5-6 September 2026

Needles and Knolls

A weekend of holiday orienteering to celebrate WightO’s 50th anniversary, with races at the Island’s two iconic lighthouses. Both lie within National Trust Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, delivering dramatic south-coast views from the white cliffs of the Needles to the Knolls of Knowles Farm at St Catherine’s Point.

It's already happened: Results

Key Information

🎯 Day 1: Double Sprint

  • Two sprint-distance races in complex terrain (not urban)
  • A small, complex area mapped at 1:4000
  • Final result is the two sprint times added together
  • Open, Vets, Super Vets, Junior classes available (level D)
  • Start window 10:30-11:30 and 12:00-13:00, you will run two courses with 90 minutes between start times
  • Car park location [2km to assembly, +40m, -60m]

🎯 Day 2: Middle Distance

  • Fast terrain above the white cliffs of the needles
  • Range of colour coded courses (level C, SCOA league)
  • Start window 10:30-12:30
  • Car park location [adjacent to assembly]

🎫 Entry Information

  • Limited entry on the day until maps run out
  • SportIdent electronic punching system
  • Entry limit of 200 competitors. If we are approaching the limit we may consider increasing it. We are a small club, so please enter early to help us with this and consider offering to help to support a greater number of entries.

Final Details

🎯 Day 1: Double Terrain Sprint

  • 📋 PDF final details v3
  • 🕐 Final day 1 Start list (racesignup) 🕐 Provisional A/B start list. A final start list showing whether you will run course A or course B first will be published on Friday. Start times will remain as shown on racesignup. A tablet will be displaying the entry list at -3 callup, so if you don't know which course you are running first, it will tell you.
  • Car park now confirmed on tarmac at Blackgang Chine theme park. Walk to assembly 2km +40m/-60m. Thank you for your understanding with the longer walk than anticipated. The route will be taped [directions map]. If you have small children or are not very mobile, drop off/pick up is possible at the end of Old Blackgang Road [google maps] 750m from assembly. Please do not drive to assembly, the road is single track.
  • Orienteering: 1️⃣ Open 2.2k+125m/2.6k+120m • 2️⃣ Vets/Junior16- 2.0k+100m/1.7k+90m • 3️⃣ Supervets 2.0k+100m/1.7k+95m • 4️⃣ Junior12- 1.1k+60m/1.2k+70m • Winning times 15-20 mins • Run A and B variants in order specified on start list • Final result is combined time • Starts 10:30-11:30 (1st run) • Starts 12:00-13:00 (2nd run) • A4 map • Scale 1:4000 • Contour interval 2.5m • Course 4 maps at pre-start • Call up at -3 • Descriptions at -2 • Dib the start box • Do not cross purple overprint, use marked crossing points • SIAC enabled controls • SIAC finish • Dib the safety control after finish • Download after each run • Return hire dibbers to download on second run • Courses close 14:30
  • Logistics: Car park location • Bus stop location • Assembly location • Follow tapes 2k to assembly (+40m, -60m) [directions map] • No facilities in car park • Ice cream van (cash or card) • Toilets • Bag dump • First aid • Enquiries • Key drop • Collect hire dibbers from enquiries • Start adjacent to assembly • Finish 100m from assembly
  • Entry on the day: Online entry remains open until 9am • Senior BO member £10 • Senior non-member £12 • Junior (U21)/Student £6 • Senior SI classic hire £1 • Senior SI air hire £2 • Junior SI classire hire Free • Junior SI air hire £1 • Cash only • Subject to map availability
  • Safety: Mandatory leg and torso cover • Very steep slopes • High cliffs • Cattle • Dogs only on a lead • No fires • Cagoules may be compulsory in bad weather • Whistle recommended • Nearest Hospital St Mary's Newport, PO30 5TG, [///ruling.solicitor.jams] [google maps] • Shadowing advised for inexperienced Juniors • Leave a sealed envelope at enquiries with any medical conditions we should know about, write name and clothing colour one the outside • Variable phone signal
  • Officials: Organiser Pete Bartlett (WightO) • Planner Pete Bartlett (WightO) • Course Checker Ben Windsor (DrongO) • Safeguarding Carol Taverner (WightO) • Thanks to the National Trust • Thanks to Blackgang Chine for parking • Thanks to SOC for event equipment

🎯 Day 2: Middle Distance

  • 📋 PDF final details v3
  • 🕐 Day 2 Start list (racesignup)
  • 🕐 Day 2 Start list (PDF)
  • Orienteering: Black 6.9k+235m • Brown 5.9k+190m • Blue 5.2k+190m • Green 4.5k+130m • Short Green 3.3k+90m • Light Green 3.3k+90m • Orange 2.3k+55m • Yellow 2.3k+45m • White 2.1k+40m • Short Green and Light Green are the same course • Winning times around 35 mins • Starts 10:30-12:30 • A4 map • Double sided map for Light Green and above • Black/Brown/Blue Scale 1:10000 • Green and shorter 1:7500 • Contour interval 5m • White and Yellow maps at pre-start • Taped route on Yellow control 1-2 • Call up at -3 • Descriptions at -2 • Dib the start • Legend on back of map for White/Yellow/Orange • Legends available at enquiries for other courses • Do not cross purple overprint, use marked crossing points • SIAC enabled controls • SIAC finish • Dib the safety control after finish • Remember to download • Return hire dibbers to download • Courses close 14:30
  • Logistics: Car park location • Bus stop location • Assembly adjacent to parking • Toilets adjacent at the Needles visitor attraction • Cafe, ice cream and more at the Needles visitor attraction • First aid • Enquiries • Key drop • Collect hire dibbers from enquiries • Follow tapes to start 750m • Finish 600m from assembly
  • Entry on the day: Online entry remains open until 9am • Senior BO member £14 • Senior non-member £16 • Junior (U21)/Student £9 • Senior SI classic hire £1 • Senior SI air hire £2 • Junior SI classire hire Free • Junior SI air hire £1 • Cash only • Subject to map availability
  • Safety: Mandatory leg and torso cover • Traffic when going to Needles visitor attraction, U16s must be accompanied • High cliffs • Cattle • 2m drop into bunker • Dogs only on a lead • No fires • Cagoules may be compulsory in bad weather • Whistle recommended • Nearest Hospital St Mary's Newport, PO30 5TG, [///ruling.solicitor.jams] [google maps] • Shadowing advised for inexperienced Juniors • Leave a sealed envelope at enquiries with any medical conditions we should know about, write name and clothing colour one the outside • Variable phone signal • Marshalled very minor road crossing just before the finish
  • Officials: Organiser Pete Bartlett (WightO) • Planner Ben Windsor (DrongO) • Controller Tom Dobra (TVOC) • Safeguarding Carol Taverner (WightO) • Thanks to the National Trust • Thanks to Warren Farm Shop for parking field • Thanks to SOC for event equipment

Results

Live results will be also be available in assembly on the local Wifi network wight50, available when you are close to download. Once connected, results will be available at http://192.168.0.100. Connection info will be displayed at download.

If signal permits at download, live results will be uploaded to the links below during the event. If signal does not permit, results will be uploaded soon afterwards.

Getting Here

⛴️ Ferries (and discounts)

  • Vehicle ferries are charged per vehicle regardless of number of passengers, so team up with your clubmates!

Red Funnel

WightLink

HoverTravel

Quay2Quay

🚗 Parking

🚌 Public transport

  • Do pre-book your boats even as a foot passenger - they can get full in summer, especially if a coach or two turns up!
  • Combined rail/boat tickets are possible with destinations Ryde Pierhead, West Cowes, East Cowes, Yarmouth, or any station on the Island Line.
  • Southern Vectis runs the island's bus network and Google maps public transport directions usually have the buses correct.
  • On Saturday, the bus stop to use is the Buddle Inn. This is serviced by Bus 6 arriving at 09:30. From there it's around 1km to assembly [google walking directions]. The road leads along the edge of the competition area. Do not leave the road.
  • On Sunday, the bus stop to use is Alum Bay. This is serviced by Bus 7 arriving at 09:45 then every 30 minutes. The bus stop is adjacent to parking and assembly.

Accommodation

⛺ Camping

Event campsite

Other recommended campsites

🏠 Indoor accommodation

  • Listings can be found on Airbnb, Vrbo, Holiday cottages and other popular sites for stays.
  • Many commercial accommodation providers have ferry discounts negotiated along with your stay.

Social

🎉 Saturday evening social

  • Cancelled as we needed a critical mass of at least 30 people to make it financially viable, and 10 days before the event there were 14 sign ups. If you're from the island, we'll celebrate on Saturday 21 November with a social and quiz instead!
  • If you have paid for this through racesignup, we will issue you with a refund

🍺 Pub lunch on Saturday

  • The Buddle Inn is offering a 10% discount on food and drink to competitors [google map] [website]
  • Just show your entry confirmation email or your map to get a discount
  • Easiest to walk there direct from assembly after your second run then go back to your car later. The car park will be open until late
  • Interest has not been great enough to warrant the pub putting on a special menu for us, so it will be a discount on their usual menu
  • To help the pub with numbers, please register your interest on this very short Google Form (this does not commit you to anything, it is to help the pub with planning)

Tourism

🛥️ Needles pleasure cruises

  • Needles pleasure cruises will be offering HALF PRICE boat rides to all competitors, just show your race map or dibber after Sunday's race!

🧺 Warren Farm Shop

  • Warren Farm shop [website] [google maps] is just round the corner from Sunday's event. If you like good quality farm produce, please give them a visit.
  • The car park is free of charge, and they have instead asked for donations to Mountbatten, so if you would like to contribute, bring some coins or notes to drop in the bucket in the car park field!

More Running!

👟 Parkrun

  • Medina parkrun starts at 9am in Newport on Saturday
  • Parking and start outside Medina leisure centre
  • If you have a car you should be fine with late start times. If you are using public transport, drop us an email and we will try to arrange your first run outside of the standard start block so that you can arrive at 1130 on bus 6
  • Please do your best to make your orienteering start, but if you miss it don't worry, we'll slot you in somewhere!
  • Occasionally the location moves if there is a big event where Parkrun usually is. Check the Medina parkrun news page for any last minute updates

⛰️ Isle of Wight Fell Series

  • Make a week of it and stay until 12/13 September for The Isle of Wight Fell Series
  • A series of three races based in Ventnor
  • Held in memory of Eddie Leal & Brenda Lawson. Local legend Eddie (Founding Secretary of the Fell Runners Association in 1969) was the Founding Chairman and Course Planner of WightO as well as the instigator of IoW Fell Series (1995) and the IoW Marathon in 1957

About the Event

WightO is one of the smaller clubs in the SCOA region. Although isolated from neighbouring clubs it has remarkably survived the past 50 years. The National Trust have supported the club throughout and allow us access to orienteer on some of the most dramatic landscapes in the country. To mark this momentous milestone in our club's history we have chosen the sites of the island's two iconic lighthouses to stage a weekend of orienteering for our anniversary event.

Day 1

Saturday 5th Sept, St. Catherine's Lighthouse & Knowles Farm

St Catherine's Lighthouse is located at the southern most point of the island. The map incorporates the dramatic and rugged coastline dominated by the lighthouse. The coastal section is undulating and very open, allowing fast runnability through the many rock formations around Knowles Farm. The backdrop is a climb through wild scrubland with intricate paths that lead you to the higher ground. Here too the terrain is very open but more undulating and diverse. The entire area is covered with an array of monolithic rocks, giant boulders and steep sided crags which make this area quite unique. The contour detail is complex and although the area is quite small it packs a punch and ideally suits the sprint format. The results will be determined by the overall time taken over two designated courses.

Day 2

Sunday 6th Sept, The Needles Headland

The infamous Needles Lighthouse is at the far western point on the island. The map stretches from the memorial cross on the top of Tennyson Down, to the less talked about ruins of the rocket launching site, Needles headland and battery. From here you look down to the famous colourful sand cliffs at Alum Bay and the views from wherever you are on the map are spectacular! The terrain is very fast open down land, peppered with an abundance of embankments, knolls, earth walls, pits and depressions. Much of the thick gorse at the eastern end has been recently thinned out making the area even more accessible for this middle distance race.

WightO are negotiating with local businesses for reduced rates on ferry crossings and accommodation to those taking part at this event along with reduced rates for many of the local attractions that the island has to offer. These will be posted on this website in due course. Our aim is to, not only provide a unique orienteering experience, but to ensure your weekend here is a memorable one. So please send any queries to info@wighto.org.uk.

Officials

Organiser: Peter Bartlett
Sprint Planner: Peter Bartlett
Sprint Course Checker: Ben Windsor
Middle Planner: Ben Windsor
Middle Controller: Tom Dobra (TVOC/DRONGO)

Map Samples

St Catherine's Point

The Needles

Merchandise

WightO merchandise can be purchased directly from Kids & Co

What's new

2026-09-06Day 2 Winsplits and Routegadget added.
2026-09-05Day 1 routegadget and livelox added. Day 2 final start list published. Day 2 livelox added.
2026-09-04Final Day 1 start list published
2026-09-03Final details v3 - minor change with tick warning
2026-08-30Add link to racesignup start lists and Day 1 provisional A/B start list
2026-08-30Add Day 1 car park info (final details v2)
2026-08-29Add PDF final details
2026-08-28Add final details compact summary (full PDF coming soon)
2026-08-28Add note encouraging pre-booking even for foot passengers on boats
2026-08-28Update Buddle Inn info, add half price boat rides, add Warren Farm shop info
2026-08-28Social is cancelled
2026-06-21Add link for buying social tickets (through racesignup)
2026-06-21Add tourism section
2026-06-21Add event merchandise section
2026-06-21Add Quay2Quay ferry info and history snippet in fell race info
2026-05-25Add what's new section
2026-05-24Add info about Buddle Inn lunch on Saturday
2026-05-10Add info about parkrun and IoW fell series
2026-04-24Add note that ferries are charged per vehicle
2026-04-23Update camping information

For any techies among you, here's the git commit log

Get in Touch

Have any questions about the event? Get in touch!

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Website

wight50.uk

Thank you for coming

We hope you enjoyed the sunshine too