Lakeland Orienteering Club

MapRun Planner GuideHow to Plan a MapRunF course

Last updated: Tue 10 May 2022

Author: Jerry Purkis June 28 2020 v2

Overview

There are some differences that you should be aware of between planning a normal course with SI and control flags on the ground, and a MapRunF course, where the controls are virtual, and will beep on your phone when you arrive at the control.

In order for the MapRunF app to work you need the following:

If the map has been recently created, using LIDAR, it will line up exactly. If it is older, mapped by traditional methods, it could be 5 metres or so out.

The phone will “beep” when it gets within 5 metres of its virtual control. Imagine a circle of diameter 10 metres, over the control. On an exact LIDAR area, the phone will beep 5m from the control site.

In a less exact area, the control 10 metre circle could be 5 metres out, so you may not get a beep until you get to the control, going one way, or 10 metres plus going the other way.

You must therefore plan where to put your controls with this in mind:

The competitor may also be doing the course on their own. There will be no back up team at registration to look for him. Therefore, plan the course to be as safe as possible, by keeping away from any danger areas on the map, and any steep slopes.

Creating the course

Create the course using Purple Pen, selecting the control sites according to the guidelines above.

Do not add any control description details to each control. Leave them blank.

Do not add any wall crossing instructions on the course. These add an extra control in MapRunF. Ideally, add an extra control e.g. at the desired wall crossing stile.

Save the course and send the Purple Pen file to Jerry Purkis (jerry56p@gmail.com).

Specify if the course is a line event, or a score event with a given time limit.

Jerry will then load the KMZ map file and the KML course file into MapRunF and create a test event.

Then, to view this test event go into Check Sites option by pressing the green button bottom right:

< Fig 1 >

You will then be prompted for a 6 digit code, supplied by Jerry. Enter the code to download the event.


< Fig 2 >

You now have your course saved as a new event locally on your phone.

Press go to start to view the course, and test run the course, with the phone, and a paper print of the course to navigate.

When you are happy with the course:

Create a new version of the course in Purple Pen, and add the control descriptions for each control.

A PDF print of the course can then be created.

When everything is ready, the course can then be sent to the Cumbria administrator, for him to make live in folder Cumbria South.

Details will also be added to the LOC website and the course advertised as open.

Any questions please ask Jerry.