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Penn State - Berks Sprints on Wednesday 7/17
  • Topic created by GlenT on Mon Jul 15, 2019 at 11:11 am
    Glen Tryson (GlenT)
    GlenT
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    We should be ready for starts by 5pm.  Last start at 7pm, control pick-up at 7:30pm.

    This week's edition of the Summer Sprint Series will be on the Penn State - Berks campus near Reading.  The terrain is what you'd expect to find on a college campus: an array of buildings with many connecting walkways and roads, open space between the buildings and many parking lots.   The campus also has some wooded and natural areas, which along with the lawns right now are lush green.  This venue has not been used since the A-meet in November of 2017.

    You may notice some differences between this map and those we typically use since this area was mapped specifically for sprinting using the International Standards for Sprint Orienteering Maps (ISSOM).  There are some symbols which are different in ISSOM, the most relevant being buildings (which are dark gray rather than black, with passable canopies or underpasses mapped in lighter gray) and urban paths or walkways (mapped as light brown/ tan surfaces with dotted edges for unpaved and solid edges for paved).  There also tends to be a higher level of man-made feature detail mapped (i.e., black X's and O's) which may be lamp posts, benches, statues, and similar features. There will be a blank copy of the map available for people to look over before they head out.

    Note that there are areas which are marked as out of bounds on the map.  They're a bit hard to see, but many planted flower beds have red lines on them (i.e., OOB).  If it looks like somebody's garden, please don't run through it.  The other OOB area is Tulpehocken Road, which borders the northeastern edge of the map.  The road is marked with red X's and it is forbidden to run on the road or its shoulder (and you don't need to - anywhere you may want to go near the road is passable on natural vegetation).  Also, you should have no need to go there, but please stay off of athletic fields, even though they are not marked as OOB.

    I would recommend not wearing studded shoes since you will be on concrete or asphalt quite a bit, or on cut grass.  There are some options to go into woods but that time will be a small percentage of your run (and there is very little, if any rock - I think it's all been moved to Mt. Penn).

    As mentioned, there are many parking lots and roads on the campus.  Traffic should be light, but please be aware of moving vehicles as you cross these areas.

    And finally, just a heads up that we will probably not have access to restrooms on the campus.  There are several commercial establishments along Broadcasting Ave. on the other side of Rt. 222 (e.g., Wawa).  Another option is Gring's Mill Park, which is along Tulpehocken Road across from the campus (take a right on Broadcasting Ave. as you exit the campus, then a right on Tulpehocken and watch for the Gring's Mill entrance on the left).

    Directions:  Broadcasting Ave. exit from Rt. 222 northwest of Reading, head northeast on Broadcasting, turn right into the campus on Harper Road and follow signs (we'll be in the 1st and 2nd parking lots off Harper Road - you have to loop around to get into them).  Use this link to get close:  https://berks.psu.edu/driving-directions-berks-campus
  • Reply by Magna111 on Mon Jul 15, 2019 at 6:17 pm
    Brad Colbeck (Magna111)
    Magna111
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    It sounds like these courses will be shorts friendly, no bushwhacking?
  • Reply by GlenT on Tue Jul 16, 2019 at 9:49 pm
    Glen Tryson (GlenT)
    GlenT
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    There are a few legs which offer route options through the woods.  Routes could be chosen for both courses which result in minimal leg damage while wearing shorts.  
  • Reply by JanetT on Wed Jul 17, 2019 at 3:09 pm
    Janet Tryson (JanetT)
    JanetT
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    UPDATE: There ARE restrooms open, convenient to our start location at Penn State Berks, in the Franco Building near which we are parking.
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