December 13, 2015
Harms Woods

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Meet Director:
Eric Olsen
Course Setters:
David Yang

 

 

Schedule:
9:30 a.m. Registration
10 a.m. Mass start
11:30 a.m. Courses close

(Maximum time on course: 1.5 hours)

 

Cost: (per individual or team)

Pre-registration
CAOC members $7
non-member $10
Day-of-Event  
CAOC members $10
non-members $15
additional maps $3
rental compass $1
purchase e-Punch $35

View Larger Map

Pre-registration is now closed. Please register at the event. (Generally pre-registration is available through the Thursday before an event.)

 

Details:
We'll be offering white and yellow courses for beginners, orange for intermediate, and a Madnaess course for advanced.

Harms Woods is the wildest and most northern of our three maps along the North Branch, and is characterized by a large sloping hillside along the west side of the River that is intercut by a dozen or more reentrants, white and light-green woods and only a scant trail system. It is a technically challenging area with many point features such as depressions, rootstocks, and man-made objects.

Madnaess Details

The Madnaess format is very different from traditional orienteering as the race is a mass start. The race is broken into three parts. The first is a set of common controls where the runners go head to head. They then enter the Madnaess box which features 7-8 controls. The intent of this box is to equalize the race for all levels of skill and as such each runner gets to skip a certain amount the controls based on their age and sex. Elite racers will have to cover all of them while younger or older runners will do less. Coming out of the box they then cover a number of common controls once again and if planned out properly most of the runners should finish very close to one another.

Racers will count total results to determine overall 2014 champions. For runners who are unable to get to all three of the races to count for the total, this is not an issue as each race is a seperate competition so if you can only make one then come out a try.

For beginners and kids we will have seperate novice courses so bring them out.

The competition will go ahead through rain or snow (sleet, hail, etc.—you get the picture).

The Winter Madnaess Rules

  1. All events will have a mass start at 10:00 on the event day. You may start without penalty up to 20 minutes after the official start time. After that, your start time may be adjusted back to 20 minutes.

  2. The time limit is 90 minutes--all controls will be picked up after this time.

  3. At each event, every participant must sign an event waiver prior to the start, at registration time.

  4. Pre-marked maps are guaranteed to all who pre-register.

  5. Map cases may be purchased at pre-registration or on-site for $1.

  6. To ensure competitiveness for all participants, each event will use a handicap system called The Madnaess Box. Using their creativity, course setters will attempt to choreograph that elusive mass finish.

The Madnaess Box

Each race will feature the infamous Madnaess Box, which consists of a set of controls labeled with letters (A,B,C, etc) somewhere on the course. Participants may attack the controls in the box in any order. Additionally, participants may drop controls equal to their handicap point total. Handicap points are awarded as follows:

Category Handicap
Female
add 2
12 or younger
4
65 or older
4
14 or younger
3
55 or older
3
16 or younger
2
45 or older
2
19 or younger
1
35 or older
1

Examples:

  • A 46-year-old female may drop 4 controls in the box.
  • A 19-year-old male may drop 1 control in the box.
  • A 28-year-old male must visit all the controls in the box.

Directions(Driving):
Take the Eden's Expwy (I-94) 7.5 miles north (west) of the Kennedy (I-90) to Exit 35 (Old Orchard Rd). Turn left (west) and continue forward into the parking area. Watch for the orange-and-white orienteering signs.

Public Transit:Take the El to the Davis station in Evanston. Transfer to #208-Golf bus (bus leaves Davis every half hour starting at 8:43). Get off at the forest preserve and walk to registration (1/4 mile or less).

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