Variety of Events
The aim of MapRun is to provide a convenient tools for clubs to easily organise navigation events.
MapRun has a large range of settings to allow organisers to organise a wide variety of types of events.
This page describes some of the formats of events MapRun can support.
Participants typically have two main sources of information for an Event:
- a printed map, and
- the MapRun display (on the screen of their phone, or watch).
Organisers can provide the same, or different, information on the printed version of the map. MapRun can be configured to show the map and controls or not to display any information at all, or only show controls after visiting them. This allows for a variety of types of challenges to be set.
MapRun has a large range of settings to allow organisers to organise a wide variety of types of events.
This page describes some of the formats of events MapRun can support.
Participants typically have two main sources of information for an Event:
- a printed map, and
- the MapRun display (on the screen of their phone, or watch).
Organisers can provide the same, or different, information on the printed version of the map. MapRun can be configured to show the map and controls or not to display any information at all, or only show controls after visiting them. This allows for a variety of types of challenges to be set.
Main Varieties
MapRun events typically consist of:
- participants moving within a physical environment, using a map, to visit set locations
- the mode of movement can be walking, running, cycling, skiing, kayaking ...
- the aim is normally to rank participation by:
- the time taken to achieve a set challenge, or
- the number of points gained by visiting locations within a fixed time, or
- the number of points visited in total, across multiple occasions (eg like geo-caching)
- the ranking of results can be by gender and age-band.
Some of the more common event formats are:
"Classic" Line Course
- Participants need to visit a set of control locations in the defined sequence, with the fastest time being the winner
Start Anywhere
- This is typically a variant of a line course, where the participants need to do all of the legs of the line course in sequence, but they can start at any point on the line course. The challenge is the same for all participants and so results can be ranked by time.
- This format is sometimes also used for Score events (see more below)
Scatter
- Participants need to visit ALL, or a set number of, controls, with the fastest being the winner.
- One set of say 25 control locations could be set on the map and then a Short, Medium and Long challenge can be set by requiring 8, 15, 20 controls to be visited respectively.
Score/Rogaine
- Participants have a limited time to visit controls in a scatter format. Controls have points assigned and there is typically a penalty for over-running the time limit. Results are ranked by points (after deducting any penalty).
- A wide variety of scoring schemes is available, including a parameterised option.
- Rogaine events are typically run by groups, in which case, one MapRun device can be used by the group. Otherwise in a team format, multiple MapRun devices and results can be linked into a spreadsheet for "custom" scoring.
- Some Clubs also calculate an "efficiency" measure such as Points per Kilometre.
Hunt
- In this format, time is typically unlimited, participants don't need to visit the Start or Finish locations, and the challenge is to visit most of the control locations, summed over multiple "runs". This is somewhat like geocaching.
Hidden Controls (Photo, Clue, Puzzle, Radio Direction Finder)
- In some cases the location of controls is not shown, and participants are given photos, a clue sheet, or use radio direction finders, or some other challenge/clue to follow.
- MapRun has options to not show controls, or to only show controls after they have been visited.
- MapRun can also restrict the display of controls in results on the phone so that controls that have not been visited are not disclosed, allowing for subsequent "runs" to find other controls.
- As results display normally shows all controls, in such cases it is best to restrict the veiwing of tracks until on participation in the event has finished.
- the setting to restrict display of controls in results also applies to HITMO and GPS Track Upload (as these are other views that can show all controls).
Special Sequencing
- Generally during a "run", MapRun "punches" all controls that are visited, after the Start has been visited.
- There are some special sequencing options:
- ScoreB - where participants visit odd-numbered controls first and then even-numbered controls (or vice versa). This allows essentially two runs on a small map in one event.
- ScoreW - where special controls can only be visited in the first 10 minutes or last 10 minutes of the event duration. This adds to the mental challenge, and can also be associated with supervised physical challenges at the special controls. (ie 20 push-ups to get the points... Manually supervised)
Indoor
- MapRun supports punching with QR Codes or NFC tags, which allows for indoor events. (Or permanent courses where markers are already in place).
Trail Events
- MapRun supports displaying a recommended route on the screen of the phone. The recommended route in combination with a "line course" can be used to trail or fixed-course events (eg like ParkRun events).
Events over an Extended Period of Time
One of the big advantages of GPS-based punching is that it allows events to be left open for participation over a long period, and this means individual participants can "run" at any time that suits them.
Part of enabling this is the ability to:
- restrict visibility of the course until the competition (using a 4-digit PIN, which can have an expiry date),
- restrict participating to a specific time-window,
- restrict visibility of results and particularly tracks to a time-window, so later participants don't have the advantage of seeing other's tracks before they participate.
- restrict display of controls that haven't been visited in individual results (for multi-"run" events)
Examples
To see the variety of formats in use, browse through the results of events. The view of tracks for some events is locked with a PIN. Some formats to look for are (use the search by name-containing field):
- NightNav
- DawnNav
- Wicked Rogaine
- Find Your Way
- FindIt
- Hunt
MapRun events typically consist of:
- participants moving within a physical environment, using a map, to visit set locations
- the mode of movement can be walking, running, cycling, skiing, kayaking ...
- the aim is normally to rank participation by:
- the time taken to achieve a set challenge, or
- the number of points gained by visiting locations within a fixed time, or
- the number of points visited in total, across multiple occasions (eg like geo-caching)
- the ranking of results can be by gender and age-band.
Some of the more common event formats are:
"Classic" Line Course
- Participants need to visit a set of control locations in the defined sequence, with the fastest time being the winner
Start Anywhere
- This is typically a variant of a line course, where the participants need to do all of the legs of the line course in sequence, but they can start at any point on the line course. The challenge is the same for all participants and so results can be ranked by time.
- This format is sometimes also used for Score events (see more below)
Scatter
- Participants need to visit ALL, or a set number of, controls, with the fastest being the winner.
- One set of say 25 control locations could be set on the map and then a Short, Medium and Long challenge can be set by requiring 8, 15, 20 controls to be visited respectively.
Score/Rogaine
- Participants have a limited time to visit controls in a scatter format. Controls have points assigned and there is typically a penalty for over-running the time limit. Results are ranked by points (after deducting any penalty).
- A wide variety of scoring schemes is available, including a parameterised option.
- Rogaine events are typically run by groups, in which case, one MapRun device can be used by the group. Otherwise in a team format, multiple MapRun devices and results can be linked into a spreadsheet for "custom" scoring.
- Some Clubs also calculate an "efficiency" measure such as Points per Kilometre.
Hunt
- In this format, time is typically unlimited, participants don't need to visit the Start or Finish locations, and the challenge is to visit most of the control locations, summed over multiple "runs". This is somewhat like geocaching.
Hidden Controls (Photo, Clue, Puzzle, Radio Direction Finder)
- In some cases the location of controls is not shown, and participants are given photos, a clue sheet, or use radio direction finders, or some other challenge/clue to follow.
- MapRun has options to not show controls, or to only show controls after they have been visited.
- MapRun can also restrict the display of controls in results on the phone so that controls that have not been visited are not disclosed, allowing for subsequent "runs" to find other controls.
- As results display normally shows all controls, in such cases it is best to restrict the veiwing of tracks until on participation in the event has finished.
- the setting to restrict display of controls in results also applies to HITMO and GPS Track Upload (as these are other views that can show all controls).
Special Sequencing
- Generally during a "run", MapRun "punches" all controls that are visited, after the Start has been visited.
- There are some special sequencing options:
- ScoreB - where participants visit odd-numbered controls first and then even-numbered controls (or vice versa). This allows essentially two runs on a small map in one event.
- ScoreW - where special controls can only be visited in the first 10 minutes or last 10 minutes of the event duration. This adds to the mental challenge, and can also be associated with supervised physical challenges at the special controls. (ie 20 push-ups to get the points... Manually supervised)
Indoor
- MapRun supports punching with QR Codes or NFC tags, which allows for indoor events. (Or permanent courses where markers are already in place).
Trail Events
- MapRun supports displaying a recommended route on the screen of the phone. The recommended route in combination with a "line course" can be used to trail or fixed-course events (eg like ParkRun events).
Events over an Extended Period of Time
One of the big advantages of GPS-based punching is that it allows events to be left open for participation over a long period, and this means individual participants can "run" at any time that suits them.
Part of enabling this is the ability to:
- restrict visibility of the course until the competition (using a 4-digit PIN, which can have an expiry date),
- restrict participating to a specific time-window,
- restrict visibility of results and particularly tracks to a time-window, so later participants don't have the advantage of seeing other's tracks before they participate.
- restrict display of controls that haven't been visited in individual results (for multi-"run" events)
Examples
To see the variety of formats in use, browse through the results of events. The view of tracks for some events is locked with a PIN. Some formats to look for are (use the search by name-containing field):
- NightNav
- DawnNav
- Wicked Rogaine
- Find Your Way
- FindIt
- Hunt