What is it? An app  that allows anyone, at any time, to run a ‘virtual’ orienteering course.

Where can I do it? Courses all over the country (and the world)

Where is the map? You can run the course just using the app on your phone, but most orienteers also print off a map for ease of navigation. The title of the course map on MapRun is indicated in italics in the information for each location. e.g. Broadstone MapRun FYW Dorset Long  (ignore the text after) The link to the maps for printing are written in green e.g. Boscombe Straight Score

What sort of map? Some of the maps are A4 sections of  existing orienteering maps and some are street maps generated using the Open Orienteering Map project. 

What distances are they? They vary but the approximate distances are given, assuming that all the controls on the Score courses are visited. But you just visit however many you can in 60 minutes.

How do I do Maprun? MapRun guidelines.2023

What’s Find Your Way? FYW is a British Orienteering initiative to provide MapRun-based courses aimed at newcomers to the sport. Past courses can be found on the MapRun app by selecting event, UK, Find Your Way, FYW Dorset and then select the name of the course you wish to do. Maps and other information on these can be found below, indicated by the logo.

Extra Guidelines based on recent experience

Wessex MapRun Maps (including FYW)

• Boscombe Town & Seafront  – a choice of Straight or Odds/Evens score events, starting in Shelley Park. Bracing sea air along the clifftop and promenade. Straight Score is about 6.5k and the Odds/Evens approx. 9k. MapRun name: Boscombe Short. Maps: Boscombe Straight Score, Boscombe Odds/Evens Score (maps include control descriptions)
• Boscombe Winter League –  Start is again at Shelley park where there is plenty of parking (very busy in height of summer!) MapRun name: Boscombe Maprun Winter League.  A4 Map;  Control Descriptions.
• Boscombe – there are 2 options. An Orange course line course and a 60 minute Score course. MapRun Names: FYW Boscombe Orange and FYW Boscombe Orange Map FYW; Score Map FYW
• Broadstone/Creekmoor (11k max) – based around the streets and Creekmoor Lakes. Park in Soper’s Lane near Siemens. Maprun name: Broadstone Map and Control Descriptions
• Broadstone & Hillbourne (8.8k max) – car park indicated on map.  Leave Broadstone shops SE down the hill on B3074. At bottom, narrow left turn before Barn Road, easily overshot. Signed but not very clearly. In football season avoid car park on Sat & Sun mornings. Instead use the far end of Barn Road and the SE foot entrance to the Rec. MAP SCALE  1:5200. Slightly different from standard but you shoudn’t notice the difference! Nearest toilets: Tesco’s 5 mins drive away. Continue further SE on B3074 to join A349 at roundabout. SE on A349 through two sets of lights & take the right filter. Maprun name: Broadstone Rec MapRun v2  Map and Control Descriptions
•  Broadstone Recreation Ground – there are 3 possible course options: Broadstone Maprun FYW Dorset Long (4.3k) Broadstone Maprun FYW Dorset Short (1.6k); Broadstone Maprun FYW.   The last one is a 60 minute Score – so you need to get as many controls in 60 minutes as you can. The course maps for printing (all A4) are: Long; Short; Broadstone Rec FYW Score 2024.  All Control Descriptions
  
• Canford Heath – a technical urban Straight Score course, with the Start in the Asda car park. Distance is between 7.7 and 8.6 k, depending on your route choice. MapRun name: Canford Heath Short  Canford Heath Control Descriptions (not on the map) Canford Heath Map
• Canford Heath Winter MapRun (~8.7k) – suggest parking in the Asda Car Park off  Adastral Road. Please ensure for your own safety that you fully comply with the out of bounds marked on the map that means the southern area of the map can only be accessed via the underpass close to Control 6. MapRun name: Canford Heath Winter MapRun   Map;  Control Descriptions
• Christchurch Town – a lovely line (i.e. not a score) event around some of the older parts of the town, as well as some residential areas. The optimum route distance is approximately 7.3k. The Start is at Wick slipway.  MapRun name: Christchurch MapRun Line.The map is here: Christchurch
• Christchurch – Friar’s Cliff (9k) – used for a Night League event so trickier than most! The map is A3 so will need to be printed on 2 pages. There is plenty of street parking near to the Sandpiper Pub. Start is down a path opposite the pub. Or else there is parking at Mudeford Wood Community Centre near Control 4 at the top of the map. NB The original map was 1:4000 A3 sized, but a map printed out on an A4 sheet is quite useable. MapRun name: Friars Cliff Winter MapRun League Map;  Control Descriptions
• Christchurch – there is one line course available of 1.5k. MapRun Name: Christchurch FYW Junior Line Map: Christchurch FYW Junior Line
• Kings Park – there are 3 possible courses, based on the same map. A Short Line (1.5k) a Long Line (4k) and a 60 minute Score course. MapRun Names: Kings Park FYW Dorset Short Line; Kings Park FYW Dorset Long Line; Kings Park FYW Dorset Score.  Kings Park Map 2024 ; Kings Park Instruction Sheet.2024
  
• Lodmoor, Weymouth – there are 3 possible courses, based on the same map. A Long Line (850m), a Short Line (650m) and a 60 minute Score. MapRun Names: Lodmoor FYW Dorset Long Line; Lodmoor FYW Dorset Short Line; Lodmoor FYW Dorset Score. Map:Lodmoor 2024
• Nothe Gardens, Weymouth – there are 3 possible courses, based on the same map. A long Line (1.6k), a Medium Line (900m) and a Short Line (700m). MapRun Names: Nothe FYW Dorset Long Line; Nothe FYW Dorset Medium Line; Nothe FYW Dorset Short Line. Map:Nothe Gardens2024
• Meyrick Golf Club and Park, Bournemouth FYW – there are three choices of course (Short, Long or Score) all using the same printed map. There are permanent O-markers on the control features with the letter codes on them, so that you can be sure you are at the correct place. MapRun names: Meyrick Park FYW Dorset 2023 Short/Long Line; Meyrick Park FYW Dorset 2023 Score. The courses include crossing the golf fairways, so care must be taken when golfers are playing and remember that they have priority. Map and Control Descriptions (double sided A4)
• Poole Park Safe Maprun  – an interesting park with several lakes and plenty of wildlife.  This course comprises an Orange standard course of 2.5Km length starting near the Arc restaurant carpark (free). Course descriptions are on the map. MapRun name: Poole Park safe orange maprun v2    Poole Park Safe Maprun map
• Poole Town Score – Parking at Baiter Car Park, Catalina Drive. This provides a medium-length course (5.9k) MapRun name: Poole Town Score (PLEASE ensure you load the correct course as there are several options in Poole)  Poole Town MapRun; Poole Town MapRun – Control descriptions
• Poole Town (8.4k)– Parking also at Baiter Car Park, Catalina Drive. Use underpasses to cross railway. Controls 20 and 26 have been moved a little.  PLEASE ensure you load the correct course in MapRun: Poole Town Winter MapRun– Poole has multiple courses loaded in MapRun
  Poole Map and Control Descriptions
• Poole FYW Courses THESE ARE BEING UPDATED – there are 2 options: a 2.9k line course or a 5.9k score course. The shorter one has permanent O-markers on the control features with the letter codes on them, so that you can be sure you are at the correct place. MapRun names: Poole Town (5.9k) and PooleTownOrange  (2.9k)   Maps: Poole Town FYW 60 Min Score  ; Poole Town FindYourWay Orange
•   Queens/Kings Parks – a lovely mix of parkland, woods and residential streets, well-known to Night League competitors! There’s a Straight Score  – distance about 9.75k – and Odds/Evens, approx. 11.5k.  The Start is in the Queens Park Golf Club. PLEASE BE CONSIDERATE OF OTHER USERS, PARTICULARLY GOLFERS, ESPECIALLY WHEN CROSSING FAIRWAYS.  Control descriptions are not on the map so are provided separately. MapRun name: Kings-Queens Park Short  Map: Kings/QueensPark; Kings/Queens Park Control Descriptions 
• Radipole Gardens, Weymouth – there are 2 different courses, based on the same map. Long Line (3.25k) and a Short Line (1.5k). MapRun Names: Radipole Gardens FYW Dorset Long Line; Radipole Gardens FYW Dorset Short Line. Map:Radipole Gardens
• Tisbury – courtesy of a Sarum map, this Straight Score has been set up in the lovely Wiltshire village. The start is by the war memorial in the square and the finish by the free parking. Please park in the free car park and not on the High Street.  The optimum distance is approximately 7.5-8k. MapRun name: Tisbury Short  Map: Tisbury
• Tumbledown Farm, Weymouth – Radipole Lane, Weymouth DT4 9RU. What3words: hothouse.freezing.clipboard. There are 3 possible courses, based on the same map. A Long Line (1.5k), a Short Line (1.2k) and a 60 minute Score. MapRun Names: Tumbledown FYW Dorset Long Line; Tumbledown FYW Dorset Short Line, Tumbledown FYW Dorset Score. Map:Tumbledown

• Upton Country Park FYW – there is a Short (2K) and a Long (4.9K), both within the park boundaries. There is also a Score course, using all the controls. There are permanent O-markers on the control features with the letter codes on them, so that you can be sure you are at the correct place. MapRun names: Upton CP FYW Dorset Short/Long Line;  Upton CP FYW Dorset  (the latter is for the Score event.)    Map:   FYW Upton Map 

Wimborne OC also have a large selection of MapRun courses which can be found here.