Saturday 05/09/2026 - 2026 - Chair's Challenge - Elton Giant Mazes
The annual NGOC Chairman's Challenge is back! The Chair's Challenge is primarily a fun, social, event for club members and other friends of NGOC who compete regularly at our events. It takes place this year on Saturday 5th September, as 3 mini sprints. We are very grateful to Chris George at Elton Giant Maize Mazes for access to hold our event in the mazes, and particularly for opening them to us after he would normally have closed for the summer, and the maize would have been harvested! As a result we have the whole place to ourselves, and as an added bonus, or perhaps challenge would be a more appropriate sentiment,
this year, for the first time in out maize maze events, we will be including the Adventure Maze in the courses.
The challenge will take the format of three mini sprints. This will comprise micro-courses of about 1 km each. Map scale is 1:1,500, with an insert that will be 1:400. Unlike the true ultra-sprint format, there will be control codes and descriptions; the area is a little too confusing for anyone to be 100% certain where they are! Prizes will be awarded at the discretion of the Chair, including handicap and junior.
We are holding the event with a start window between 12:30pm and 2:00pm, with courses closing at 3:30pm to allow us to collect in the controls quickly should the farmer choose to start harvesting that evening.
A meal afterwards will be provided by a specially appointed catering team and, as for last year, is expected to include a bowl of chilli (in the style of Wilf’s Café, veg only, for food safety reasons), nibbles, tray bakes and a drink, subject to final numbers and availability. This is optional, at a charge of £5, but free for under 12s. Please book your meal tickets through Fabian 4 alongside your entry so we can get an idea of numbers for catering. Feel free to bring your own picnic or drinks to supplement or instead of the provided lunch. Note that the venue will have closed for the season, so don't expect there to be any staff to sell drinks and snacks.
Please note that touch free dibbing is disabled for this event due to the close proximity of many controls to one another. Therefore everyone must punch every control as well as the Start and Finish ones. If you need to hire a dibber do not select the touch free option.
Entries will open soon at Fabian 4, and will close at midnight on Wednesday 2nd September.
Officials
Organiser/Planner: Ian Jones Queries? email Ian
Directions and Parking
Parking and Assembly are next to each other at the entrance to the mazes. Follow the signs from the main road.
What 3 words: ///releasing.healthier.guessing
Grid Ref: SO692139
NGOC runs a Car Sharing WhatsApp group called NGOC Ride Share for those who need or can offer a lift. Request an invitation to join by emailing equipment@ngoc.org.uk, or texting Pat Macleod, if you have his mobile number.
Click on the parking icon on the map below, and then the 
icon to get directions to the course.
The Area
Very much an area of two halves - two large maize mazes with a distinctive and confusing path network through the crop - and a partially covered willow hedge maze which should test your fine navigation to its limit. The paths in the maize mazes are open and fast; those in the willow maze are short,tight and all the same!
The Map
The main map is at 1:1,500, and includes both mazes. However, on the reverse of the map is a blow up of the willow maze section at 1:400. The full course is printed on the main map, with a flip showing where you can switch to the larger scale if you wish.
You are trusted not to take unmapped short cuts through the crop, nor through obvious man(child!) made holes in the willow maze.
Control descriptions, lose and on the map, will be supplied, but most will be the same......just use the numbers!
Start and Finish
Adjacent to assembly.
Courses
Everyone will run the same three short (approx 1.0 – 1.5km) courses, in any order. As mentioned above, there are control descriptions, and control codes on the map. Note that this event will not meet rule 19.4 of IOF standards for control separation, as controls will be as close as 10m from each other, quite often on similar features. Course leg lengths may be as short as 20m. Accurate navigation will be helpful!
In addition to the Challenge Course, there will be a Yellow course available for entry on the day.
We will use SI Timing, in contact mode only. All runners must punch all controls. At the end of each leg you must download, and then clear, before starting your next leg. There is no time limit between finishing and restarting, subject to completing all legs before 4 pm.
Entries, Timing and Fees
Entry Details
There is one entry class - The Challenge.
Starts: 12:30 - 14:00, which should allow ample time to complete all three courses.
Courses close: 15:30, meaning that you must report to download before 15:45, or risk disqualification.
| Fees | Pre-entry | Entry on the Day | Non-member Supplement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adults | £10 | £13 | £2 |
| Juniors | £5 | £6 | £1 |
| Family (2 adults + their children) | £20 | £24 | As above for any non-members |
SI dibber hire: Standard dibber £1 Adults, Juniors free
You can order meal tickets at £5/ticket when you enter; under 12s eat free, but please remember to register them for meals, if applicable, so that we can calculate numbers. You'll take a chance on food being available if entering on the day.
Entries will open soon, and will close at midnight on Wednesday 2nd September. Please enter early if you can, to help with food planning.
Entry on the day is possible only while maps last, but note the premium price to discourage this. We should by then be able to accept credit/debit card payments, but this is not guaranteed so bring cash just in case.
A helper discount is available for those offering to help on the day. These events don't happen without volunteers willing to help out on the day, so if you are able to do so, before signing up to enter, email Ian Prowse, Volunteer Coordinator, to let us know if you can help, and ask for the helper discount code that you can apply when entering. You don't have to be a NGOC member to help, but you do need to be a BOF member to be covered insurance wise.
Refunds
The standard Fabian4 terms and conditions offer an automatic refund up to 2 months before the event date, and we do not normally vary this specification. That means that in most cases no refunds are possible, as we do not publish details until less than 2 months before the date of the event.
However, for all except large events we hold entries open until only a few days before the event, so you can delay entry if unsure whether you can run, until very close to event day.
Dogs
Dogs are permitted under control in the parking area and in the maize mazes, but not the willow maze. This is a very public child friendly site so it is essential that you clean up after your dog.
Facilities
There is a toilet on site along the access road before you get to the car park./p>
The Maze cafe will not be open, but our own catering crew will provide drinks and tray bakes etc.
Safety
Competitors take part at their own risk and are responsible for their own safety. Please wear appropriate clothing and footwear for terrain and weather.
The biggest risk around the area is collisions between runners in the mazes. You must proceed with caution and be prepared to give way to others particularly around corners and in the willow maze.
A risk assessment has been carried out and will be available to view at assembly.
A First Aid kit will be available at Assembly, together with qualified first aiders.