Feb 12, 2012
Maple Lake—Palos North

Meet Director: Valentina Dubrovka Course Setter: Lenny Shatskin Schedule: 9:30 a.m. Registration opens 10 a.m. Start 11:30a.m. Courses close (Maximum time on course: 90 minutes) Cost: (per individual or team)   Event Day Registration Online Pre-Registration CAOC members $10 $7 non-member $15 $10 additional maps $3 rental compass $1 (We suggest a maximum of four people per group.)

View Maple Lake in a larger map

On-line registration is open until midnight, Thursday, Feb 9th.

Details:
We're planning to start from the parking lot south of the southwest corner of Maple Lake. Look for the orange and white orienteering signs to direct you to the start area. NOTE: We will not be using a picnic shelter. We're sorry for the inconvenience, but some of the forest preserve roads have not been plowed recently, so we aren't counting on having a shelter accessible on the day of the race. Consequently, we won't have hot chocolate or snacks available after the races -- feel free to bring your own. Please check back here a day or two before the meet in case there are any last minute changes

We'll have a beginner course (white), an intermediate course (orange), and a Madnaess course (advanced). Details on the Madnaess course follow:

Winter Madnaess

The Madnaess format is very different from traditional orienteering as the race is a mass start. The race is broken into three parts. The first is a set of common controls where the runners go head to head. They then enter the Madnaess box which features 7-8 controls. The intent of this box is to equalize the race for all levels of skill and as such each runner gets to skip a certain amount the controls based on their age and sex. Elite racers will have to cover all of them while younger or older runners will do less. Coming out of the box they then cover a number of common controls once again and if planned out properly most of the runners should finish very close to one another.

Racers will count total results to determine overall 2011 champions. For runners who are unable to get to all three of the races to count for the total, this is not an issue as each race is a seperate competition so if you can only make one then come out a try.

For beginners and kids we will have seperate novice courses so bring them out.

The competition will go ahead through rain or snow (sleet, hail, etc.—you get the picture).

The Winter Madnaess Rules

1. All events will have a mass start at 10:00 on the event day. You may start without penalty up to 20 minutes after the official start time. After that, your start time may be adjusted back to 20 minutes.
   
   
2. The time limit is 90 minutes--all controls will be picked up after this time.
   
   
3. At each event, every participant must sign an event waiver prior to the start, at registration time.
   
   
4. Pre-marked maps are guaranteed to all who pre-register.
   
   
5. Map cases may be purchased at pre-registration or on-site for $1.
   
   
6. To ensure competitiveness for all participants, each event will use a handicap system called The Madnaess Box. Using their creativity, course setters will attempt to choreograph that elusive mass finish.

The Madnaess Box

Each race will feature the infamous Madnaess Box, which consists of a set of controls labeled with letters (A,B,C, etc) somewhere on the course. Participants may attack the controls in the box in any order. Additionally, participants may drop controls equal to their handicap point total. Handicap points are awarded as follows:

Examples:

• A 46-year-old female may drop 4 controls in the box.
• A 19-year-old male may drop 1 control in the box.
• A 28-year-old male must visit all the controls in the box.

Directions:
Public Transportation:The hourly #379 bus from Midway airport serves this forest preserves now. The first bus leaves the Midway CTA station at the end of the Orange Line at 8:40 and travels south down LaGrange Road (Rt 45) about 45 minutes later. Get off the bus as it turns onto LaGrange Road at 107th Street, just after leaving Moraine Valley Community College (MVCC). You will be on the Country Lane map; Palos North is west of you down 107th Street, Willow Springs is north of Country Lane. On the return, ask someone in the parking lot to drop you at MVCC where return buses depart every hour all afternoon.

Driving: From the Stevenson Expwy (I-55) take LaGrange Road - South (Hwy 45) across the river and exit on Archer Avenue to the southwest. Continue for 3 miles and turn left onto 95th street. Turn right at the top of the hill onto Wolf Rd. Follow the orange-and-white orienteering signs to the start.