Joaquin Miller, Oakland
November 3, 1998

Special Bay Area Backroads Orienteering Event

October 21st Update

EVENT: Joaquin Miller Motala and filming by Bay Area Backroads TV program

LOCATION: Joaquin Miller Park in Oakland

DATE: Tuesday, November 3, 1998, 10:00 AM -2:00 PM

MAP 1:7,500 enlargement, 20 ft. contours, all courses pre-marked. The usual caveat applies regarding the quality of the map. It is out of date making it inaccurate and inconsistent with respect to paths and vegetation in particular. Important corrections will be made.

TERRAIN: A beautiful place to orienteer. Undulating redwood forest, generally very runnable but with patches of undergrowth. Poison oak is present in places.

COURSES:

MOTALA, JMP STYLE: The Motala format comes to us from a town in Sweden by that name. It usually consists of a series of short loops with map exchanges, a mass start, and each runner running all loops but in different orders. The JMP format is refined somewhat to provide staggered starts with matched groups of three starting together at four minute intervals. The top 9-15 will be seeded and pre assigned start times. The fastest threesome will start at about 10:15. It is hoped this will provide interesting match-ups and the competition can be followed by the observers. Progress will be posted on a large leader board. Seedings and start times will be posted next week. Unseeded runners can form their own threesomes or simply fill vacant start slots on the day.

While geared as a TV demonstration with a super short course and special format, I am treating this event as a genuine O meet, not just a staging for the cameras. You should expect good courses and fair competition as the map and familiarity of the area allow. At least look forward to a good training session. Advanced runners are welcome to run Yellow as a second course. Some good route choices.

WHITE, YELLOW AND START-O: The White and Yellow courses will be repeats from the Line-O event last June. There will also be a start-O for the kids on a new map prepared by Evan Custer.

TO GET THERE: If you attended this year's line-O you know the exact location. From Highway 13, the Warren Freeway, head East up Joaquin Miller Road. After about 1.5 miles, turn left on Skyline Drive. After about 1 mile, note the entrance to Roberts Recreation Area. Continue another 200 meters on Skyline and park either side of the road. Follow the streamers on the west side of the road for about 100m to the assembly/start/finish area.

Link to Map

http://maps.yahoo.com/py/maps.py?Pyt=Tmap&addr=10261+Skyline+Drive&csz=Oakland%2C+CA&Get+Map=Get+Map

TO SIGN UP OR HELP: To enter, I must have your name by Saturday, Oct. 31. Pay at the meet. E-mail Evan with a copy to me or call Evan. To help with a particular task, contact the appropriate person or Evan.

PERSONNEL:

Any questions, drop me and e-mail.

-Joe, joedscarcrl.com

Earlier announcement

The Bay Area Backroads television show will be filming a special orienteering event on Tuesday, November 3rd. There will be a start-O’, white, and yellow courses for kids and beginners, and a 4 loop motala for the intermediate and advanced orienteers. The motala format will allow optimal spectator viewing and television coverage. The event will take place in the permanent course area in the redwoods in Joaquin Miller Park.

Start times and fees will be the same as for a standard BAOC event. Registration will begin at 9:00 a.m., beginner's clinics at 9:30 a.m., and start times for the courses and filming will begin around 10:00 a.m. Since the motala maps will be pre-marked, please let Joe Scarborough (510-530-3059) or Evan Custer (925-254-5628) know if you are planning on attending. For more late breaking information, call the BAOC hotline at 408-255-8018, or come back and visit this Web page.

Terrain and Map- The same old JMP permanent course area, really nice and photogenic, and very familiar. The map for the advanced course, and maybe the others, will be premarked.

Courses- The Advanced runners will have a Motala, one-man relay, with three loops. The course is also suitable for accomplished Orange runners. Total distance will be about 2-3 km. Top runners will be seeded into matched groups of three, starting together and presumably head to head at the changeovers. The loops are being refined to be the same running time, but not necssarily the same difficulty.....interesting. White and Yellow courses are planned as well.

So far, about 24+ will be attending. If you plan to come and have not given your name to Scott, Evan or me, send Evan a message. If you would like to help with the courses, contact me. If you can help with the registration, start, finish, results, etc., contact Evan.

Ideas on the format or how our sport can be presented for television would be appreciated.

-Joe


Back to 1998 Schedule