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St Mary's College

Event #2 of 7 in the BAOC 2025 Summer Series

Date: (Sun.) Jun. 22, 2025
Location: Moraga, CA
Event Director: - 925.516.7622
Course Setter: François Léonard
Type: C; This is the second event of the 2025 Summer Series. Everyone is welcome, including beginners and non-members, with free beginner instruction to explain orienteering. Participation in other Summer Series events is not required.

Related Event Information

Event Results Volunteer Sign-up Form (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1smWzW41oKCCo1yjVLeUznGpJXrTi7r-IHkBX8tp3Edw/edit?usp=sharing) Course Setter's Notes 2025 Summer Series Summer Series Discount Package Attackpoint Event Page (http://www.attackpoint.org/eventdetail.jsp/event_59484) 2021 St. Mary's College Event

Please note that fees and time limits apply. Events are typically not canceled due to bad weather.


Thanks to much effort by Marie-Josée Parayre and François Léonard, we have finally been able to establish a location for this event! Thus, we are able to return once again to the campus of St. Mary's College, the site of a rain-drenched National Ranking Event (NRE) in October 2021. Instead of rain, we expect a sunny, clear day.

This will be the second event in the BAOC 2025 Summer Series. The 2025 Summer Series is described here. Note that there is a Discount Package for the five Bay Area events, but it is available only to BAOC members. (The Discount Package plus BAOC membership is less expensive than the non-member entry fees for four individual events.)

Note: While this is the second of seven events in the 2025 Summer Series, we want to emphasize that everyone is welcome to come out and do one (or more) of the courses, regardless of whether or not you plan to attend the following Summer Series events. Beginners new to orienteering are welcome, and the navigational difficulty is significantly eased by the semi-urban setting, so anyone should be able to complete the Beginner course.

If you want to save some time at the event, you can register online in advance here (https://eventreg.orienteeringusa.org/eventregister/a40/register/start/2025ss2stmarys). More information about (optional) online registration is below. (Note that online registration will close Saturday, June 21st, at 6:00 PM.)

As usual, we need volunteers to make this event run smoothly, as described below.

What is Orienteering?

An adventure! Discover the outdoors and discover yourself! Teams of 1 to 5 find checkpoints in wilderness venues or urban areas using specially-produced maps.

Beginners

Beginner Clinics will be available to introduce orienteering. They are short, repeating sessions that explain orienteering maps and the process for completing a course. Of course, it's up to the participants to be able to read their map and navigate to the controls on their course. That should not be too difficult at this feature-rich venue.

Out-of-Bounds Areas

Please respect all the out-of-bounds areas indicated on the map. Our permit requires that we not enter these areas.

Two map symbols are used to designate out-of-bounds areas:

Note: In addition to the out-of-bounds areas, the Sprint rules that will be in effect include features that are not allowed to be crossed (i.e., even if it's physically possible to cross). The Course Setter's Notes discuss this.

Schedule

The following standard BAOC event schedule will be followed:

   9:00 AM – 11:59 AM: Registration is open
   9:30 AM – 11:30 AM: Beginner instruction is available (free)
  10:00 AM – 12:30 PM: Starts are open for all the courses
                    2:00 PM: Everyone must have returned to the Finish
Note: Participants under age 18 who register at the event must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian, or bring with them a waiver signed by their parent or legal guardian. (The Summer Series event registration form is available here (14KB PDF).)

Note that you can register and start on the courses anytime during the open times above. Thus, for example, you do not need to be "punctual" at 9:00. (You can if you want, but please don't show up earlier and expect to be served.)

Beginner instruction is 15–20 minute, repeating sessions ("clinics") that introduce the sport of orienteering, and provide enough instruction to be able to complete the Beginner course.

Note: Beginners are given their course maps at registration. You should get your map before joining a beginner clinic.

Everyone must return to the Finish by 2:00 PM, and then promptly go to the download tent, even if they have not completed their course. Please do not leave without checking in! If there are unaccounted people after 2:00, we must initiate a search for them.

Costs & Registration

Notes:
There is a special Summer Series Discount Package for BAOC members as there was last year. The details are here. If you have registered for the Summer Series Discount Package, you will not need to register for this event. (In particular, note that the next registration deadline for the Discount Package will be 6:00 PM the day before this event.)
For those not using the Summer Series Discount Package, optional online registration (and payment) is available before the event as described below. You can also register at the event.

The following fees apply for this event:

  $3 for each junior on the Beginner course
  $8 for each adult on the Beginner course
  $5 for each junior on the Short or Long course  
$15 for each adult member on the Short or Long course
$20 for each adult non-member on the Short or Long course
  $1 for a compass rental (optional)  
  $5 for an electronic fingerstick rental (if you don't own one; each group will need one to complete their course)
$15 for the lowest-cost individual one-year BAOC membership (optional)  
Notes:
  • You can register at the event or online before the event (see below).
  • At the event, we can accept payment by cash, check, or credit/debit card (but no electronic payments — e.g., PayPal, Venmo).
  • Juniors are age 8 through 20 (under age 8 is free).
  • The fees above do not apply to a second course, but you must end up paying for the more expensive course (e.g., the Short or Long course after the Beginner course).
  • Members of other orienteering clubs can pay the "member" fee. (We hope your club would do the same for our members. 🙂)

More information about event pricing is available in the club FAQ. All the prices are also shown on the Summer Series entry form (14KB PDF), which you can print and fill out in advance to save some time at the event. (You will need one entry form for each group of people going on a course together.)

Online Registration

Online registration has closed, but you can still register at the event.

Notes:
  • Online registration is not required​—​you can register at the event.
  • If you want to see who your competition will be, you can see who is registered for this event here (https://eventreg.orienteeringusa.org/eventregister/reglist/home/2025ss2stmarys), and you can see here (https://eventreg.orienteeringusa.org/eventregister/reglist/home/25sspackage) who has purchased the Summer Series Discount Package (but keep in mind that others will register at the event).

What to Bring

For the Beginner course, comfortable outdoors attire and shoes are fine.

For the Short and Long courses, we recommend wearing clothing suitable for mostly urban running, with lawn grass and a little bit of open forest here and there. Shorts should be okay, as should long pants; gaiters are unnecessary.

Shoes with metal studs are not allowed​—​rubber spikes/cleats are okay.

A compass is not necessary, but can be helpful. We have compasses available for a $1 rental fee.

We time the courses with the SPORTident system, so a SPORTident fingerstick is required for each team​—​they rent for $5. (Use of the "E-punch" system is easy. You can learn how at the event, or read about it here.)

There will be snacks for after your course(s), but you might want to bring a lunch to eat while you enjoy the views and comradery.

Note: We have not been able to determine if dogs are allowed on the campus. If you are thinking about bringing a dog, we suggest that you contact the college to see if it's okay.

Location on the Campus

The event will be at De La Salle Quad (which is item #80 at location F11–G11 on the campus map (410KB PDF)). The approximate coordinates are 37.8403,-122.1105. (See parking information below.)

Note that this is a different location than where we have been in the past (although you will park in the same lot as before).

Restrooms

Restrooms will be available near the assembly area.

Courses

As usual for the Summer Series events, we will have three courses, with the following preliminary details: 

    Course      Length    Climb  Controls
    Beginner    2.0 km   minimal    13  
    Short       3.4 km     10 m     16  
    Long        5.3 km     35 m     25

Everyone should be aware that the course lengths are along the "best routes" (in the Course Setter's opinion). The climb number represents the amount of ascending that would be done on the "optimum route" (again, in the Course Setter's opinion), without regard for any descending.
Keep in mind that you can earn Summer Series points from only the first course you run at the event, and only if it's one of the ranking courses. That is, you will not earn points if you run the Beginner course first and then one of the ranking courses.

The Beginner course is for beginners and young children. This is a great warmup if you're trying orienteering for the first time. You get to see the map before the start, and experience how everything works. If you want, you can do the Short or Long course as a second course.

Participants can choose either the Short or Long course to earn points for the respective Summer Series (see below). (Of course, you can ignore the Summer Series competition, and do this and other Summer Series events "for fun".)

The Start and Finish will be at the assembly area.

Be aware that "Sprint rules" will be in effect, which means features shown on the map as "uncrossable" must not be crossed, entered, or stepped on — even if you are physically able to do that. If you are not familiar with the special Sprint map symbols, be sure to ask somebody. A one-page presentation of the Sprint map symbols is available here (525KB PDF).

Be sure to read the eventual Course Setter's Notes for more information!

Map

The map scale is 1:4000. The contour interval is 2.5 meters.

Be sure to read the Course Setter's Notes for comments about the map and information about map exchanges and artificial barriers on the Short and Long courses!

Hazards

Always be aware of other campus users. (They are not hazards, but you might be a hazard to them if you don't pay attention.)

You might encounter car and bicycle traffic. So, please pay attention when crossing streets and parking lots.

2025 Summer Series

Points for the Summer Series will be awarded to all the individuals (not groups or teams) who complete either the Short or Long course as their first course of the day (i.e., not after the Beginner course). The results for the two courses will begin the standings in the two Summer Series competitions: Short and Long.

Details of the Summer Series scoring system are available here. (Note that we need your birth year if you want to be scored properly.)

Request for Volunteers

As usual, we need volunteers to make this event run smoothly. Here are the tasks for which we need volunteers (help with the highlighted tasks is particularly needed):

Note: If you want an easy volunteering job, you could help us by monitoring some of the artificial barriers after your run.

Please sign up on this form (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1smWzW41oKCCo1yjVLeUznGpJXrTi7r-IHkBX8tp3Edw/edit?usp=sharing) to indicate your preference for volunteer duties. Thank you very much for being willing to help!

Directions to the Event

St Mary's College is located at 1928 St Marys Rd, Moraga, CA 94575, which is several miles from highways 24 and I-680. Since you're an orienteer, you should be able to determine your route to get there.

After turning off St Marys Rd into the campus (at coordinates 37.8436,-122.1127), go straight ahead to the security kiosk, and then turn left to get to the Visitor parking lot on the left (see below).

From the parking lot, you will walk southwest along De La Salle Dr until you pass a large parking lot on your left (do not park in that lot). Then you will turn left and walk 100 m southeast to the large open area that is De La Salle Quad.

Parking

Parking will be in the main visitor parking lot (coordinates 37.8430,-122.1101).

Note that you will need to pay for parking — 50¢ per hour; $5.00 maximum.

You can pay by following the texting information on the panels in the parking lot (it takes a few minutes to set it up). There is a parking pay station at the entrance to the visitor parking lot (the approximate coordinates are 37.8428,-122.1101). (There might be others.) The parking pay stations accept only credit/debit cards — not cash.