Tomahawk Tumble Mountain Bike Orienteering

QOC conducted its first Mountain Bike Orienteering Race called the Tomahawk Tumble MTB-O Race at Lake Accotink Park and Wakefield Park on 13 November 2010. Similiar to foot orienteering, the competitors could be as young as 14 and over 70 years of age, from novices and recreational riders to the elite who may compete internationally. The course was located in Springfield, Virginia, just south of Braddock Rd, west of I-495 with its 493 acres, including a 55-acre lake, wetlands, and streams. Lake Accotink Park is also part of the Cross County Trail (CCT) and has 5-miles of CCT which form the backbone to the mountain bike network of trails. The park complex is part of the Fairfax County Park Authority which allowed QOC to conduct this first MTB-O Event. The array of competition courses included four courses with a total of 48 controls with e-punch receptacles (same as foot orienteering) with the winners based on the competitors age in both male and women categories: 1)Sprint (Short) at 3.89 miles with 6 controls, 2)Sprint (Medium) at 4.75 miles with 10 controls, 3)Sprint (Long) at 5.6 miles with 12 controls, and 4)Middle (Short) at 10.56 miles with 20 controls. Online preregistration was used (a rarity for local events), in addition to allowing day-of registration.

There were 38 participants, 13 volunteers, and about 25 spectators. The courses were open from 9:00 am to 12:00 noon or three hours as compared to the two hour window for foot orienteering. REI at Seven Corners supported the event by donating plastic water bottles with a 15% discount coupon in each. First Place Winners (male or female) received a $25 gift certificate and all 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place finishers received a recognition certificate . The Tomahawk Tumble MTO-O was deemed a success by many of the mountain bike riders who expressed to QOC volunteers at the event that the race was a super event and they wanted it to be held again next year.

RouteGadget is online for this event too, so you can enter your route and look at the various courses, and WinSplits has all split times.

And for a few photos, courtesy of Dasa Merkova: