About Events

The Event Structure is currently under review and some of the information below will change in January 2010.

This section aims to help you decide the type of event and course that is right for you depending on your age and ability.  For a more detailed guide about going to an event please see the Newcomers Guide in the New to Orienteering Section.

Types of Events

Colour Coded Courses

Permanent Orienteering Courses

Age Classes

Going to an Event

National Badge Scheme for Events

Reducing Orienteering's Impact on the Environment

Types of Events

There are many types of orienteering events that are divided into three sections; Local, Regional and National events.  There are also Night Events, Relays and Score Events.  Young children can also take part in string courses where they have their own map and follow a line of string which takes them around a set of controls marked by fun characters. Clubs also club training, summer evening events, Saturday morning events or come-and-try-it events. These can be a little less frequent than district events depending on how active the club is. All different types of local and district events are ideal for newcomers.

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Colour Coded Courses

The most common type of event put on by clubs is called a colour coded event which offers a range of courses which vary in length and technical difficulty rating. The courses are colour-coded from White, which is for children, including parents with pushchairs, through to Brown, which is for people who can run at speed over long distances, through tough terrain and are able to navigate at the same time. Courses are graded according to their technical difficulty (TD) and length. 

The TD scale runs from:

TD1 = Very easy

TD5 = Very difficult

White (TD1) White courses are very easy with all controls on paths.  They are mainly used by 6-10 year olds and family groups. Length of course 1.0 – 1.5km

Yellow (TD2) Yellow courses use simple linear features like paths, walls and streams.  They are mainly used by under 12’s and families. Length of course 1.5 – 2.5km

Orange (TD3) Orange courses progress to basic use of the compass and route choice. They are ideal for novice Orienteers.  Length of course 2.5 – 3.5km

Red (TD3) Red courses are technically similar to an orange course.  They are used by beginners wanting a longer run. Length of course 3.5 – 7.5km

Light Green (TD4) Light green courses are ideal for improvers as the technical difficulty begins to increase and uses simple contours and ‘point’ features. Length of course 2.5 – 3.5km

Green (TD5) Green courses are technically difficult and use contour and point features. They are used mostly by experienced under 18’s and adults wanting a short but challenging course. Length of course 3.5 – 5.0km

Blue (TD5) Blue courses are technically difficult and are a longer, more physically demanding course in comparison to the green. The distances are also more varied between controls and the course attracts experienced Orienteers. Length of course 5.0 – 7.5km

 Brown (TD5) Brown courses are physically demanding and technically difficult. They are designed to challenge experienced orienteers. Length of course 7.5 – 10.0km

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Permanent Orienteering Courses

These are fixed orienteering courses available throughout Great Britain. They are usually designed for beginners but often include difficult options for improving or experienced orienteers. They are a great way to improve your navigation skills, experience orienteering without needing to attend an event or to simply make a walk more interesting. For information about permanent orienteering courses in your area use the search facility here.

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Age Classes

Your age class is determined by your gender and how old you will be on the 31st December of the year of the competition. So even if a person is not aged 40 until December 2009 they will compete in W/40 from January 2009. W/M refers to gender.

* M/W 21 is an open class that anybody can enter

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Going to an Event

Once you have found a suitable event on the fixtures list (found in the “Events” section” you need to locate the venue. Most events featured in the fixtures list will have a link to the organising club’s website where further information can be found.

The website directions to the car park will normally explain how to get to a certain point on a major road, and then tell you to follow the Orienteering-signs. These are arrows, usually hung from posts or fences, which point the way to the car park. They may say 'Orienteering', or 'O', or just be marked with the orienteering symbol, which is a square divided into red and white triangles. The car park will often turn out to be a farmer's field, and may well be off the main road and down narrow lanes. Keep following the arrows until you see marshals who will show you exactly where to park.

Sunday morning local events normally have start times between 10.30am and 12.30pm, with courses closing at 3.30pm, and event entry from 10am until 12pm. There will normally be an enquiries point so if you have any questions, however trivial they may seem, just ask.

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National Badge Scheme

The British Orienteering National Badge Scheme awards badges on the basis of performance over a series of events. Badges are graded Championship, Gold, Silver and Bronze. The scheme is open to British Orienteering members only. Group members are not eligible.

Championship Badges

Championship Badges are awarded each calendar year to Elite, Long or A course competitors who have achieved the Championship Badge qualifying time at three of the following events:

• The British Orienteering Championships or British Elite Orienteering Championships (Long distance race only);
• The Jan Kjellstrom Individual Events
• The National Events for that year.

At least one qualifying time must be recorded at the British Championships or the JK, and a qualifying time in one age class may not count towards a Championship Badge in another class. In all cases, only the results of those entering the competition as British Orienteering members will be counted in determining the qualifying time.

*For the formulae used to determine the qualifying time for competitors on a long course where there is also an Elite class, or for competitors who have been seeded out of Long Course 1 onto Long Course 2 where there is no elite class, see the British Orienteering Rules and Guidelines Appendix J.

Gold, Silver and Bronze Badges

These badges are awarded on performances in Regional Events, National Events, the British Orienteering Championships, British Elite Orienteering Championships (Long distance race only) and the Jan Kjellström Individual Events over a two year period. Competitors must compete on their own and reach the required standard in three events in the same class within the two years.

Badge qualifying times are calculated from the winning times for the course. Gold is 125%, Silver is 150% and Bronze is 200% of a base time which is the average of the top three places.

If there were only 11 to 20 starters then the base time is the average of the first two places; if there are 10 or fewer starters then the base time is the winner’s time. Badge times for shorter courses are calculated by ratio of length from the longest course that day for that age class.

For Senior classes, only the results of those entering the competition as British Orienteering members will be counted in determining the qualifying time. There is no such restriction for Junior classes and if a current Gold standard competitor enters a B class, their time should not be used in calculating the qualifying time. A Badge standard remains current for two calendar years including the year in which it was achieved.

Junior (under-21) Ageless Gold, Silver and Bronze Badges

These badges are awarded on performances in Regional Events. The scheme is open to competitors who compete on their own and reach the required standard in three events in the same class within two years. Badges are awarded to all Ageless Classes. Note that JM 5S, 5M and 5L and JW 5S and 5L classes are to be treated as separate classes with their own badge time calculation. The results of all those entering a particular class will be counted.

Applying for your Badge

Applications should be made to the Badge Scheme Secretary,

Chris Boycott
13 Dawlish Avenue
Stafford
ST17 0EU

The following should be supplied with a crossed postal order or cheque payable to 'British Orienteering', plus an SAE to fit an A4 certificate.

1. Your full name, club and British Orienteering number (or school, in the case of juniors who are not British Orienteering members)
2. The age class for which you wish to claim an award
3. The type of badge being claimed (Championship, Gold, Silver or Bronze)
4. The date, name and venue of the events on which the award will be based
5. The position and time of the claimant in each qualifying event
6. The type of award requested: cloth badge (£1.50), age/year flash (50p), certificate (50p)

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Reducing Orienteering's Impact on the Environment

Orienteering is totally dependent upon the existence of suitable areas for the sport, which are usually woodland, heath or moor, preferably with height variation to provide contour detail. Such areas in Britain are increasingly rare, and come under many competing human pressures which can jeopardise the sustainability of wildlife and habitats and bring about conflict between people.

Whilst orienteering is generally regarded as having a low environmental impact, orienteers recognise their part in maintaining the integrity and beauty of the countryside in order that the areas we run in today are available undiminished for all users now and in future generations. British Orienteering is therefore committed to the conservation of our natural environment and to ensuring that all orienteers recognise their responsibilities towards the land.

This will be achieved in the following ways:

• Continuing to be aware of the need to maintain a healthy environment, and to integrate this principle into the fundamental conduct of orienteering.
• Ensuring that British Orienteering Environmental Policy and good practice guidance as included in its Rules and Guidelines are consistent with the principles of respect for the environment and the protection of flora and fauna.
• Working in partnership with landowners, government agencies and environmental organisations in defining and achieving good practice.
• Incorporating the importance of nature conservation and consideration for other users in all education and training programmes for orienteers and event officials, and particularly those aimed at young people.
• Taking particular care to observe local regulations for environmental protection, to maintain the litter-free nature of orienteering and to take proper measures to avoid pollution.
• Carrying out basic monitoring of environmental performance at events and collecting the data centrally so that overall performance can be monitored and ways of improving established.

To reduce the environmental impact of orienteering we advise:

Travelling to the Event

Car parking really has a major impact on both event planning and access permissions as the sudden influx of traffic affects other people (particularly local residents) and can affect wildlife and vegetation. It is also a fact that we often drive a long way to events, emitting exhaust gases and adding to congestion.

We will all make our own decisions regarding our environmental responsibility, but we must do so in the knowledge that unnecessary car journeys are environmentally damaging.

Therefore, best practice is to:

• Use public transport where possible.
• Use bicycles for short journeys.
• Share cars with others, or participate in pooled club transport.
• When parking, be conscious of damage that could be caused to road verges, especially in wild areas.

Enjoying our Countryside

Many of the wild areas in which we compete are special enough to have been given a special designation, such as and SSSI. There may be a lot to be learned if we take an interest in the areas we run through, which will enhance the experience and make the day even more memorable. This interest will also help to ensure that we don't cause damage, and may even be able to contribute to conservation by understanding what we are running through.

Run Intelligently

Whilst a fast runner is silent, and leaves a small trace behind, our feet crush vegetation and break the ground when it is wet. Where many runners pass, the damage is highly visible, and research shows that when crushed in the growing season, some wildflowers take a long time to recover.

Therefore, where you have a choice,

• Use paths where practical.
• Avoid trampling wildflowers in bloom.
• Minimise disturbance to any wildlife or nests.
• Avoid boggy areas where possible as any surface vegetation is often particularly fragile and long term damage can result. Anyway, they are not nice to run in!
• Exercise some control when climbing steep banks: scrabbling will dislodge far more than carefully placing your feet.

Crossing Boundaries

Use openings, gates, or crossing points wherever possible (these should normally be provided if there are walls or fences to cross). Standing on a galvanized wire will often crack the coating and a year later, it can be rusted; and crossing dry stone walls often dislodges stones. Remember that gates are best climbed at the hinge end.

• If there is damage, report it to the finish so that remedial work may be undertaken.
• If you open a gate don't forget to close it as it may be retaining livestock, even if it adds a few seconds to your time.
• If you find an open gate, it is usually best to close it and report any concern to the finish.

Other Users

Respect the fact that other people are likely to be using the area you are running through and treat them with consideration. In many cases, local people invest a lot of time, care and even money in their woods, and not everyone understands why someone wants to run at full pelt through beautiful areas or bramble-covered forest floors.

• Avoid scaring horses: try not to 'burst' out of the brush in front of them.
• Be considerate to people walking: your hurry is often matched by their wish to enjoy a gentle stroll.

Take Litter Home

• Take all litter home with you - it is much better than leaving it at the site, even if they provide bins. Please recycle what you can.
• Over 90% of the huge energy used to make aluminium drink cans or food trays can be saved if the products are recycle after use.
• Plastic drink cups or bottles are usually best deposited with all the others as they are more likely to be recycled in bulk.

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