have been all off-road, for the MYJ/WYJ classes. These classes now use course 6, which is longer, and includes minor residential road crossings.

13/06/25 NOTE: The M25 / A3 Interchange is CLOSED during this event please use alternate routes and leave enough time to get to the event in time for your start.

Entries open at RaceSignup

Final Details (Revision 3 @ 13:30 13/06/25) for this event are published HERE

Location Info

Near: Guildford
Lat,Lng: 51.249,-0.5584
Postcode: GU1 1TU
What3Words: ///rates.panels.hang

Open an interactive map in:
GoogleMaps - AppleMaps - OpenStreetMap - BingMap (OS 50k)

Directions / Parking

Travel to the event

There are 2 railway stations in Guildford. The event centre is at W3W ///rates.panels.hang about a 1.5 mile walk from the mainline station and 0.6 miles from the smaller London Road station. For anyone walking or cycling from London Road start the quickest route to the event centre is to use the path across the middle of Stoke Park. Please note that there is currently a traveller encampment along this route, you may want to consider walking around the park.

Course Information

The normal urban courses are offered. Preliminary Course Lengths (subject to controlling etc.) are:

Course number	Optimum Route (km)	Ascent (m)	Scale	Controls
1 : Men Open (16+ on 15/06/25)	11.2	82	1:5000	20
2 : Women Open(16+ on 15/06/25), Men Vet (40+)	9.4	64	1:5000	18
3 : Women Vet (40+) Men Super Vet (55+)	8.4	51	1:5000	14
4 : Women Super Vet (55+), Men Ultra Vet (65+)	7.0	36	1:4000	11
5 : Women Ultra Vet (65+), Men/Women Hypervet (75+)	5.4	27	1:4000	10
6 : Men/Women Junior (16-)	4.4	17	1:4000	11
7 : Men/Women Young Junior (12-)	now using course 6	-	-	-

Start and Finish. The start is approx 1.4km walk from assembly / enquiries. The walk back from the Finish (approx 0.6km) does not pass by the Start..

Please note that entrants under the age of 16 on the day of the race may only enter the junior courses. If you want to enter a course you are not eligible for (that is you are 'running down', not 'running up') please use the "Course n Out of class" category (CnO). For example an M21 on any course except Open (Course 1).

For the Junior course (Course 6) it has been necessary to use two areas with some dead running between them, which is why the course is longer than usual. The course also has a timed-out road crossing. Some of the course crosses roads in a housing estate, traffic is generally slow-moving and not busy.

Please contact the organiser if you have concerns about traffic

Entry Details

Enties via RaceSignup

Senior entry fee £8 (£10 after 8th June)

Junior entry fee £3 (under 21 on 31st December)

Senior full-time student £5 (£7 after 8th June)

SI dibber hire £1

Entry fee for non-BOF-affiliated Senior attracts a £2 supplement.

Registration and Start times

Registration open from 10:00

Online entry is available up until 11:30 on the day of the event.

Start times from 10:30 - 12:30 except Juniors and Young Juniors 10:30 - 11:30

Courses Close 14:30

Facilities

Car Parking (there is no organised parking)

The Park and Ride car park by the Spectrum Leisure Centre is the most convenient place to leave your car (free). On Sundays there is quite a lot of free parking on the streets of Guildford near Stoke Park which is where the event starts and finishes. Guildford College also has a parking area open (free) to the public on Sundays (off the mini roundabout where Recreation Road meets Stoke Road).

Nor are there organised toilets

There are public toilets in Stoke Park Gardens in the south-west corner of the map (W3W ///turns.straw.door) and at Burchatts Farm at the east of the map (W3W ///mental.turkey.month) (and the Spectrum Leisure Centre has toilets for its users).

Contacts / Officials

Organiser (Jon Darley) organiser@guildfordorienteers.co.uk

Nearest A&E Hospital

Royal Surrey, Guildford GU2 7XX

Safety Notes

This is an urban orienteering event taking place on public roads with moving vehicles – as you would usually, please take care crossing roads.

Take special care crossing London Road / A3100. If there is lots of traffic, try and make use of pedestrian crossings where available.

All courses use an underpass with a blind 90-degree bend. All competitors will run through this in the same direction, but please go slowly around the corner in case of pedestrians coming the other way.

British Orienteering's Rule 1.32 states that "Competitors are responsible for their own personal safety and for assessing their own abilities to complete the course. However, Organisers must have made reasonable risk management arrangements to mitigate the hazards that a competitor might reasonably not be aware of."

This we have done by addressing the hazards identified in the Risk Assessment, the planning of the courses and the information provided in these Final Details.

Nonetheless you are expected to play your part; be aware that you take part at your own risk. There is traffic, kerbs to trip over, uneven surfaces, slope and steps – the rough and smooth of everyday Guildford. There is also some parkland/woodland which may be slippery when wet.

It looks like the weather may be quite warm. Please arrive well hydrated, wear suitable clothing and consider applying sun cream; shorts are permitted.