Thames Valley Street Series #17 - Cowley
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It's back for 2026! Hugely popular in 2025, this is our Thames Valley Street Series - a fast furious race around the streets of various parts of Oxford and nearby towns. It's open to all, so give it a go!
An event using the MapRun app, it take the form of a 1 hour score course (find as many control points as you can). It's followed by a lively social at the pub. We hope to see as many people as possible and do stick around after!
It's an exciting urban race with a twist around the streets and intricate lanes/alleys. There is no set route to the course and you have to find your own way around, trying to find as many controls as you can, as fast as you can, using a special map.
*Entries close at 14.00 on the day of the event.*
*Please try and enter as soon as possible. This helps us estimate map numbers.*
It's only £3 (members)/£4.50 (non-members) to enter! Pre-entries only, via RaceSignUp, here: https://racesignup.co.uk/thames-valley-street-series-2026
Further website details: https://tvoc.org.uk/events/tvss-17-cowley/
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LOCATION
The complex streets and paths of Cowley, also visiting Florence Park.
The event will be hosted from a pub - The Jolly Postboys, 22 Florence Park Road, Oxford, OX4 3PH.. Please do stick around for a drink/food after your run. The pub has an offer of 2 burgers for £25 on a Tuesday night, so find someone to team up with!
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THE RACE
Start any time between 18:30 and 19.30. Courses close (i.e. everyone must finish by) 20:30.
It's a MapRun 1 hour score event. There will be around 30 controls to try and find within 60 minutes. Controls may be found in any order. Controls 10-19 score 10, controls 20-29 score 20, and controls 30-39 score 30 etc. 20 point penalty for each minute or part minute you are over the hour. You may complete as many or as few controls as you want.
The event will use the free MapRun app. This is available on smartphones, as well as Apple and Garmin watches. It’s advised to have this app downloaded in advance of the event. The event is available to download, but is protected by a PIN which you will be given at the event (so you can't see the map until the race itself).
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WHAT TO BRING
Yourself, in suitable clothing (high-vis highly recommended) and running footwear. A phone with plenty of charge. A Garmin/Apple watch if you own one. A compass (not essential).
============================
MAP
1:10,000 paper street-o map. Solid and dashed black lines show roads and paths respectively. Purple cross-hatch is out of bounds. A solid purple line is an impassable feature. Orange indicates grassy terrain that can be run across if access shown as permitted. Green indicates vegetation that is assumed impassable. Blue is water.
============================
HOW DOES IT WORK?
As this event uses the MapRun app, there is no physical orienteering infrastructure out on the course. Controls are set virtually, and your phone/watch will register when you have got within a few metres of the specified control site location on the map. Check out our Maprun info page here, which has links to download the Maprun app: https://tvoc.org.uk/maprun/
============================
DIRECTIONS / PARKING / PUBLIC TRANSPORT
There is no dedicated pub car park but there is free parking on nearby residential roads, if driving please be mindful of not parking in front of people’s driveways, etc. and be aware that LTN systems in Oxford mean that you’ll have to approach the pub from the south. If planning to use public transport the 46 bus stops right outside the pub, but only runs hourly; there are more regular buses which run along the Iffley Road including the 3 which runs to and from the train station, the Iffley Turn bus stop is about 5 minutes walk from the pub.
============================
ENTRIES
Enter here: https://racesignup.co.uk/thames-valley-street-series-2026
Only £3 for club members and under 21s, and £4.50 for non-members. Under 16s must be accompanied by somebody 16 or over on their run. Online entries will be open until 14.00 on the day of the event.
An event using the MapRun app, it take the form of a 1 hour score course (find as many control points as you can). It's followed by a lively social at the pub. We hope to see as many people as possible and do stick around after!
It's an exciting urban race with a twist around the streets and intricate lanes/alleys. There is no set route to the course and you have to find your own way around, trying to find as many controls as you can, as fast as you can, using a special map.
*Entries close at 14.00 on the day of the event.*
*Please try and enter as soon as possible. This helps us estimate map numbers.*
It's only £3 (members)/£4.50 (non-members) to enter! Pre-entries only, via RaceSignUp, here: https://racesignup.co.uk/thames-valley-street-series-2026
Further website details: https://tvoc.org.uk/events/tvss-17-cowley/
============================
LOCATION
The complex streets and paths of Cowley, also visiting Florence Park.
The event will be hosted from a pub - The Jolly Postboys, 22 Florence Park Road, Oxford, OX4 3PH.. Please do stick around for a drink/food after your run. The pub has an offer of 2 burgers for £25 on a Tuesday night, so find someone to team up with!
============================
THE RACE
Start any time between 18:30 and 19.30. Courses close (i.e. everyone must finish by) 20:30.
It's a MapRun 1 hour score event. There will be around 30 controls to try and find within 60 minutes. Controls may be found in any order. Controls 10-19 score 10, controls 20-29 score 20, and controls 30-39 score 30 etc. 20 point penalty for each minute or part minute you are over the hour. You may complete as many or as few controls as you want.
The event will use the free MapRun app. This is available on smartphones, as well as Apple and Garmin watches. It’s advised to have this app downloaded in advance of the event. The event is available to download, but is protected by a PIN which you will be given at the event (so you can't see the map until the race itself).
============================
WHAT TO BRING
Yourself, in suitable clothing (high-vis highly recommended) and running footwear. A phone with plenty of charge. A Garmin/Apple watch if you own one. A compass (not essential).
============================
MAP
1:10,000 paper street-o map. Solid and dashed black lines show roads and paths respectively. Purple cross-hatch is out of bounds. A solid purple line is an impassable feature. Orange indicates grassy terrain that can be run across if access shown as permitted. Green indicates vegetation that is assumed impassable. Blue is water.
============================
HOW DOES IT WORK?
As this event uses the MapRun app, there is no physical orienteering infrastructure out on the course. Controls are set virtually, and your phone/watch will register when you have got within a few metres of the specified control site location on the map. Check out our Maprun info page here, which has links to download the Maprun app: https://tvoc.org.uk/maprun/
============================
DIRECTIONS / PARKING / PUBLIC TRANSPORT
There is no dedicated pub car park but there is free parking on nearby residential roads, if driving please be mindful of not parking in front of people’s driveways, etc. and be aware that LTN systems in Oxford mean that you’ll have to approach the pub from the south. If planning to use public transport the 46 bus stops right outside the pub, but only runs hourly; there are more regular buses which run along the Iffley Road including the 3 which runs to and from the train station, the Iffley Turn bus stop is about 5 minutes walk from the pub.
============================
ENTRIES
Enter here: https://racesignup.co.uk/thames-valley-street-series-2026
Only £3 for club members and under 21s, and £4.50 for non-members. Under 16s must be accompanied by somebody 16 or over on their run. Online entries will be open until 14.00 on the day of the event.
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Where is it happening?
Cowley, 21 Florence Park Road, Oxford, OX4 3PN, United Kingdom
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
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Host or PublisherThames Valley Orienteering Club
