Ballarat Maprun
What is Maprun? A series of relaxed and fun navigational events held in streets and parks around Ballarat, encouraging people to visit some of the less common and little known areas of town.
Participants will be given a map with 20 to 30 designated locations marked. Examples might include street corners, power poles, park benches, playground equipment, distinctive trees, and so forth.
The challenge is to find as many of these locations as possible in 45 minutes. Each location has a value of 10 points, and the idea is to score as many points as possible. To ensure that you get back to the start/finish on time, a penalty of 10 points per minute will be deducted if you are late returning.
There is no need to pre-register for a Maprun, just turn up on the day.
Our Maprun events are named as such, because we use an application called “Maprun” installed on our mobile phones to track and record our progress. So:
- Charge up your device’s battery beforehand if you need to (a 45-minute Maprun typically uses at most around 20% of your battery’s charge),
- Install the Maprun app from the Apple Store or Google Play beforehand (it’s Free!),
- Register your details on Maprun (this only needs doing once),
- Set your device’s settings for the Maprun app to allow access to your phone’s GPS, and to allow the app to display notifications and make sounds when in standby mode (this also only needs doing once, and someone at the event can assist you with this), and
- Don’t forget to bring your Apple or Android device to the event!
You can carry your mobile phone in your pocket, or your hand. We’re finding from experience that a cheap armband phone carrier, of the sort popular with casual runners, along with a paper copy of the map to navigate with, are both highly recommended. Printed maps will be available at each Maprun event’s meeting point beforehand.
How much does it cost? If you’d like a printed map to run with, these will be provided at each event for $5 per map. Otherwise, the map will also be visible in the Maprun app, if you are happy to run/walk while holding and reading the map on your device. An armband phone holder is a great accessory also, to carry your device safely, though this makes mapreading on the screen more difficult.
Why is it fun? You will exercise your body, and also your brain, as it will be up to you to decide the order you visit the locations and your route between them. As these events are in the suburbs of Ballarat, the navigation is no harder than reading a street map. But choosing the best and fastest route may be tricky – the shortest path is not necessarily the fastest, and the checkpoint locations are carefully selected to challenge everyone! So challenge yourself, either individually, or as a pair, or as a group. You can walk, run, bring the dog, push the pram – go at your own pace. Challenge your friends to a friendly head-to-head competition. Or set yourself a target – and see if you can improve over the series.
When is it happening? Round 10 of the series will begin in January 2019.
Spring/Summer Maprun events are run on Sundays in the early evening, register at 5.00pm for a 5.15pm start.
OK! Where do we find Maprun events?
Our Summer 2019 Series events are on Sundays, as follows:
January 20th – Delacombe – Meet at Picnic Area in Royale Street at 5pm
February 3rd – Creswick – Meet at Calembeen Park, off Cushing Avenue at 5pm
February 17th – Canadian Lakes – Meet at Canadian Lakes Boulevard at 5pm
March 3rd – Warrenheip – Meet at Warrenheip Primary School at 5pm
March 17th – Lake Wendouree – Meet at Nursery Drive at 5pm
March 31st – Lake Esmond – Meet at Lake Esmond at 5pm
More information? To enquire about Maprun, or to request a subscription to our emailing list, please send an email to maprun@eurekaorienteers.asn.au or complete the form below and we will get in touch.
If any schools, sports or community groups are interested in a customised Maprun experience, or a more formal orienteering activity, for team-building, teaching, fun, physical training and/or exercise, please get in touch with us at the same Maprun email address.