Autumn/Winter Local 2025/6 series: Weetslade

  • Date:
  • NATO
  • Local League, Local
    • Date:
    • Registration opens: 10:00 am closes: 11:00 am
    • Starts from: 10:00 am

    Note date change – was 25th October

    First in a series of low key local Saturday morning events, in and around Tyneside, with a league to encourage participation and competition. Courses suitable for beginners and the more experienced wanting some training competition.
    Terrain: Former colliery site, with a graded hill, and a hill-top sculpture. Extensive rough open, areas of low shrub, and wildlife areas. A network of formal and informal footpaths. The mapped area has been slightly extended to the west.

    Travel: B1319 Brown signed (Weetslade Colliery Country Park) from major roundabout A1056 (Sandy Lane) & A189 Spine Road. O.S.Map / Google Map
    Bus: None very convenient. Bus 43 Newcastle > Cramlington/Morpeth to Weetslade Rd (1.7 km.)
    Bus 37 Denton Burn > City > Killingworth > Cramlington to Ethel Terrace (800 m)
    Both these approaches terminate in 600m. road walk with no pavement.
    Bus 37 (as above), Bus X7, Bus X8, (Newcastle > S.Gosforth > Blyth/Cramlington) Bus 353 (N.Shields > Shiremoor[M] > Cramlington to Camperdown and then direct walk/run along cycleway. (1.1 km.)

    Entry: Senior £5.00 Junior £2.00 Family £5.00. Entry on the day only.  Please provide exact change.
    A card reader will be available, subject to signal.
    Large groups should give prior notice, please.

    Facilities: No toilets on site. Aldi supermarket approx half a mile south has customer toilets. There is sometimes a mobile coffee van at the site.

    Courses: Yellow (1.5 – 2.0 km.) ~ Orange (2.0 – 3.0 km.) ~ Long Orange (3.5 – 5.0 km.).

    Maps ands Controls: Sites will be marked with a miniature O sign and orange tape secured with a clothes peg. Markers will have a code letter in permanent marker to be written on the control card. Carry a pen.
    Electronic timing will be used for start and finish. All runners will be issued with a loan dibber which may be downloaded off site. Timing tickets will be issued at download.

    Starts: From 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Courses close at 12:00 noon. All participants should return to registration by that time when the markers will be removed..

    Scoring: 100 points for the winner of each course, 99 for second, 98 for third etc. Anyone running in a course above their class will get a bonus of 5 points (10 for 2 courses above) and, likewise, anyone running a course below their class will be docked 10 points.

    Safety: Orienteering is an adventure sport. Risks have been assessed and mitigated as far as possible . However, participants take part at their own risk. A popular area for dog walkers , cyclists ( part of the Sustrans  Reivers C2C route) and families.