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Sunday
Pre-registration is required and will open on Monday, March. 23 at 6:00pm and close at Noon on Saturday, March 28.There will be no day-of registration.
IT is FINALLY time to BUMBLE!
After all these weather delays, we are delighted to host the Spring version of the Bumble. Now in its 14th year, the event will be held at Turkey Run Ridge in Prince William Forest Park. Once again, this beloved event will include courses for all skill levels. Come out and enjoy the woods and have fun snapping pics with the Abominable “Bumble” FLORAL monster (Bumble outfits, shirts, accessories encouraged!)
MASS START TIME CHANGE ALERT: Because of the date shift, we will have campers departing Sunday morning, versus having the parking to ourselves. To reduce parking stress, the MASS START will be at 12:30pm with pre-race briefing at 12:15pm at the start. The courses will close at 3:30pm so that you have a full 3 hours to complete your course.
What to Expect: The main event of the Bumble is the Mass Start race, which comprises five advanced courses equivalent to beige – blue. The controls are spread over five “windows” and each course level requires a different “handicap” of windows that must be run. For instance, Beige must do one window; blue must do five. Click here to read the full description. It is a super fun style of orienteering with options for bonus time reductions! If you have never tried it but have been successfully completing orange level courses for a while, give this a try. Click here to see last year's course, and here to view 2025 Bumble photos. There will also be great beginner (white and yellow) and intermediate (orange) courses winding through classic ridge and valley terrain.
If you want to run a Bumble advanced course, but are not comfortable with a mass start, please sign up for one of the other start time windows. Mass starters, please be sure to arrive early-ish to avoid a last-minute rush. As usual, there will be prizes for the top Bumble winners participating in the Mass Start!
Volunteer Sign Ups: If you can help at this event please contact the Event Director.
PLEASE read ALL meet notes below for important details!
Meet notes:
- CLICK HERE TO READ HOW THE BUMBLE WORKS!
- Registration will be in the Ayres Training Building
- The Start is ~180m walk from the Training Building and is the same for all courses.
- White, Yellow, and Orange courses will have regular check in/start windows from 9:45am to 1:15pm. (Yes, you are welcome to register for the 12:15pm-12:30pm window, but it will be a bit hectic at the start during that time).
- Advanced (Bumble) courses will have a MASS START at 12:30pm. Please be ready for the PRE-RACE briefing at 12:15pm at the Start location.
- We do NOT anticipate having a clothing drop given the spring weather.
- Everyone must be out of the woods and back at the registration area by 3:30pm.
- Bumble prizes awarded (mass start only):
- First male and first female competitors to cross the finish, regardless of course.
- Fastest male competitor on Blue and fastest female competitor on Red.
Groups: QOC allows groups of up to 4 people to orienteer together. Please see our For Group Leaders webpage and then contact the Event Director so they are aware of your plans.
Other notes and reminders:
- Park entrance fee is $20 per car or free with National Park or Prince William Forest Annual Pass
- Parking will be in the Camp Ground areas A-E (space may be very limited; please consider carpooling!)
- No water or food will be provided. Participants are responsible for meeting all their own food and hydration needs.
- Indoor restrooms on site behind the Education Center
- Pet Policy: leashed pets are permitted in the park but are not recommended to accompany Bumblers doing the mass start.
| Location | Prince William Forest Park, Turkey Run Ridge | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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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 |
Prince William Forest Park, Turkey Run Ridge
Take I-95 to exit 150 (150B from points north). Head west on Joplin Road (VA-619) and take the second right for the park entrance. Turn left 0.5 miles from the park entrance, onto Scenic Drive. Bear left at the split in the drive following signs for the Turkey Run Education Center, then turn right at the sign shortly after the split for the Turkey Run Education Center & Campground. Driving time inside the park is ~15 minutes. |
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| Course Details |
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| Course Notes |
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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, March 29
9:45 am - 1:15 pm -
Sunday, March 29
10:00 am - 1:30 pm -
Sunday, March 29
11:45 am - 11:45 am -
Sunday, March 29
12:00 pm - 12:00 pm -
Sunday, March 29
3:00 pm - 3:00 pm -
Sunday, March 29
9:45 am - 1:15 pm -
Sunday, March 29
3:30 pm - 3:30 pm -
Sunday, March 29
10:00 am - 1:30 pm -
Sunday, March 29
12:30 pm - 12:30 pm
Location Details
Take I-95 to exit 150 (150B from points north). Head west on Joplin Road (VA-619) and take the second right for the park entrance. Turn left 0.5 miles from the park entrance, onto Scenic Drive. Bear left at the split in the drive following signs for the Turkey Run Education Center, then turn right at the sign shortly after the split for the Turkey Run Education Center & Campground. Driving time inside the park is ~15 minutes.
Google Maps Link
Course Details
| Course Name | Length (km) | Climb (m) | No. Controls |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 2.2 | 70 | 10 |
| Yellow | 2.7 | 70 | 10 |
| Orange | 4.6 | 125 | 11 |
| Beige | 2.8 | 110 | 7 |
| Brown | 4.6 | 145 | 12 |
| Green | 6.9 | 195 | 17 |
| Red | 8.9 | 235 | 22 |
| Blue | 11.6 | 330 | 27 |
Course Notes
- White Course competitors might see a couple of controls that are not yours. Please check your control codes!
- Yellow Course has some challenging legs including a streamered leg through the woods.
- There are several new unmapped rootstocks that have appeared since the last map update. Mapped Rootstocks are at least 1.5 meters tall.
- Dry Ditches/Small Erosion Gullies are often very shallow (sometimes only a few inches deep). They are mapped well but may be difficult to see.
- If you cross roads or use them for route choices, PLEASE be aware of cars and bikes and run/walk defensively using the large shoulders when possible.
- Controls are placed so that white woods corridors can be easily used. Read your map carefully!
- There are multiple 2.5-meter form line contours, so beware.
- There is downfall in the W/SW and very N parts of the map that has not been updated with slash lines, however you can navigate around/through the areas fairly easily.
- Distance/climb for Bumble courses vary depending on route choice.
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.
- Beginners are encouraged to watch relevant videos such as this one created by QOC's instructional guru David Onkst
