US Masters Orienteering Championships

Orienteering USA 2-Day National Ranking Event

Bigelow Hollow State Park, Union, CT
Oct 8-9, 2022

Start List at Eventreg

Print-At-Home Meet Packet

Updates

• See the NRE Recap on OUSA's site for pro photos by Clint Morse, plus additional links.
•  10/5/22:
  • The SI-Card CLEAR and CHECK stations will be in the call-up area.  There will be an additional, mandatory CHECK station, after the first call-up line (used for safety/accountability).  All competitors will have to verify at this CHECK station. 
  • All competitors will have to punch START with a direct punch.
  • Blue Day 2 will have a map flip midway through the course.  Blue2 maps are double-sided.
  • Contactless punching using the SI-Air system is available at this event. 
    • Classic SI-Cards (aka fingersticks, dibblers, etc) will work as usual.
    • Those wishing to purchase SportIdent ActiveCards (SIACs) may do so with an orienteering vendor.
    • All controls and the FINISH control will be in beacon mode.  
    • The intermediate call-up line (where control descriptions (aka cluesheets) are located) will have an SIAC TEST station to confirm SIACs have been activated (which happens at the CHECK).  
    • An SIAC BATTERY TEST station will be available at each Day's Recreation Registration table, along with brief instructions.
• 9/28/22:  Course Setter notes & model/locator map posted. 
• 9/27/22: Course data finalized.  Note F65 and M75 have been moved from Brown X to Brown Y to balance course load. 

Preliminary Information and Invitation

The New England Orienteering Club (NEOC) invites you to compete October 8th and 9th, 2022 at the US Master’s Orienteering Championships (Masters) on an all-new orienteering map of Bigelow Hollow State Park & Nipmuck State Forest.

Our top priority is to offer two days of fair & fun orienteering. Since the start of the pandemic, we’ve all gotten used to taking reasonable and prudent measures to safeguard public health and the health and safety of meet staff and participants. We will remain compliant with all relevant public health guidelines (federal, state, local) and Orienteering USA guidance. And, we recognize this may change until the last minute.

Organizer & Key Personnel

Website

https://neoc.org/2022masters

Classic format national ranking event, with two-day combined time championships.

We will offer OUSA standard courses and age classes. Winning time estimates: Blue (70-80min), Red (60-75min), Green (45-55min), Brown (40-50min), Orange (35-50min), Yellow (25-40min), White (20- 30min). The maximum time allowed on course is 3 hours.

General map of the region

The competition will be held at Bigelow Hollow State Park & Nipmuck State Forest, Union, CT, located 35 miles (40 minute drive) NE of Hartford. It is 70 miles (75 minute drive) out of Boston.

• See overview map of weekend locations.
• Download map of event details.

Embargoed areas

The entirety of Bigelow Hollow State Park is embargoed to competitors starting in February 2022. Areas of Nipmuck State Forest immediately adjacent to Bigelow Hollow (the “Breakneck Block” of Nipmuck SF) are also embargoed. Any violations of the embargo (deliberate or inadvertent) should be brought to the Event Director’s attention for adjudication.

COVID-19 adaptations

We will continue to adapt to current public health directives and OUSA COVID recommendations. We’ll communicate updates online and with registered competitors. As of this time (June 2022), we plan on:

• No carpooling or shuttles to start.
• No packet pickup. We are foregoing race numbers. Event information will be available via PDF and the website. Control descriptions (“cluesheets”) will be printed on the maps and distributed via PDF if you are interested in pre-printing.  Update (9/28/22): Loose control descriptions will be available at the intermediate start line.
• No childcare services offered. We will provide those with small children or special needs appropriate start time flexibility.
• No results displays. Expect a local WiFi where you can get real-time results from your phone. You are likely to get an email with your splits, rather than a print-out.
• No beginner instruction offered. Although we welcome national event newcomers and will offer recreational White, Yellow and Orange courses, newcomer instruction is not a staff focus. We will make reasonable accommodations for competitors to introduce the sport to friends or family.
• Yes, water on courses and post-race refreshments.
• Yes, event dinner/social. We are celebrating NEOC’s 50th Anniversary, after all.

Awards

US citizens and US permanent lawful residents who are OUSA members in all age groups 35+ are eligible for US Masters Championship medals. Pre-registration also required. Since it is a combined time, two- day championship, medal eligibility requires running the same class both days.