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Sunday
Registration will open Monday Oct. 27 at 6pm and close Saturday, Nov. 1 at noon.
There will be no day-of registration.
Quantico Orienteering Club invites you to join us Sunday Nov. 2 at Lake Fairfax Park for a "spooky" Classic event and an optional "ghostly" Mountain Bike Orienteering (MTBO) event. The Classic event will offer six courses: White (beginner) through Red (advanced). MTBO will feature three courses: Short, Middle and Long. Be sure to look out for Halloween surprises at control points! Participants are highly encouraged to come dressed as your favorite O action hero or other costume! Trick-or-treaters of all ages in costume may get treats at the registration area.
Check-in for MTBO will open at 9:00am (not earlier). All MTBO starts will be between 9 – 10am. Check-in for classic/foot orienteering will open at 9:45am (not earlier), with courses opening at 10am. Please do not check in before 9:45 am for classic/foot orienteering, and do not check-in earlier than the time window of your registration.
Orienteers are encouraged to register for both events. While groups of up to 4 are allowed as usual on the classic/foot course, bike participants must register either solo or as groups of two (at most). Additional MTBO guidelines and rules will be posted before the event in the course notes section below. Check-in for both events will be at Shelter J, a short walk from the parking lot.
Everyone must be out of the woods and back to the registration/finish area by 3:00pm. Please allow yourself time to return to the check-in area and download, regardless of whether you have finished, so we know you have survived your adventure!
Beginners: Make sure to check out our Your First Event and Orienteering Techniques For Beginners webpages, and if they don't answer any question you have, just use our Contact Form and ask. Beginner instruction will be offered at the event.
Youth & Group Leaders: If you are leading a youth or large group, please visit our For Group Leaders webpage. Even though you will be pre-registering online, please contact the Event Director to let them know your plans and numbers.
Post Event Social: After the event, meet up at Not Your Average Joe's, located here in Reston, VA, just a 5-minute drive west of Lake Fairfax. Bring your map and get a free cookie with any purchase, courtesy of manager Travis!
Reminders:
- ALL participants must pre-register. There will be NO day-of, on-site registration. Refunds only in the case of event cancellation.
- There is NO water or food on the course or at registration; please come prepared.
- Bring appropriate clothing for weather conditions.
- Pets are allowed on the classic course (not on the MTBO course) if leashed at all times.
- Restrooms are available on site.
- Parking is located in the main parking lot.
| Location | Lake Fairfax Park, Large Shelter | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Registration | Advance registration will be required. The date and time that registration will open will be posted here; usually, registration will open at 6pm on the Monday before the event. |
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| Start Times | Start times will be by windows (to be defined for this event before registration opens). |
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| Schedule |
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| Volunteers |
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| Location Details |
Lake Fairfax Park, Large Shelter
Take Beltway Exit 47A (Route 7 or Leesburg Pike) west. Turn south (left) on Baron Cameron Drive. Proceed about 1/4 mile and make a left onto Lake Fairfax Drive. After entering the park, continue for about 1/3 of a mile, passing the Water Park, and, following QOC signage, turn left. Then, immediately after crossing Colvin Run, turn left and continue into the parking area for the Lake Fairfax Large Shelter.
WARNING: Map nav apps may indicate you can drive west to this Shelter from Hunter Mill Road; this is incorrect. You must drive South into the park from Baron Cameron Ave. |
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| Course Details |
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| Course Notes |
All Athletes
Orange & Advanced
MTBO Athletes
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| Entry Fees | Individual Entries Note: juniors = under 21
Group Entries Participants are welcome to orienteer together as a group (up to the maximum for that event; usually 4). Each member of a group is charged their individual rate as shown above, up to a group total of $30 (maximum), and each receives a map. A group receives one epunch. Individuals or groups desiring to compete on a second course after completing their first can do so for a reduced fee of $2/map subject to approval at the event by the Event Director. Important Notes
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Location
Registration
Advance registration will be required. The date and time that registration will open will be posted here; usually, registration will open at 6pm on the Monday before the event.
Start Times
Start times will be by windows (to be defined for this event before registration opens).
Schedule
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Sunday, November 2
10:00 am - 3:00 pm
Volunteers
- Event Director : Justin Green
- Event Director : Sharmagh Yepremian
- Course Designer : Mark Thomsen
Location Details
WARNING: Map nav apps may indicate you can drive west to this Shelter from Hunter Mill Road; this is incorrect. You must drive South into the park from Baron Cameron Ave.
Course Details
| Course Name | Length (km) | Climb (m) | No. Controls |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 1.6 | 50 | 5 |
| Yellow | 2.6 | 55 | 6 |
| Orange | 4.6 | 155 | 10 |
| Brown | 3.5 | 120 | 7 |
| Green | 5.1 | 150 | 9 |
| Red | 6.3 | 175 | 11 |
| Short | 3.4 | 65 | 7 |
| Middle | 5.4 | 135 | 13 |
| Long | 8.9 | 235 | 16 |
Course Notes
All Athletes
- The park is busy—watch for others and stay alert, especially near picnic areas and trails.
- The camping area is off-limits; please route around it.
- Avoid out-of-bounds areas, especially the recently restored creek
- Vegetation is not fully mapped, especially near creeks; finding controls may be harder
- Expect heavy hiker traffic around the lake
- In celebration of Halloween, a couple of controls will spook you!
Orange & Advanced
- The park has more vegetation than mapped. Some routes may encounter heavier than intended vegetation than originally planned—my apologies!
- All main traveling trails are marked, but you'll encounter some faint deer trails that aren't mapped. Learning when to use them and when to ignore them will be a key lesson at this park.
MTBO Athletes
- Using a map board changes the game. Map boards will be available for purchase at the park during our event. If you plan to attend every QOC MTBO meet, get a map board!
- You've got 3 options—Short, Middle, Long. Distances posted are not the expected travel distance; expect greater distances than published—between 3-5 miles different depending on route choice. For example, optimal route choice for the Short is 6 to 7 miles.
- Familiarize yourself with the trail types. Dark lines are fast, while dotted lines are slow. These designations should influence your route choice.
- This sport only works if you stay on the trails; no trail hopping. If you hop a trail, you'll be relegated to the adventure racing class! :)
- Lake Fairfax has a well-maintained flow trail network, especially on the west side of the park, shared with hikers and other cyclists. Expect non-MTBO athletes and bikers on the trails—sometimes moving quickly—so always stay alert and mindful of your surroundings. Although we've notified local bike shops about our event, use caution and avoid looking down at your map for long stretches to prevent accidents.
- Beware: while many trails are flowy, there are serious rock gardens and even rock drops—plot your route carefully, keep your head up, and dismount to walk through any technical sections if you're uncomfortable; it's never worth risking injury.
- Some flags have stands, others are mounted to trees. To assist, I've annotated which side of the trail the flag is on your queue sheet.
- Most, if not all, courses will have a shared challenge on the last control before the finish; which way will you go? Everyone can share their choice and times, regardless of course difficulty.
- Most of you will cross a creek, or two. Look carefully. Some options are better than others.
Entry Fees
Individual Entries
Note: juniors = under 21
| Club Member, adult | Club Member, junior | Non-Member, adult | Non-Member, junior |
|---|---|---|---|
| $10 | $5 | $20 | $5 |
Group Entries
Participants are welcome to orienteer together as a group (up to the maximum for that event; usually 4). Each member of a group is charged their individual rate as shown above, up to a group total of $30 (maximum), and each receives a map. A group receives one epunch. Individuals or groups desiring to compete on a second course after completing their first can do so for a reduced fee of $2/map subject to approval at the event by the Event Director.
Important Notes
- If you wish to become a QOC member you should join online in advance via this webpage (which also explains the member benefits). Membership is completely optional.
- Most of our events use an 'epunch' timing chip for electronic timing. Individuals or groups without their own epunch will be loaned one for that event. Loaned epunches that are lost incur a $40 replacement fee. Epunches (also known as SI-cards or finger sticks) can be purchased from online vendors 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 (such as car keys) when borrowing a compass or epunch.
- There is no planned, on-site beginner instruction, but beginners are encouraged to watch relevant videos such as this one created by QOC's instructional guru David Onkst
