Smartphone Orienteering
Map Run F Logo
Get your orienteering fix using MapRun. Urban maps are available for Oban with more traditional orienteering maps available at Ganavan, Sutherland's Grove and Tralee with more in the pipeline.
'MapRun is an app which allows you to use your smartphone to enjoy orienteering without needing to set up physical control points on the ground. There are now MapRun courses set up all across Scotland which you can go and run right now, with more new ones being added all the time.'
SOA have a very informative section on MapRun and will assist you in the process of getting started but below is a very quick guide on how to get started:
1. Download MapRunF from Google Play or Apple App Store
2. Start the App
3. Enter your Name - to be used with your results
4. Tap Select Event, scroll down to UK, then Scotland, then ECKO
5. Choose/tap to download which course you want to try
6. Tap Go to Start to see the map and course
7. Go to the Start area making sure you have the course map pdf which you can download using the link below or on the SOA Maprun site.
8. When you are ready, run/ walk through the start and you should hear a beep and this will trigger the course timer.
9. Visit each control in order and when you get close to the control your phone will beep. I run with the map in one hand and the phone in the other but the phone can be kept in a pocket, beeping away and recording your route.
10. You must go through the Finish control to stop the timer (with another beep) and complete the route.
11. Maprun will automatically upload your results (and others) for that course creating a sort of league table for each course which you can use for training/ competitive purposes if you wish. You can manually upload your results and they can be linked to Strava.
12. I would strongly recommend that you download the pdf version of the map to carry with you and just use your phone for timing (you will hear the beeps as each control is reached) as it's quite difficult to see the course on the phone when the sun is shining.
Courses:
Oban (All starts are at Atlantis Leisure)
Oban Urban Short
Oban Urban Long 1
Oban Urban Long 2
Oban Post Box Scatter (visit all 22 controls as quickly as possible - approximate distance 11km)
Oban Post Box Score (You have 45 minutes to visit as many controls as possible - scoring as follows - controls in the teens - 10 points, controls in the twenties - 20 points, controls in the thirties - 30 points, controls in the forties - 40 points and for every minute that you are over the time limit lose 30 points!)
Ganavan, Near Oban(All starts at car park)
Ganavan Short (Yellow)
Ganavan Long (Light Green)
Sutherland's Grove, Barcaldine (All starts on cycle track over the bridge from car park)
Sutherland's Grove MR Short (Yellow)
Sutherland's Grove Trail MR Long (Orange)
Tralee, Benderloch (All starts down track halfway down Tralee Straight)
Tralee Scatter Course (Use this course to visit all the controls in any order as quickly as possible or use the map to plan your own course or training. Some of the control sites are TD2/3 and some are 4/5)
Dunstaffnage, Dunbeg (All starts from SAMS Car Park area)
Dunstaffnage Scatter Course ((Use this course to visit all the controls in any order as quickly as possible or use the map to plan your own course or training. Some of the control sites are TD2/3 and some are 4/5)
All maps can be downloaded from the MapRun section of the SOA site
For those of you who are new to Urban Orienteering please be aware of the following
1. Courses are TD3 (medium difficulty) urban style and some do involve road crossings so please take care.
2. Olive green is Out of Bounds (private property/ garden) - don't take short cuts through gardens/private property
3. Do not cross thick black lined (on the map) walls or fences
4. The distances on the map are as the crow flies so you will end up running a longer distance
5. These courses are not official orienteering registered events or activities so participants take part at their own risk
Risk Assessment available here.
A pictoral description of controls can be viewed here
A more detailed explantation of controls can be viewed here
Results are automatically uploaded to MapRun and can be linked to Strava.
Please contact info@ecko.org.uk if you want further information or have any constructive feedback.
Have fun.