ColchesterWed 8 Jul
Highwoods Lake
Photographer:
Lisa Oldman
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
Another warm evening amidst our third heat wave this summer was not enough to deter our hardy enthusiastic orienteers from taking on this part urban, and part country park through Highwoods in North Colchester, and some traveling quite a distance, welcoming visitors from Scotland and France. In fact we had 42 entries on the night, 18 on the Short course and 24 on the Long course. The outdoor area at The Bricklayers Arms provided a convivial environment for post event refreshment and route analysis.
Most people recorded a faultless run including a few new to orienteering, and in most cases the controls appeared to be where indicated on the maps! So well done to all.
On the Long course Alan Smalls and Dean Pepper recorded fast times, Alan winning by just 9 seconds. On the Short course an exceptional run from John Allen gave him the honours followed by Colin Jackson, Colin Matheson (Forth Valley Orienteers) and Sarah Mansel. Local knowledge may have been a factor in some cases!
With one more event to come in the series things are hotting up in the leagues. On the Long course Jackie Sibthorp sits in pole position but could still be caught by Keith Bennett. On the Short League it seems to be going down to the wire between Chris Childs and Colin Jackson while Veronica and Alan Sibthorp are battling it out for third place.
So our last event is at Dagnam Park on 22nd July. Full details on HAVOC's website.
Hope to see you then.
Chris & Tim
Anytime Catchup
Missed the event? You can still run the course on Maprun catch up until 22nd July to score for the league. Follow the link below for the PDF maps.
https://www.stragglers.info/anytime/colchester-north-2026
Overview
Event 7 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: Colchester Lat,Lng: 51.902,0.8943 Postcode: CO4 5AA
Open an interactive map in:
GoogleMap -
OpenStreetMap -
BingMap (OS 50k)
Directions / Parking
The event starts and finishes from The Bricklayers Arms, 27 Bergholt Road, Colchester, CO4 5AA.
Parking available at the pub accessed from Mile End Road. You MUST enter your registration number at the bar or risk a parking fine.
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 course may be on roads, footpaths and parkland.
Course Information
Short course: 7 km - 19 controls
Long Course: 3.5 km - 11 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 > Colchester.
The courses are:
Coolchester North 2026 Long
Colchester North 2026 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 9pm.
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 until 8.30 pm, but is best ordered before your run.
Nearest A&E Hospital
Colchester Hospital, Turner Road, CO4 5JL
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 are uneven and may be slippery. In Highwoods Country Park there are additional trip hazards and overhanging branches. TAKE CARE!
As with any urban orienteering which requires participants to cross roads, you are asked to take due care and pay attention at all times. There is a compulsory crossing over the busy main road between controls 3 and 4 and for safety reasons the finish is at pedestrian lights before crossing the same road to return to the pub.
There may be dog walkers, cyclists, scooters 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.