Manchester in May Day 4
'O' Fest in Wythenshawe Park
This bank holiday 'O' Festival will be held at Wythenshawe Park which is located 5 miles south of Manchester City Centre.
Five different courses will be offered, suitable for all abilities from novice through to experienced orienteers. The single entry fee will cover as many of these courses as you wish to try. Officials will be available to help and advise you which ones to attempt.
Mon 06th May 2024
Type of event: Course, Score, Sprint
Type of terrain: Parkland, Woodland
Info updated: 26th Apr
Pre Event Info
For details of the other associated events during the weekend, go to
Day 1 Friday 3rd May 2024 - Metro 'O'
Day 2 Saturday 4th May 2024 - Middle distance Urban
Day 3 Sunday 5th May 2024 - Long distance UKUL Urban
Day 4 Monday 6th May 2024
Assembly will be in tents on an open area beside the main driveway adjacent to The Courtyard which has a café and toilets. Vehicles will be parked within 100m on grass.
Location
Nearest town: Wythenshawe
- Grid Ref: SJ815899
- Postcode: M23 0AB
- Latitude: 53.40491
- Longitude: -2.27930
- Google Map
- Streetmap (OS 50k)
- Bing Map (OS 50k)
- OpenStreetMap
Directions / Parking
Enter the park by the main entrance. There are brown direction signs.
By road: Leave M60 at Junction 5, or M56 at Junction 3, onto Princess Parkway; turn off onto B5166 west towards Sale Moor, then at the first traffic lights turn left towards Brooklands on the B5167, Wythenshawe Road. Drive half a mile and turn into the Park main entrance on your left. Use the Postcode M23 0AB for Satnav directions.
By tram: The nearest Metrolink stop is Wythenshawe Park, on the Manchester Victoria to Manchester Airport line. To get to the Park and Hall, walk east along Wythenshawe Road (B5167) for about 3/4 mile. Use the third entrance, which is the main access to Wythenshawe Park and Hall (25 minutes).
Registration & Start Times
Enquiries, download, key drop and other assistance will be available at the Assembly tent(s).
Start times for all courses will be from 10:30 to 14:00
Course Information
| Course | Description | Suitability |
|---|---|---|
| White | Easy following line features e.g. paths |
Beginners |
| Yellow | Easy but longer | Novices |
| 2-part Score | 30min for each part. Part 1 easy/paths Part 2 medium (up to orange /light green standard) |
Adult newcomers / Pairs / Family groups etc |
| 2-part Sprint | Each part approx 3km optimum distance. |
Experienced orienteers |
| Accessible | The white course and Part 1 score will be accessible |
Anyone |
It will help to estmate the number of maps to print if you could give an indication by ticking the appropriate box on the entry system.
Explanation of colour courses
- White are very easy with all controls on paths. They are mainly used by 6-10 year olds and family groups.
- Yellow use simple linear features like paths, walls and streams. They are mainly used by under 12’s and family groups.
- Orange progress to basic use of the compass and route choice. They are ideal for novice adults or experienced youngsters.
- Light Green are ideal for improvers as the navigational difficulty begins to increase and uses simple contours and point features.
- Green are used mostly by experienced under 18’s and adults wanting a short but challenging course with a very hard navigational difficulty.
- Blue are a longer, more physically demanding course in comparison to the green. The distances are more varied between controls and the course attracts experienced orienteers.
- Brown & Black are very physically demanding and have a very hard navigational difficulty. They are for experienced orienteers only.
- Score means visiting as many controls as possible in any order in a specific time, like 45mins.
Entry Details
Online entry is via Racesignup
Entry fees
One fee for all courses: £6 Adults, £3 Juniors
Online entries close 5 May 2024 at 20:00
Entries on the day will depend on the availablity of maps.
Terrain Description
Flat with historic and ornamental woodlands, copses, open grassland and wildflower meadows.
Facilities
The park features several other attractions, including a playground, farm and cycle track using one's own bikes. Note that Wythenshawe Hall will not be open on May 6th. For further information visit the park website. Check with the park for opening times.
Dogs allowed?
Dogs are allowed in the park
Contacts / Officials
Entries: Marie Roberts,
Contact: Sue Birkinshaw, Coordinator,
Planner: Paul Watson MDOC
Controller: Marie Roberts MDOC
Safety and Risk
A comprehensive risk assessment will have been carried out by the organiser, but participants take part at their own risk and are responsible for their own safety during the event.
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