Gunston Hall

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April 17
Sunday

Gunston HallInaugural Event Welcome to QOC's first-ever event at Gunston Hall, the home of the father of our Bill of Rights, George Mason. QOC member Tom Strat has mapped the property for the first time over the past year and also designed a full slate of courses for this event. The terrain includes forest of varying density, open fields, historic structures, and bluffs along the Potomac shore east of Lorton, VA. Event timing is standard: register any time between 10:45 - 1:15, start any time between 11 - 1:30, and be back before 3pm.

The entrance to Gunston Hall (see directions below; overview map here) is about 600 meters beyond the Pohick Bay Regional Park entrance on Gunston Road. Please drive with particular caution as you enter Gunston Hall. The first 300 meters of the entrance road is curvy and hemmed in by vegetation reducing the visibility of oncoming vehicles. Parking will be in the lot adjacent to the visitors center. The parking lot and the registration site right across the entrance road from it will be easily discernible as you drive in. Rest rooms will be available inside the visitors center and also in a separate outbuilding adjacent to the mansion itself.

Guided Tour Included: At registration QOC will collect a $5 surcharge in addition to the regular meet fees. This surcharge covers Gunston Hall grounds fees for each participant, and it entitles participants to take one of the guided tours of the Hall offered during the day at no additional cost. Tours will be available on the hour and half hour starting at 10am, with the last tour at 4:30pm; just present your course map (before or after your run) at the front desk inside the visitors center to sign up (max tour group size ~20). To learn more about Gunston Hall, the home of the principal designer of the Bill of Rights, George Mason, visit the Gunston Hall website.

Any youth or large groups attending, please contact the Event Director so that we can coordinate pre-registration for your group; the group registration and waiver form is part of the information on our Group Leaders page.

Additional notes:

  • Dogs are allowed, but must be on a leash at all times.
  • Spikes are not allowed in the Visitor Center.
  • Please respect the out-of-bounds areas shown on your course map.

zpizzaquiznos Special Post-Race Meetup Discount Good at Two Adjacent Eateries! zPizza and Quiznos are hosting our Gunston Hall event post-race meetup. At either location just show them your map and get 15% off your order. zPizza honors your appetite with food from their delicious artisan menu made from better-for-you ingredients satisfying healthy appetites & healthy lifestyles. Quiznos is the place to go for offering flavorful chef-inspired menu items, including sub sandwiches, grilled flatbreads, soups, salads and wraps. As you leave Mason Neck State Park, both are located less than a mile from the intersection of Route 1 and Gunston Road in the Lorton Station Marketplace. zPizza is at 9451 Lorton Market Street, and Quiznos is at 9433 Lorton Market Street, on Google maps (here) just east of the I-95/Lorton exit 163.


Location

Gunston Hall, Main parking area, Lorton, VA (Classic)

RegistrationNo advance registration required. Just show up and have fun!
Start TimesRegister any time between 10:45 - 1:15, start any time between 11 - 1:30, and be back before 3pm.
ScheduleSunday, April 17
11:00 am - 3:00 pmClassic:
Volunteers
Event Director:Charles Carrick
Course Designer:Tom Strat
Location Details

Classic
Gunston Hall
Main parking area
Lorton, VA
Google Map

From southbound I-95, take exit 163 (Lorton). Go left ontoLorton Rd at the end of exit ramp. Go under the 2nd overpass and turn right onto Lorton Market St (Z-pizza is in the shopping center on the left), then go about 1.5 miles to the traffic light at Route 1. Go straight through light (the road name changes to Gunston Rd) and go about 4 miles to the entrance to Gunston Hall on left (identified with orienteering sign; overview map here.)
Course DetailsClassic
Course NameLength (km)Climb (m)No. Controls
White 1.6510
Yellow 2.54513
Orange 3.78517
Brown 3.78511
Green 5.313014
Red 7.117520
Blue 8.120025
Course NotesClassic

The northern part of the map features steep ridge and gully terrain reminiscent of Pohick Bay Regional Park. The southern half is reminiscent of the flatter terrain of Mason Neck State Park.

The contour interval is 2.5 meters.

The following minimum sizes were used in deciding what to map:
Knolls > 0.5m
Boulders > 0.5m
Pits deeper than 0.5m
Rootstocks taller than 1 meter
Small electrical boxes and signs are not mapped.

Black X represents benches, junk, and other man-made objects.

Vegetation is extremely thick in places as indicated by various shades of green.
Some thorny areas exist, especially in the darker shades of green. Large areas of fallen trees are mapped as shades of green according to their passability.

Out of bounds areas are shown on the map with purple vertical stripes. Orienteers are forbidden to enter these areas. Orienteers are also forbidden to enter any landscaped areas.

Use caution when crossing the park entrance road.

Entry FeesIndividual Entries

Note: juniors = under 21

Club Member, adult Club Member, junior Non-Member, adult Non-Member, junior
Epunch Owner $5 $5 $10 $5
Epunch Borrower $10 $5 $15 $10

Team or Group Entries

Participants are welcome to compete together as a single team entry. Teams containing one or more nonmembers are charged the nonmember individual rate. Teams containing one or more adults are charged the adult individual rate. For teams to receive member or junior rates, all members of the team must be members or juniors, respectively. Each extra team map beyond the first is an additional $2. Individuals or teams desiring to compete on a second course can do so for a reduced fee of $2/map.

Important Notes
  • There will be an additional $5 per individual participant to cover Gunston Hall grounds fees.
  • At the event, we can only accept payment in cash or check; online, you may use a credit card or PayPal account.
  • If you have access to a smartphone, you may become a member at the event by joining online via this webpage (which also explains the member benefits). Membership is completely optional. If you wish to join or renew, we strongly recommend joining (or renewing) online before the event rather than at it to save time and because it's easier.
  • Most of our events use an 'epunch' timing chip for electronic timing. Individuals or groups without their own epunch pay a higher entry fee (see above), which includes the loan of an epunch for that event. Loaned epunches that are lost incur a $40 replacement fee. Epunches (also known as SI-cards or finger sticks) are usually available for sale at each event as described here.
  • Former QOC members who have let their membership lapse pay non-member fees.
  • Compasses are available at no charge, but if lost incur a $15 replacement fee.
  • Please provide collateral (driver's license or car keys) when borrowing a compass or epunch.
  • For additional safety, whistles are available for sale at $1/each.
  • Free beginner instruction is always available - just ask at the registration table.