AUCKLAND SCHOOLS RELAY CHAMPIONSHIPS – 6 May 2025 (Riverhead Forest)
An orienteering relay is similar to a traditional running relay, in that you are organised into teams of three, and run one after another. Each runner is given a slightly different variation of the map, with several controls placed close together at certain points on the map. This means you need to pay even more careful attention to control numbers than usual. Runners usually complete a course one grade lower than that otherwise relevant to their age grade, allowing schools to create full teams by including less experienced orienteers.
There is a mass start, which is a very different orienteering experience for many, but the runners soon space out. Nonetheless, in most cases, the first of the final leg runners to punch the finish is the winner, making for some extra exciting sprint finishes when the competition is close. Both because of this and the event centre run through when runners pass the baton (in this case the map), relays make for much better spectator engagement than the traditional long events.
Note that there will be a coffee cart onsite, for parents and teachers to avail themselves of. Reception is patchy, so bring cash.
Riverhead Forest
Tuesday 6 May 2025
Auckland Orienteering Club will host the Auckland Schools Relay Orienteering Championship 2025 in Riverhead Forest.
Results:
General Information
| Organising Club | Auckland Orienteering Club |
| Enquiries To | Joanna Stewart auckoc@gmail.com 021 1153727 |
| Location | Riverhead Forest |
| Event centre | Corner of Barlow Rd/Ararimu Valley Road, Riverhead forest |
| Course Setter | Nathan Borton |
| Event Controller | Hayley Smith |
| Map Scale | 1:4000 |
| Contour Interval | 2.5m |
Entries
Entry fee per student $12 (+$3 for Sportident Hire)
Entries for Years 9 – 13 are via College Sport. (including Y7&8’s if at a year 7-13 school)
Entries for Years 7 and 8 will be emailed to Auckland Orienteering Club, auckoc@gmail.com using THIS ENTRY FORM.
Pre-entry is essential. The entry form will calculate the amount due. This is your invoice. Please pay by bank transfer to the account listed on the entry form
Entries must be received by midnight Wednesday 30 April, 2025
Registration
Registration will be open from 8:30am. At registration you will sign in and get given a team number (written on each team members hand). This is the “bib number” and correlates with the map you will collect from the map line (maps hanging on a fence) and run with. It’s your responsibility to ensure you collect the map with the same number as written on your hand. For example team 104 with have maps 104.1, 104.2 and 104.3 with the decimal repsresenting which leg a person is running. Getting this wrong could mean your team gets disqualifed for not running the correct course.
Starts
There will be mass starts for first leg runners from 10.30am. There will be a briefing for all runners at 10.15am
Auckland Relay Trophies
The Top School relay trophies will be awarded to the top Boys team and Girls team who earn the most points across the three grades according to the allocation below.
Points allocation: 1st = 5; 2nd = 4; 3rd = 3; 4th = 2; 5th = 1 for each grade.
Year 7/8 students are not included in the Top School Trophy calculations.
Timekeeping
Timing will be done using the SportIdent electronic punching system. Students may use their own SportIdent card, or a SportIdent card may be borrowed for the day if the student doesn’t own one. If providing their own card the number must be given on the entry form. Loan cards must be collected from registration by each school on arrival. Non return of an ecard will be charged at $75 each.
Grades
| Grade | School Year |
| Senior | Year 12 or 13 |
| Intermediate | Year 10 or 11 |
| Junior | Year 9 |
| Year 7/8 | Year 7 or 8 |
Course Information
The technical difficulty of the relay courses will match those recommended by Orienteering NZ for the NZSSOC. There is only one difficulty category for each grade
| Grades | Technical Difficulty# | Estimated Winning Time |
Distance |
| Senior Boys | Orange | 30 mins | 2.85km |
| Senior Girls | Orange | 30 mins | 2.72km |
| Intermediate Boys | Yellow | 25 mins | 2.74km |
| Intermediate Girls | Yellow | 25 mins | 2.61km |
| Junior Boys | Yellow | 20 mins | 2.22km |
| Junior Girls | Yellow | 20 mins | 2.05km |
| Year 7/8 Boys | White | 20 mins | 1.83km |
| Year 7/8 Girls | White | 20 mins | 1.80km |
* Courses have yet to be finalised, all distances are approximate and may change. The distances quoted are straight line distances. For all but white courses the distances travelled by the competitor will be considerably longer. Final distances and climb will be posted prior to the event. Climb will be between about 2% for shorter easier courses to up to 4.5% for red courses.
# See Appendix 1 for a description of the technical difficulty levels.
Terrain
There are two distinct terrain types; the more typical Riverhead spur gully terrain with a patchy native bush understorey, and a flatter area, ranging from forested to semi-open, cut with lots of MTB tracks and with less runnable areas containing some patches of gorse and blackberry. Dark green is not forbidden to cross but it may not be very appealing.
Clothing and equipment
- Shoes with good grip (trail running shoes) for all but the white course
- Leg cover (long pants and/or gaiters)
- Raincoat/warm top for running (weather dependent)
- Compass
- Whistle
- Warm change of clothing
The competitors need to know that the whistle is for use in emergencies only when they are injured and unable to continue. The emergency signal is 6 short blasts on the whistle. Stop and then repeat. If any competitor hears this sound during their competition, they should stop their race and go to the assistance of the injured competitor.
Safety bearing
Should a competitor become completely lost during the event and need to pull out they should follow a compass bearing West to Ararimu Valley Road The map will have the safety bearing and course closure time written on it.
If a competitor is still in the forest at course closure time, they should take the shortest route to return to the event centre.
Start and Finish
The start and finish will be in the event centre. All competitors must punch at the finish after tagging their next runner and proceed to the download even if they are not completing their course, otherwise they will be registered as still in the forest and a search party will be mounted for them at the end of the event.
For the third leg runner, the finish will be first across the line/first to punch
Parking
Parking is adjacent to the event centre.
More information about these events is available on orienteeringauckland.org.nz or contact auckoc@gmail.com