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2009 BAOC Sprint Series Finale

Merritt College

Date: (Sat.) Oct. 31, 2009
Location: Oakland, CA
Event Directors: - 510.681.6181, - 510.779.8808
Course Setters: Jim Fish, Vicki Woolworth
Type: C; Tune up your game for the upcoming N.A. Sprint Champs in November

Halloween-O and Social

Piedmont and Crocker Highlands

Date: (Sat.) Oct. 31, 2009
Location: Oakland, CA
Event Directors: - 510.681.6181, - 510.779.8808
Course Setters: Rex Winterbottom, Steve Gregg
Type: C; Walk/Run on the Indian Gulch map while enjoying the sights!

Please note that fees and time limits apply, unless otherwise mentioned below. Events are typically not canceled due to bad weather.


Note that there is a special $10 package deal for adults, $3 for juniors, for both of these Oakland hills venues and events on Halloween. A Saturday this year!

Saturday Schedule

Here is the schedule for the two events on Saturday, October 31:

  2:00 – Merritt College starts and registration open
  5:00 – Last start at Merritt College
  5:30 – Courses close at Merritt College
  6:30 – Registration open at Rolling Dunes
  6:55 – Mass start people: walk across the street
  7:00 – Mass start across the street from Rolling Dunes
10:00 – Rolling Dunes closes

Merritt College Sprints

We've had a few sprints this year, but not as many as last year, so instead of five races, the series will depend on your best four races... and Merritt College is the last sprint of the BAOC season! One more chance to get a high score. Jim Fish is doing the sprint course for adults and older juniors, and Vicki Woolworth is providing the White course sprint for the younger juniors. Merritt has nice, intricate campus terrain, and a 1:5000 sprint-style map with 25 foot contours. We'll offer starts from 2:00 to 5:00 PM.

Request for Help

We still need helpers for Merritt—starts, finishes, registration, etc.

Thanks to Jim and Vicki for setting courses on short notice! Jim had already done his work for Knowland Park, too, which had to be postponed until March. That would have been the last sprint of the season, so it's nice we can get a replacement venue for it, thanks to Kirea at Merritt College.

Sprint Series Awards

The sprint series certificates will be presented at the Willow Glen Christmas event on December 20. The divisions will be as last year's, with the addition of a "young junior" award. So the others are 0-40, 40+, 50+, and 60+ in both genders. We will send out the current standings calculated as "best of 3" with your 4th highest score listed separately, and then the "best of 4." In some divisions, I think it will look like someone is a lock to win, but come out anyway, enjoy the course, and finish the season in style. Thanks to Shura Kretchetov for not only maintaining the sprint series scores, but also for calculating club rankings for the past several years!

Halloween Score-O

Then get down to Rolling Dunes restaurant (3331 Lakeshore Ave, Oakland), and sign up for the mass-start, fun Halloween-O on the hilly, curvy streets of Piedmont and Crocker Highlands. Secret staircase shortcuts abound on the 1:10000 version of the map we'll be using. The decorations are out, and I will select the very best as control points. A new twist this year: bring your digital camera (or mobile phone with a camera), and take a picture of each control (which is a house). On the map, the course will be laid out as a Score-O format, and each control will be labeled with the first 3 digits of the house number, so you can precisely know which house it is (in case there are a few good ones in the control circle). Take a picture of the house's decorations, and move on to the next. Expect a maximum course length of about 8 km. This event is always a good time, and it's finally on a Saturday for the South Bay crowd! Just be on time for the 7:00 PM mass start: that means be registered by 6:55, when we cross the street to get ready for the mass start.

If you wish to do the course without a digital camera, you may do so! Results will be unofficial for non-camera wielding participants.

There will be no time limit on the Halloween Score-O. Scoring will be "Western Massachusetts style", if you care. Depends on how many points you collect, and then what your time is. It's all for fun anyway—will be pretty packed in the streets!

Mass start is at 7:00; be registered by 6:55.

Halloween Social

After returning from the Halloween course, it's time for the social at Rolling Dunes. If you like, come in costume or change into one. No, O-suits don't count as costumes! :) We'll enjoy each other's company, and Rolling Dunes will allow you to purchase some wholesome meals, such as pasta, crepes, and sandwiches. They have good desserts and beer on tap and wine as well.

Cheers,
Rex


Directions for Merritt College

Take CA Highway 24 to CA Highway 13 south towards Hayward. Exit CA Highway 13 at Redwood Rd / Carson St. Turn left onto Redwood Rd, and follow it up the hill a bit more than 1/2 mile to Campus Dr. You should see signs for Merritt College. Turn right onto Campus Dr, and head up about 1/2 mile to Merritt College.

Alternatively, you can take Highway 13 north from Interstate 580 and exit at Carson St, following the freeway frontage road (Mountain Blvd) up the hill, and turning right onto Redwood Rd.

Or if coming from downtown Oakland on Interstate 580, exit at 35th Ave, turn left, cross MacArthur, and drive up the hill across Highway 13 where 35th Ave becomes Redwood Rd.

Coming from Interstate 880 is not recommended, but High St is the exit, and you have to jog over to 35th Ave by making a left at MacArthur and then turning right onto 35th Ave.

To make your own directions, the address is 12500 Campus Dr, Oakland, 94619.

Merritt College Parking

Parking is free along Campus Drive, which is close to the bus stop, which has signage to get you to registration in the center of campus. It's not very easy to park any closer than that, actually. But if somehow there's not a space available along Campus Drive, the campus lots cost $1 to park, and they technically are supposed to be monitored on Sunday.

Merritt College Public Transit

The AC Transit 54 bus drops you off very close to the registration area, and there will be signs and streamers from the bus stop. On Sundays it runs from the Fruitvale BART station every half hour and takes 20 minutes to get there. If you take another AC Transit line, such as the NL from San Francisco, or the 57 and transfer at 35th Ave and MacArthur, then it's only about a 10 minute ride. http://actransit.org (http://actransit.org)

Driving Directions for Rolling Dunes

From Interstate 580, take the Grand Ave exit coming from either direction. At the light, go straight through to the next light, which will be Lakeshore Ave. Turn left onto Lakeshore. There is a traffic light at a pedestrian crossing. Start to look for parking, because Rolling Dunes restaurant is only a few doors down on the left at 3331 Lakeshore Ave.

Public Transit for Rolling Dunes

From San Francisco's Transbay Terminal, you can take the AC Transit NL bus. When it turns right off of Grand Ave, by the Interstate 580 Freeway overpass, get off at the next stop, and walk following the bus to Lakeshore Ave. Turn left, walk under the freeway, and follow Lakeshore for about a block, where you will find Rolling Dunes restaurant on the left at 3331 Lakeshore Ave.

From 19th St BART in Oakland, catch the same AC Transit NL bus, and follow the directions above. Also, you can take the AC Transit 57 line locally, and follow similar directions. If you're coming from the east on the 57 bus, use the Lakeshore stop, and walk backwards to Lakeshore, and turn left to look for the Rolling Dunes restaurant at 3331 Lakeshore Ave.