Info: North East Night Championships on a mix of ornamental and ‘natural’ woodland and parkland near the heart of Durham City. Standard championship courses available as well as shorter options for those newer to orienteering and a longer red course for those who prefer a longer distance with less complex navigation. Take a look at the ‘Courses’ tab to see your options.

Perfect to combine with our Durham City Race on the Sunday!

Location: Enquiries/Download will be at Waddington Street United Reformed Church, Waddington St, Durham, DH1 4BG. Grid ref NZ 2674 4263, ‘what3words’ – ///plates.direct.pans, Google Maps.

Please consider travelling using active travel, public transport or car sharing where possible.

Travel by train: Durham Train Station (services from Newcastle, Edinburgh, Darlington, York, Leeds, London etc.) is approx. 5 minutes walk (0.45km/0.3 miles) from Enquiries/Download, please do not walk through Wharton Park prior to the event.

Travel by bus: Durham Bus Station (local services, services to Sunderland, Hartlepool, Stockton, Bishop Auckland, Crook, Consett, Chester-le-Street etc.) is approx. 5 minutes walk (0.35km/0.2miles) from Enquiries/Download. Single tickets are £2 and there is also a £4 all day County Durham ticket (or £6.80 NE Combined Authority/£3 ticket available for aged 21 and under) which covers most operators within the County including Arriva and Go North East.

Travel by bike: Bike stands are available on New Street, adjacent to the bus station. There is also likely to be capability for bikes to be left at Enquiries/Download at the owners risk.

Travel by car: On street car parking is available in the vicinity of Enquiries/Download. Spaces in the immediate vicinity of the Church are always in short supply – North Road (North of junction with Albert Street) is likely to have more spaces. Note that on-street parking in the vicinity of registration is pay-to-park until 6pm. Charges can be found on the council website (note you may want to bring change as card payments can only be made for whole hours).

There are several City Centre carparks within walking/running distance – see the County Council website for further details. Park and Ride ends at 19:00 (~18:40 pick up from City Centre) and therefore is unlikely to be viable for most orienteers.

Entries: Online entry via Racesignup opens 09/10.
Entry deadline end of Sunday 10 November.

Fees: Payable via racesignup.
Seniors (Courses A to D & F) – £9 (BOF member)/£10 (non member);
Seniors (Course E) – £6;
Juniors/Students – £4.50.

Seniors are those who will be 21 or over on 31st December 2024.
50% discount for Club Helpers.

Enquiries/Download: Enquiries/download will be open from 17:00.

Facilities: Indoor space with toilets available at Enquiries/Download. This will be manned throughout the event so bags etc. may be left here at the owner’s risk. Outdoor footwear is not to be worn inside the Church.

Start: Starts will be from 17:30 to 18:30, with choice of a 15 minute start block.
The start will be a short walk (exact distance TBC) from Enquiries/Download. Under 16s should be accompanied on the walk to the start due to road crossings. Punching start with a -4 minute call up.

Finish: Common finish for all courses, ~300m from Enquiries/Download. Follow taped route – all competitors must report to download even if you retire. Under 16s should be accompanied on the walk from the finish due to road crossings. Courses close 20:30.

Punching: This event will use the SportIdent electronic system. Control stations will be enabled for touch free punching (SIAC) but competitors will need to punch the start and finish control.

All control sites will have a backup system in the event of control failure. This involves a tag with a unique 3 letter word instead of the traditional punch. Remember the word and report it to the download team to prove you have visited the control.

Hired Dibbers: Dibber hire is available for £1 – choose this option on racesignup. You’ll need to pick up your hired dibber from Enquiries before you go to the Start. Lost/damaged dibbers will be charged at £30.

Map & Area: Wharton Park and Aykley Heads.

Terrain: Combination of Aykley Heads (an area used previously by NN for various events) and Wharton Park (an area used for club nights, but new for competitive events). Aykley Heads comprises a network of footpaths, wooded areas with a steep wooded section to the south east of the area. Wharton Park is an intricate ornamental park with views and steep paths down to Durham City.

Course E will solely use Wharton Park. All other courses will use both areas and cross the A691 Framwellgate Peth. When crossing this road all competitors must use the marked crossings as indicated on the map.

Control descriptions: Descriptions will be on the map and loose descriptions will be available in the start box.

Safety: First Aid will be available at the Finish and Enquiries/Download. Courses close 20:30.

Terrain may be slippery, so please wear shoes with suitable grip which are also suitable for tarmac paths/concrete steps. Full leg cover is mandatory due to potential for brambles etc. Competitors must carry a whistle, torch and a spare torch (doesn’t need to be a head torch). It may also be necessary to carry hat/gloves/waterproofs depending upon the weather. Competitors are welcome to carry a phone when they compete and are advised to wear bright/reflective clothing.

All Under 11s must be shadowed by a responsible adult, other juniors may be shadowed if desired. M/W16s will only be permitted to “run up” if they are 16 or over on the day of the race.

Competitors on courses which cross the A691 Framwellgate Peth must use the marked crossings as indicated on the map.

Note that orienteering is an adventure sport. A comprehensive risk assessment for the event has been prepared and identified risks have been mitigated, however please be aware that participants take part at their own risk and are responsible for their own safety during the event.

Dogs: Dogs will be allowed on courses on a short lead, however dogs are not permitted inside Enquiries/Download. Please clean up after your dog.

Thank you to Durham County Council and their Park and Countryside Officers for allowing us the use of the Wharton Park and Aykley Heads and to Waddington Street United Reformed Church for the hire of their Hall.

Officials:

• Organiser – Matthew Foskett (contact via [email protected]),
• Planner – Clare Baker,
• Controller – Allen Banister (NN)