Jan Kjellström
International Festival
of Orienteering 2025
South Yorkshire
18th April - 21st April
South Yorkshire 18th April - 21st April

Sprint ⬥ Friday 18th April 2025

Friday 18th April 2025

Sheffield City Centre

Based in the Peace Gardens in the heart of Sheffield City Centre, you don't get Sprints more central than this!

Competitors will explore the diverse urban terrain of the Steel City, passing through several centuries-worth of retail and industrial developments, as well as residential areas including the iconic Park Hill Flats, before finishing in the shadow of the Town Hall.

With intricate building shapes and passageways, mixed with fast running sections, but also some climb to contend with, Sheffield city centre offers the perfect sprint orienteering area.   

Charlotte Ward

Location

The area for the JK Sprint encompasses the majority of the City Centre, highlights of which include the Theatres, Fargate shopping area and Cathedral Quarter. The embargo also includes areas north and west of the Centre, such as Sheffield Hallam University's City Campus, Parkhill Flats, Victoria Quays Canal Basin, and recently regenerated areas around the River Don.

The Arena will be in the Peace Gardens: Google MapsApple MapsWazeSK353871jukebox.local.shut
Some facilities such as Enquiries will be inside the Silver Room of the adjacent Town Hall.

Travel

Select a button to view travel directions

Sheffield is well served by public transport links: Sheffield Train Station is 700m away from the Arena, the nearest Tram Stop (Cathedral) is just 400m away, and most Bus routes terminate in the Centre. Please note that due to the Good Friday Bank Holiday, Sunday timetables will be in operation. See Travel South Yorkshire for more information.

Park and Ride

Park and Ride options are available using Sheffield's Supertram either alighting at Sheffield Station or Sheffield Cathedral Tram Stops.

Local people walking to Sheffield City Centre are advised to enter via Eyre St and Furnival Gate and follow tapes to assembly.

Sheffield City Centre has a comprehensive cycle network. View a map of Sheffield's Cycle Routes.

Sheffield is well served by the M1 to the east of the City Centre with options to exit at Junction 33 from the South and Junction 34 from the North. Follow signs for either the Park and Ride (if using), or Sheffield City Centre for Car Parks. There will be no road signage to the event.

Suggested Car Parks in the City Centre are:

  • APCOA: The Moor
  • Atkinsons Carpark
  • Arundel Street Carpark
  • Matilda Street Carpark
  • NCP Wellington St
  • NCP Furnival Gate
  • Q Park Charles St

Directions for Campervans are the same as for Cars, though some Car Parks and Park & Rides have height restrictions. A list of those without height restrictions will be published here in due course.

Event Schedule

09:00 Car Parks and Park & Ride open
09:15 Enquires & Trophy Return open
11:00 First start time
~14:20 WRE women last finisher
~14:50 WRE men last finisher
15:00 Last start time
~15:45 Prizegiving, Awards and Medal Ceremony
16:00 Sprint courses close
17:00 Enquiries closes

Accommodation in the Embargo

Given that the JK25 Sprint is being held in Sheffield City Centre, it is inevitable that competitors and their families may be booking accommodation in the area embargoed for the event.

The nature of sprint competitions is that the controls are usually very obvious; the challenge is executing the routes between them. Seeing a few controls in the area is usually of very little help.

On the morning of the event we would ask competitors, in the spirit of fairness, not to wander around the competition area but to proceed straight to the Assembly area. The same applies to those arriving by public transport or parking close to the city centre. Having deposited bags and picked up your bib numbers, you should follow the taped route to your designated Start.

Starts

There are two Starts, as detailed below. Please follow tapes to the Starts, and observe the out-of-bounds to avoid walking into the event area.

Start Courses Route Details
Near Start 5 to 14 0.2 km Due to the small area that the Near Start is in, please don’t arrive too early.
Far Start 1 to 4 2.2 km A Model Area is provided close to the Far Start.
Portable toilets will also be available here for competitors.

Map

Numerous sprint and urban events have occurred in Sheffield over the years, and maps can be seen on the SYO Routegadget. Urbans in 2019 and 2021 were the most recent events that visited parts of the JK Sprint area.

The map is to ISSprOM 2019-2 IOF Specification, unless otherwise stated. Scales are 1:4000, or enlarged to 1:3000 as appropriate for some courses, with a 2.5m contour interval. Survey and cartography by Ian Cooper (SYO) 2023/25. All maps are A4 size, and are digitally printed by BML on waterproof paper.

Terrain & Mapping Notes

The JK25 Sprint is being held in Sheffield City Centre, with the finish being located adjacent to the Town Hall. Compared with university campus events, this event presents different challenges for competitors. There are some heavy traffic roads which are mapped as out of bounds and which can only be crossed by under or overpasses or at manned crossing points - other roads have traffic and should be crossed with care. There are tram lines that can be crossed with care (look both ways, the trams are quiet) except where shown with olive green. Sheffield is also promoting cycle use so there are dedicated cycle paths in many areas.

There is a central shopping area, some of which is pedestrianised, the World Snooker Championships are taking place and football fans may also be in the centre, so there will be many users/pedestrians/cyclists who are not orienteers. Please be courteous and compete with care.

Sheffield also has much construction work underway into 2025. The event map will be as up-to-date as possible.

Otherwise this is a typical urban area with roads, paths, open spaces, steps and multi-level areas. There is much street furniture, such as flower pots, defibrillators, benches and signs, with only the larger more significant features individually mapped. Roads are shown with pavements, which may include cycle lanes where they are significant. There are significant slopes in Sheffield and where buildings and car parks have been built into slopes the contours reflect the relief of the running surface, so if the running surface is flat there are no contours.

Clothing & Footwear

Shorts and running vests are permitted for this race. It can be muddy in places and therefore shoes with some grip would be appropriate, however shoes with spikes and metal dobs are not allowed.

Officials

Planners - Pete Tryner & Tim Tett (SYO)

Controller - Ranald Macdonald (DVO)

Assistant Controller - Andy Preston (SYO)

Mapper - Ian Cooper (SYO)

Organiser - Susan Guy (SYO) 

Assistant Organiser - Brownwen Doyle (SYO)

IOF Adviser - David Rosen (SROC)