Mass start: 10:00 a.m.
Saturday, September 23, 2023
Gateway Park, Fort Worth
We’re kicking off the 2023-24 season with a Score-O at Gateway Park in Fort Worth to celebrate National Orienteering Week. Gateway Park straddles the West Fork of the Trinity River just three miles east of downtown Cowtown. The northwest side of the park has lots of shaded bike and hike trails, ball fields and open areas. The southeast side is mostly undeveloped and has some surprisingly wild and challenging terrain.
The Score-O format lets you collect whichever control points you choose in any order you want. There’s no preset course to follow and therefore no penalty for missed points, just credit for those you find. But watch your time. Overtime penalties can pile up fast! No e-punch rental needed for this event.
General Info
Event Officials
Meet Director: Scott Morris | Meet Director notes (PDF)
Course Setter: Sheila Doyle | Course Setter notes (PDF)
Assisting School: TBD! Interested? Email Stan Darnell.
Courses: Score-O format with two options
Short: 90-minute time limit
Long: 3-hour time limit
Classes: The following (female and male divisions) are eligible for awards:
Short: Age 13 and under, age 14-16, age 17+
Long: Age 18 and under, age 19-44, age 45
Scoring: Manual punchcards will be used to score both courses. (In other words, no e-punch.)
Schedule
Please be sure to check this website, the NTOA Facebook Page or Group for last-minute schedule changes. We hold events rain or shine.
Did someone say RAFFLE?
Yes! We’ll give away fun stuff at a National Orienteering Week celebratory raffle — half the prizes at the Short course awards, and the rest at the Long course awards.
| Time | Description |
|---|---|
| 8:30-9:45am | Registration open |
| 9:00am | Boy Scout Merit Badge Clinic |
| 9:20am | Beginners Clinic |
| 9:45am | Pre-race briefing for everyone |
| 10:00am | MASS START! Woohoo! |
| 11:30am | Finish time for Short (90-minute) course runners |
| 11:30am-Noonish | Short course card scoring |
| Noonish | Short course awards |
| 1:00pm | Finish time for Long (3-hour) course runners |
| 1:00-1:30pm or so | Long course card scoring |
| 1:30pm | Long course awards |
| 1:45-3:30pm | Bag pick-up — stick around and get some practice while helping us clean up! |
Event Fees
Individuals (1 person navigating on their own):
Only individuals can officially compete (awards for top 3 in each class) at NTOA events. But even if you’re doing it on your own just for recreation, please sign up as a (competitive) individual. Members and youth (aka, Juniors, age 19 and under) pay reduced event fees. (So join, and save some bucks!)
| Competitor Type | Fees |
|---|---|
| Adults: NTOA members (and other O clubs) | $12 ($3 National Orienteering Week Discount) |
| Adults: Non-members | $20 (Join today and get discount!) |
| Juniors/Youth (Age 19 and under) | $8 ($2 National Orienteering Week Discount) |
Recreational Teams (2 or more people navigating together):
Orienteering is a great family activity! Teams aren’t eligible for awards, but have just as much fun. Base fee of $17 covers the first 2 team members and 2 maps. Add people for $5 each. Kids under age 8 are free (after first 2 team members paid).
| Recreational Teams | Fees |
|---|---|
| First two team members | $17 |
| Each additional team member (age 8+) | $5 |
Registration
We use the pre-registration numbers to determine how many pre-printed maps to produce for each event. Pre-registration is FREE and opens about 2 weeks before each event. so please take a moment to do it. Thanks!
Questions about registration? Contact the NTOA Registrar. For questions on other event matters, contact the Meet Director (listed above).
Instructions: Select one of the options below to register yourself, the students of your school group, or your fun recreational team. Clicking on one of the buttons will take you to our separate NTOA Registration website.
Note: If you don’t belong to a club/school or yours isn’t listed on the Registration site, please choose Other, Other O Club or Other School. Thanks!