Wellington Afterwork Rogaine Planning Guide

Or, "Rogaine Planning 101"

Preface: P-Max

The general afterwork rogaine advice should be helpful. But here are the differences:

• Time 1 hour rather than 3. Maybe some 90min or 2hr ones as a learning progression.
• Top rogainers able to get all controls in 70-80% of the time allowed.
• Maximum of 27 controls (answers written on standard orienteering clipcards)
• Short answers (1-2 characters) so they fit in the box
• Controls numbered 1-27. Top row of card (1-9) worth 5pts; second row of card (10-18) worth 10pts; third row of card (19-27) worth 20pts. If you omit 19 then this is compatible with the regular rogaine points scheme.
• If you have a wonderful must-visit control you can call it #30 or even #50 and tell people to write the answer by the "running man" on the card.
• We don't usually do a pre-registration for P-Max. This means you have to be well-organised to get everyone's names and a cellphone number. If you have a portable whiteboard get them to write thir own names up but you'll still have to monitor it.

How It Works Round Here (the usual 3hr ones)

1. Background What are we trying to achieve with our afterwork rogaines in Wellington?
   • Have fun – the organiser, beginners and experts
   • The map does not have to be huge.
   • A consistent standard of event
   • A pre-warning of anything unusual
   • Some other suggestions
   These rogaines are run by Orienteering Hutt Valley. Distribution of information and advertising is via the Wellington Ridge Runners email list and Facebook page, the OHV website and the Orienteering NZ calendar.

   Make sure you know what we tell the competitors.

2. Area
   Where to run them? Look for maximum freedom of movement, minimum landowners/authorities, ease of access (esp afterwork), nice environment. Urban areas have proved to be quite acceptable, especially if there are substantial green belts, eg Tinakori Hill. Look for areas with curvy roads rather than grid pattern, lots of shortcuts, walkways, reserves.

3. Permission
   Afterwork on public roads/tracks/city parks doesn't need permission. Sometimes de facto tracks are actually private though. The regional council wants to know if we're using its parks and depending on the ranger we might have to fill in some forms. OHV has a database of owners for orienteering maps, is building up data for rogaines. If in doubt ask the rogaine coordinator, below.

4. Selection of Start/Finish
   This is more likely to need permission – use your judgement. Visit at the same day/time of day to see if eg carpark is used for sports practice. Preferably in the middle of your area, parking, sheltered pleasant place for organizers and after-match. School or park is good.

5. Maps
   Afterwork rogaines started out using the 1:50,000 Topo enlarged, with additions before photocopying, but its hard to delete features that have to come off. OHV has 1:20,000 vector mapping in the computer, based on the topo, offers best scope for enhancement, specifically made for rogaining and MTBO. Covers the entire greater Wellington area; eastern boundary Akatarawa Hill Rd, northern boundary Waikanae. Steadily being improved by YOU!

6. Control Numbers and Numbering No fixed number, but if your questions cant fit on ONE SIDE of an A4 its a nuisance for competitors. There are usually between 25-50. The convention is that the score is based on the 1st digit of the control number.

7. Control placement
   Use definite features on the map, no hiding, findable IN THE DARK. A particular no-no is an off-track ribbon code in slow low-visibility bush. The skill is in planning a route and navigating BETWEEN points, not wondering which tree out of hundreds. Balance scores possible in each sector. Avoid obvious circuit eg big scores all round the perimeter. Aim for the winner to get most but not all.

8. Questions and Answers
   Q&A reduces the workload but its harder to set them than it looks. Question must positively identify the feature, then have an unambiguous answer. Separate the two parts of the question: House at #22: colour of letterbox. If in doubt use orange ribbon with code letter, but it must be related to a mapped feature. Best if its always the same orange - same as orienteering flag.

9. Try to avoid
   • Wrongly placed controls. Be careful, its easy to put the circle one block out, or a similar track corner, similar hilltop etc.
   • Imprecise location especially off-track. The map is often not sufficiently precise to postively identify the spot - find another location.
   • Non-unique feature is unfair. After choosing the spot, look around for other similar features. If there are, its a bad control.
   • Subject of question, or ribbon unreasonably hard to find in the dark. It is OK if the question tells you specifically where to look, but you shouldn't have to find a ribbon on the backside of a tree at an unknown height above the ground in the dark.
   • Questions which will have teams shining bright lights into people's houses after dark!
   • Schoolmaster Attitude to Marking. It's not an exam, and don't be defensive about your controls, teams who reckon they couldn't find the ribbon etc were probably there and should get the points. Make the decision objective - decline only the ones where most other teams found it. "Democracy Decides".

Timeline Checklist

1. Start Planning Early
   Then you can incorporate planning/question gathering with your regular runs and rides. Get printouts of the OHV mapping from the OHV Mapping Officer. Make copies to take out in the field. Use letters to identify controls at this stage, eg A, B, AA, AB, etc. 50 controls max, better events have less. If there's a control everywhere you turn, where's the route-planning challenge?

2. Three Weeks Before
   Notify the Rogaine Coordinator of the start/finish location, plus any points of interest to advertise the event, and any deviations from the norm. If the area is rugged and weather could be bad consider repeating the recommended gear list. The Coordinator will get the ONZ calendar updated and an email sent to Wellington Ridge Runners. There's a WRR Facebook page too.

   If you have a GPS turn tracking on for every excursion and waypoint the control points. Send the file to the Mapping Officer with your notes, he can get started on how to fit things on the page etc. You will be thinking about scores, turn the letters into control numbers AT THE LAST POSSIBLE STAGE as swapping numbers is bound to cause errors.

   From 2017 we are using the Condes software which allows YOU to position the circles on the map instead of the Mapping Officer needing to do it every time. Condes Guide here...

3. One Week Before
   

   Finalise the map corrections with the Mapping Officer and send your latest Condes file. Based on this the MO will produce a layout version of the map with border and legend etc. By switching this into Condes you can see how the map is going to look. The MO will look after printing. Give the MO the event contact number too, for putting on the map.

4. Pizzas
   They've become a tradition. (Quarter of a pizza per person) Figure out where you are going to get them from (Dominos is cheapest) and let them know. Worth asking for a discount, they have slow nights! Get the number to ring on the night with the final order.

5. Equipment
   None usually needed and that makes the events easy to run. If you have a folding camp table it could be handy. If required OHV has tents, orienteering flags, clocks. It lives in a storage unit in Lower Hutt. See below for the Equipment Custodian.

6. Two nights before
   The OHV webmaster will dump the registrations received into a spreadsheet, send it to you, and tell the MO how many maps are needed. A rule of thumb is pre-registered people plus one third. The MO will arrange printing (we have an account with a printing house where the quality is much higher than the usual home or office printer.)

   Question Sheets
   You look after printing these. See template. Needs to fit on one page, with a large sized font, and good-sized boxes for writing answers in. Remember to provide big boxes for team name/number, finish time, gross score, net score. Another reason for not too many controls. Print on light card or heavy paper to stand up to moisture, crumpling etc. Ensure your contact cell phone number on the night is on it. If you can't arrange this, you can send a file to the MO who will get it done with the maps.

   Registration Sheets
   You need to print out the registration sheets (enough for one for each team). It can be downloaded here. Staple two copies of the Question Sheet to each Registration Sheet.

   Getting the Maps and Bags
   The MO will arrange for the maps and ziploc bags to get to the event half an hour before the "maps available" time. The club has better bags than what you can get from the supermarket. There are some in the club shed if you're going there.

7. On The Night - Getting Under Way
   Some things to think about:
   • The weather and terrain on the night may prompt you to question people if they have the right gear. The Wellyrog website lists (a) compulsory items (b) recommended items. You are authorised to make recommended items compulsory in bad conditions.
   • Rogaining is a team sport. It is up to the discretion of the organiser whether you will allow individuals. Factors to consider: Weather, terrain, experience and fitness of the person, their gear.
   • Students. Have they got someone experienced in the group, that will determine whether you need to check their gear and intentions.

   The most important thing is ensuring you have full details of everyone on the course. The suggested procedure is:

   • It helps if you wear something distinguishing – So you are the obvious person to come to, ask questions of etc.
   • A helper is pretty much essential for the start and finish.
   • Place the Registration Sheet and the Question sheet somewhere easily accessible. Teams will help themselves to these. Also the mapbags.
     1. Teams complete the sheet, and calculate their own entry fee
     2. Swap the completed registration sheet and the money for the corresponding number of maps.
     3. During the event you may wish to copy the information from the registration sheet onto a large sheet of card so teams return times and scores can easily be written onto this.
   • Don't take membership forms or subscription money - too messy. Do take a promise that they will join tomorrow. They can do it online.
   • If you are snowed under just delay the start.
   • Briefing. 10 mins before the start. See template.
   • Go.
   • Order pizzas. Timing: you want to get back with them about 15min prior to the finish as there will be early finishers. Order enough for 3 slices per person (each one has 8 slices) but tell participants they can have 2 each. (Some people are greedy.) Remainder of the money is needed for map printing, cartography is paid for, and the national body which provides PL cover.

8. On The Night - Finishing
   You need to have an obvious finish point. Again try and make yourself distinguishable as there will be a crowd. Turn on your hazard warnings lights for example. Again it is useful to have an assistant.
   • As they come in write the time on their answer sheet. AT THE SAME TIME tick off the team number or name on your registration sheet. (You need to be absolutely sure who is back and who is not. DO NOT enter into any discussion about a hard-to-find control, tell them to claim it)
   • Hand the control sheet back to the team and ask them to add up their scores.
   • Your assistant can receive the answer sheets back, and shuffle them into order, so you can announce preliminary results.
   • Within 10 mins of finish time, scan your registration sheet for anyone not back yet. Specifically yell out to the crowd in case they have missed out checking in
   • If someone is late back – you want to know ASAP - before everyone goes home - and you've lost the chance to ask for any sightings and search volunteers.
   • Search and Rescue - hopefully not.
   • Tidy up rubbish – suggest teams take an empty pizza box away - you've done all the rest of the work!

9. Results
   ASAP to the OHV Webmaster. There's a proud tradition of results on the web with 24hrs. A little story is good, but don't hold up results because of it, send it later.

10. Afterwards
    Bank the money in the OHV account at the Westpac 030502 0316515-00. The deposit slip has a reference field I think, use eg "Petone Rogaine". Send an email to the OHV treasurer telling them the date and amount so they can reconcile things.

    Environmental policy, leave only footprints etc. Remove ribbons within a few days, thank landowners if any.

Contacts

You may see a double-up of some of these roles but they could be shared out in different ways in the future.

The Rogaine Coordinator is Phone 233 8982

The OHV Mapping Officer is Phone 566 2645.

The OHV Webmaster is Ph 566 2645

The OHV equipment lives in a storage unit at Taita. We don't currently have an equipment officer, ask the coordinator if you need gear that you don't have at home.

The OHV Treasurer is Ph 566 0750

This page was originally written by Mike Sheridan, and updated by on 14 Oct 19.