Programme for Major Events Conference 2025 released

Major Events Webinar 1 

Tuesday 21 October 2025 (7-9pm)

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Review of 2025 Major Events

Highlighting What Went Well and Even Better If with the 2025 Major Events, using the Officials’ and Competitors’ Feedback forms.

Presenter: Alan Rosen (Hertfordshire Orienteering Club)

Alan is responsible for assigning controllers and IOF advisers to Major Events, running the Feedback system for Major Events, planning the British Night Orienteering Championships 2026, and controlling the British Long Distance Orienteering Championships 2026.

Updates to the 2026 Competition Rules

As a result of the feedback received from this year's Major Events a number of changes to the various Competition Rules have been made.

Whilst these are for the event officials to implement (they are all aware of them) it is useful to spread the word so that they don't come as a surprise when the final details are published.  

Presenter: Barry Elkington (Octavian Droobers)

Barry has orienteered for more than forty years. He has organised and planned a number of major events and many smaller ones. Additionally, he is a member of BOF Rules Group with responsibility for the Competition Rules.

Rules update 2026

Alan will talk through some of the expected updates to the main Rules for 2026.

Presenter: Alan Wallis  (Southern Navigators)

Alan first went orienteering at school in 1970, has been a member of SN since about 1978, and has been a level B controller for 30 years.  After many years of volunteering at the club, association, and national level, he volunteered to chair the Rules Group in mid-2024.

Images below: Alan Rosen, Barry Elkington, and Alan Wallis.

Major Events Webinar 2

Tuesday 28 October 2025 (7-9pm)

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Layers of Trouble: The Hidden Challenges of Multi-Level Orienteering

Steve takes us through lessons learnt from the British Sprints at UEA in August.

Presenter: Steve McKinley (Southern Navigators)

Steve has been orienteering since 1976 as an M11 and became a controller aged 18. He was responsible for controlling the World Championship Sprint and Forest Relays. IOF EA at WMOC 2018, Denmark. He was awarded the Bonington trophy for mapping in 2023. 

Outside of orienteering, I implemented and deployed the first commercially available Automatic Number Plate Reader, so if you have ever been caught speeding via an ANPR sorry!

Safety Update

Looking at heat/humidity and urban/sprint races

Presenter: Tim O’Donoghue

Tim is the Chairman of Solway Orienteers from 1998. He is currently Scottish Orienteering Association's Safety Director - including leading the return to orienteering after the Covid shutdown, and a member of the British Orienteering Safety advisory Group. Although Tim is late starter in orienteering, he is now a Level 2 Coach and Grade B Controller. No significant titles but did once get a top 10 finish in the British Championships.

Images below: Steve McKinley and Tim O'Donoghue.

Major Events Course Planning from an Elite's Perspective

A discussion around how elites view the planning of elite courses at recent major events. Positives, negatives, comparisons to international events and suggestions for the future.

Presenter: Jonathan Crickmore (South Yorkshire Orienteers and OK Ravinen)

Orienteering since birth, Jonathan has run for Southdowns Orienteers, Sheffield University Orienteering Club, Edinburgh University Orienteering Club and now South Yorkshire Orienteers and OK Ravinen. He has been in some form of GB squad since 2007 and his best results (WOC 10th and World Games medal) in the sprint, but now a preference towards the forest. He has co-planned British Sprints in 2011. Have learnt a lot since then!

Presenter: Luke Fisher (Interlopers and IFK Lidingö)

Luke has been involved in various endurance sports since my early teens. He was mainly a runner at university and only started orienteering towards the end of his time as a student (~2021). Luke started out as a member of the Cambridge University Orienteering Club. Now run for Interlopers and IFK Lidingö.

Best results: 28th WOC Long and 10th WOC Relay (both 2025). Won the JK overall in 2024. Luke lives and works in Edinburgh.

Images below: Jonathan Crickmore and Luke Fisher. 

'Best Practice' document and re-establishment of the Event Officials Group

Presenter: Terry Smith (Southampton Orienteering Club)

Terry started orienteering in 1977 with DEE a Member of Southampton Orienteering Club since 1980. Involved in event entry and timing systems since 1988, including WC 98 and WOC 99. Currently Chair of E&CC and MAG and member of Rules Group. Level A Controller Co-Coordinator.

Image below: Terry Smith.