Rosaryville

Pre-registration is required and closes Saturday Dec. 13 at 12 noon. There will be no day-of registration.

UPDATE AS OF SUN 7:30AM: This event has been CANCELLED.

Due to the combination of road conditions, particularly for those coming from DVOA and Baltimore, parking issues at the venue due to the snow, plus the forecast of high winds, we have decided to cancel today's event. Refunds will be issued.

Orienteering at Rosaryville

Welcome to the Mid-Atlantic Championships at Rosaryville State Park in Maryland. We invite all club members to come out to participate in this annual competition among orienteering clubs of our region – CVOC, DVOA, QOC, and WPOC – as we vie for the coveted Broken Compass Award. Not a club member? Come join the fun anyway - you are also welcome!

You may remember that QOC hosted the Champs in 2024. Due to their Fall NRE and Susquehanna Stumble, DVOA asked that QOC host again in 2025, and we were happy to oblige. Rosaryville is a 982-acre day-use state park with miles of hiking/biking and horse trails.

What to Expect

We will be operating from the Pavilion 1 Picnic area. There will be slate of regular classic courses followed by team relays in the afternoon. Classic courses will open earlier than usual, at 9:30am (and the first check-in time will be 9:15). You may choose to run early so you can also participate in the team relays, a special feature of the Mid-Atlantic Championships. The relays will begin about 1:30 pm. As always, everyone needs to be out of the woods and downloaded by 3:00 pm ... but given the weather, we are now encouraging everyone to be finished by 2pm.

Pre-registration is required (see below). Participants will have (up to) 3 hours to complete their classic courses. Classic starts continue until 1 pm, but all courses will close promptly at 3pm. In between your races, feel free to picnicmake snowmen or snow angels anywhere surrounding the registration area (as long as you are clear of a path to a start/finish!)

Anyone may participate in the classic and relay races, including people new to orienteering. You may compete for the titles of Mid-Atlantic Individual and Relay champion or just come out for a fun time in the woods; there are options for everybody so don't be intimidated by some of the "competitive" aspects of this event. Your participation helps your club score competition points. Clubs earn points based on attendance as well as performance in the classic race and the relay; you can only help, not hurt, your club by running in races and earning points for your attendance and finish. And just to be completely clear: feel free to do only a classic course, or only a relay, or do both - it's up to you.

Volunteers

We need you! This special event requires quite a few volunteers to run smoothly, so please sign up for a volunteer slot via this form or email the Event Director directly for other options.

Start Logistics

The White, Yellow and Orange courses will start close to the registration area. Advanced runners, Brown – Blue, will have a 200–meter warm up walk to the remote start.

Advanced Course Starting System

• Brown, Green, Red, and Blue courses will use an NRE-style multi-stage starting system at the remote start location. All runners will be organized by their course to ensure a 2-minute starting separation for those competing on the same course. Pre-assigned starting times will NOT be used for this event. There will be a coat drop at the Advanced Start location.
• When you arrive at the start area, you will tell the volunteer which course you are running. They will direct you to the proper waiting area. As always, there will be more Brown and Green runners than Red and Blue, so wait times may be longer for the more popular courses. Your patience as you wait will be greatly appreciated.
• When it’s your turn, you will be called up to the first line, where a volunteer will verify that it’s your turn to go and remind you to clear and check.
• One minute later, you will step up to the second line, where you will get your clue sheet. Tape will be available for those who need it.
• One minute later, you will step forward to the start line to receive the proper map for your course. You are NOT allowed to look at it until after you punch the start.
• One minute later, you will punch the start. At that time, you are allowed to look at your map and start your course.

Maps

Unlike at most local QOC events, maps will be distributed at the start control and you may not look at the map until after you punch the start. Participants on White and Yellow courses will be able view the map before starting.

Dogs

Well-behaved, non-aggressive dogs are welcomed at QOC events and Rosaryville State Park with the following restrictions:

• Leash requirement: All dogs must be on a leash, and owners should be prepared to keep them on a leash for the duration of their visit.
• Restricted areas: Dogs are not allowed on the grounds of the Mount Airy Mansion.
• Owner responsibility: You are responsible for cleaning up after your pet.

The relay event can be somewhat boisterous and hectic. If your dog gets anxious in crowds, it may be best to leave them at home for this event.

Costs

Entry fees will be the usual QOC registration fees. Members of any OUSA recognized club receive the QOC club member price. The Relay is included with the standard course registration so it does not incur an additional cost; anyone who chooses to run only the relay will pay the (single) standard reg fee. Pre-registration with payment is required.

Park Entrance Fee

Rosaryville assesses a park entrance fee of $3 per vehicle for Maryland residents, $5 for out-of-state. The automated toll gate accepts credit/debit card and cash ($1 and $5 only). All Maryland State Park passes are accepted by the automated toll gate, however, note that an additional swipe card must be obtained first to use the new automated gate system. Email cedarville.statepark@maryland.gov including a photo of your pass (the side with the permit #) and your mailing address to have one emailed to you.

Parking and Check-in Details

The main parking lot will fill up quickly and depending on the ground conditions we may have to utilize satellite parking areas that will require participants to walk 600 to 900 meters to get to the registration area, but we won’t know for certain until that morning, so plan for this uncertainty. The Check location is at Pavilion#1 to the west of the Parking lot. There will be porta-potties at the registration area.

We ask that buses bringing JROTC groups drop off their riders and then move the bus to one of the remote parking locations.

Groups

QOC allows groups of up to 4 people to orienteer together; however, for the Mid-Atlantic Relay event, all participants must run on their own. Any youth or large groups attending this event should contact the Event Director in advance so that we can coordinate pre-registration for your group. Details and the required waiver form can be found on our For Group Leaders webpage.

Relay Details

The relays are fun and a great chance to build camaraderie with your fellow club members. The relay event consists of three courses. The first is aimed at a white-to-yellow level of difficulty, the second is set at a yellow-to-orange level, and the final leg is orange-to-advanced level. There will be a mass start for the first leg. The first team member, when finishing, will punch the finish and hand off to the second leg member, who will take their map and take off. The same will happen when the second team member hands off to the final leg.

Three special notes:

• First, on the relays, nobody needs to punch the start – it’s a mass start. At the handoffs, the start line is the same as the finish line for the previous leg.
• Second, you do have to punch the finish box at the end of your leg.
• Third, the relay maps will be handed out at the start – studying them in advance is not allowed.
• Lastly: the only teams that will count for Mid-Atlantic scoring will be those with three individuals from the same club.

Aaron Linville has graciously agreed to be the club Relay Organizer for QOC members who would like to participate on a relay team. We will announce more information closer to the event about how to form your own teams or request to be placed on a team. Teams get extra points for including a variety of ages and genders. Full scoring details are described here.

Note re Results: This event, like all QOC events going forward, is expected to have both RouteGadget and LIVELOX available after the event for route comparisons.