DanburyWed 13 May
Essex Summer Midweek Series 2026
Local level event
Explanation of Event levels
Local events are usually low key and in the 'localised' area, ideal for newcomers to try the sport and Training events are non competitive and used for training and coaching, aimed at members of the club, but they can attract people from neighbouring clubs, and are often ideal for newcomers to try the sport. Regional events attract participants from around the local Region, National events are high quality competitions that will attract people from far away, Major events are Major Events such as a British Championships.
Terrain type: Urban & Parkland
Results
Report
This weeks Summer Series event took place at the Bakers Arms in Danbury. It wasn’t very summery with frequent rain showers and even thunder earlier in the day – but the evening stayed fine and we even saw a bit of sunshine, even if it was a bit chilly!
There were two line courses set, Long (5.7km) and Short (3.4km), and they both had a mix of woodland and urban. There isn’t a lot of route choice in Danbury, so I kept the controls a fair way apart, so that you had to make some route choice and concentrate on where you were for the duration of the leg.
On the Long course several participants had some problems around Control 3, which didn’t seem to register straight away for some people – perhaps the woodland was interfering? However most people overcame this, and managed to get around the rest of the course. It was also possible that the courses were a little shorter than usual, but again, I felt that this was made up for by the hilly terrain – which most competitors seemed to agree with.
We had a good turn out – 25 runners on the Long & 7 on the Short, including 3 competitors who hadn’t done orienteering before – who seemed to enjoy the event – so let’s hope we see them back again soon!
On to the results – and once again we had Luke Bennett taking the honours on the Long, followed by Ben Leeds & Dean Pepper. On the Short we had Colin Jackson as the fastest, followed by Chris Childs & Alan Sibthorp. Overall, after 3 events, we now have Jackie Sibthorp leading the long, helped by the 100 points organiser bonus, followed by Keith Bennett and then Dean Pepper. On the Short we have Chris Childs, leading Colin Jackson & Dale Bennett (who has only run 2 events – so could get a bit higher with the catch up maybe!).
Overall a good evenings orienteering, where we were warmly welcomed by the landlady of the Bakers Arms, who set up a great system for getting everyone’s food ordered and delivered ready for when they returned.
Anyone who did not attend now has 2 weeks to do a catch up event, to be included in the results.
The next event in our series is in South Ockendon on 27th May and the details of this event can be found on HAVOC's website.
Anytime Catchup
Missed the event? You can still run the course on Maprun catch up until 27th May to score for the league. Follow the link below for the PDF maps.
https://www.stragglers.info/anytime/great-notley-april-2026
Overview
Event 3 of the Essex Summer Midweek Series 2026.
Mid week hybrid event encompassing urban street running and off road running in woods, parks and on footpaths and trails. Based on MapRun, there will be no physical control kites, but all controls will be on street or park furniture, or other identifiable features. Line courses, but with a time penalty for incorrect or missed controls.
Points will be awarded based on final score adjusted using an age/gender handicap system. Best 6 results from the 8-event series will count for the league leaderboard. Anytime catch-up for some events available for 2 weeks after the event, subject to an Anytime time penalty, on MapRun. Bonus points for running on the night compared to Anytime. Full results will be emailed via RaceSignUp and published on the SOS and HAVOC websites.
Location Info
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Near: Danbury Lat,Lng: 51.7165,0.5829 Postcode: CM3 4QL
Open an interactive map in:
GoogleMap -
OpenStreetMap -
BingMap (OS 50k)
Directions / Parking
The event starts and finishes from The Bakers Arms, Main Road, Danbury, CM3 4QH.
The start and finish control will be close to the pub.
There is a small amount of parking at the pub, otherwise park near Eve’s Corner at the green, or perhaps in Hopping Jacks Lane.
Map / Terrain
Open Orienteering Map 1:10000 printed on waterproof paper.
Controls will mostly be fire hydrants; some will be home made signs, or other pieces of street furniture. If MapRun fails, you need to record the lower number on fire hydrants, or otherwise as indicated.
The courses are on roads, pavements, footpaths and woodland. TAKE CARE for roots in the woods, and running on small roads with no pavements.
Course Information
Short course: 3.7 km - 8 controls
Long Course: 5.8 km - 12 controls
Courses are measured as direct distances between controls. You will run further.
Depending on your route choice, you may pass controls en-route to your destination, however, you must still visit all of the controls in the correct order. Each missed or incorrect control will incur a 5 minutes penalty.
It is useful to download the course you need before you arrive, download the course onto the MapRun app by clicking on ‘Select Event' in the app, and following the menu path UK > Essex > Danbury26.
The courses are:
Danbury May26 Long
Danbury May26 Short
The course map will not be visible on your phone until you receive the PIN at Registration on the night. You do not need the PIN to run using a Garmin watch.
Your result will be automatically downloaded when you finish. The full procedure will be explained at Registration. If the app fails to register your visit to a control, you need to note the lower number on the H sign, or lamp post number. If a control is missed then the software will show your result as Mispunch, but in the results we will add the usual penalty for a missed or incorrect control.
If you are unable to use MapRun, you are still welcome to take part by completing the control sheet with pen or pencil but be aware that this is a much slower method, and your score will be non-competitive. With this approach, timing will be manually by a traditional clock, and written answers will be checked by the planner.
Entry Details
Enter this event via Racesignup or enter the series via the Golden Ticket.
£4 Seniors, £5 unaffiliated runners, £2 under 21 or students.
For late entries email series coordinator.
Registration and Start times
Start times will be between 6.30pm and 7.30pm.
Please ensure you notify the organiser that you have finished, so that safety checks can be completed.
Competitors must report to the finish by 8.45pm.
Facilities
Toilets available in the pub for customers.
Newcomers welcome. Help and guidance available.
Why not stay behind at the end for a drink afterwards and discuss your course and route choice.
Food is available in the pub until 8pm, it would be helpful if you could place your order BEFORE you run in order to assist the kitchen with managing the orders.
Nearest A&E Hospital
Broomfield Hospital, Chelmsford, CM1 7ET
NHS Urgent care search
Safety Notes
Participation is at your own risk. Under 16’s must be accompanied by an adult.
Bring clothing and footwear appropriate for the weather conditions. High visibility clothing is strongly recommended.
Some paths may be uneven, paving slabs may be broken and surfaces may be slippery, there will be roots and low hanging branches in the woods. Some routes may take you on small roads with no pavements – TAKE CARE!
As with any street orienteering you are required to cross roads and you are asked to take due care and attention at all times.
There may be dog walkers, cyclists or residents on pavements and footpaths – be aware and give them priority.
A comprehensive risk assessment will have been carried out by the organiser, but participants take part at their own risk and are responsible for their own safety during the event.
Miscellaneous
You are welcome to run together as a group, but in order to be fair we ask that you keep together, as when running as a group the least advantageous handicap is applied.
On-the-night bonus of 15 points per event for those running on the night, as opposed to MapRun Anytime catchup.
100 points will be allocated to the course organiser/planner for each event planned.
Please note: Participants who are not members of British Orienteering are not covered by British Orienteering’s public liability insurance. By entering this event, you acknowledge that you are taking part at your own risk. For example, if you were to accidentally injure a member of the public or damage property during the event, you would not be covered.