Orienteering

Hi All

Any orienteers out there in the Runner's World community? Would like to connect with others about their love (and sometimes frustrations) with orienteering. I blog about my orienteering events at rachel4848.wordpress.com 

Look forward to chatting,

Rachel image

Comments

  • Ultra runners have a curious relationship with the art of orienteering.  It is a skill that they need to master, but many try to put off. 

    Personally, I was a hill walker and a scout leader before I became an ultra runner, so I have always had the core skills.

  • carterusmcarterusm ✭✭✭

    I can never seem to find my way to the start of an orienteering event......

  • I'm another from a hill walking (and Forces) background and I love getting a bit of orienteering in over the winter. As CragC says they are fantastically family friendly (even though at 2 and 10 months my two are a bit little for participation yet!). And it is the only sort of running event that my husband really participates willingly in!

  • Orienteering, brings back memeories of the late 70's early 80's for me. image

    I was southern  champion for my age group M17 came 4th in the national championships and made it to the Junior GB national team for a couple of years.

    Travelled all over the country and europe with my family competing in events.

    I have not thought about Orienteering for years, hmm maybe I should give it another go.

  • Glad to see that there are some orienteers out there! I think for some fast runners the stop/start nature of orienteering can be a challenge but you are right in saying that orienteering is family friendly. I shall be up in Scotland for the Scottish 6 Days this year. The areas around Moray are technically challenging and I can't wait. In the meantime got two events this weekend, one on Cleeve Hill in the Cotswolds and another down on the Mendips. Can't get enough!

  • One of the reason I stopped was because to compete at the top meant alot of travelling, which was fine when my parents were involved but as soon as they stopped I basically had no choice as I didn't have a car then.

    Plus late teens early 20's I found sex, drugs and rock&roll more apealingimageimageimage

  • Sometimes being slow and steady wins the race particularly with orienteering. I'm not a fast runner by any means but if my navigation is good I can cover the ground and post a fairly reasonable time image

  • Will be at the Scotish 6 Days as well. 

     As an ultra runner who is also hooked on navigation I use the pleasure i get from solving navigation issues to motivate me during ultras. I seek out ultras that require navigation. If you love to run distances in the wild then navigation opens up the whole world of Mountain Marathons.

    One thing I will say is that fast or medium paced runners can find taking up orienteering very frustrating. (many give up on there first attempt) .

    I know of several runners who started orienteering when injured .( one who started on crutches!) They all accepted that they could not run  at the time and so put their effort into the navigation and got on well with the sport. Starting orienteering requires ditching your racing mentality  for the first few events.

  • I think faster runners forget that they have to slow down when approaching control sites therefore overshooting and having to double back. That's why, for someone like me who is not a particularly fast runner, if my navigation is good I can finish in a good position. image

  • I agree wholeheartedly with Ian and orienteeringgirl. ( Hi Ian - L here)

    Orienteering is running and thinking at the same time. If you're running faster than you can think / follow the map, then you'll get lost.

    Good runners have to slow down when orienteering ( so I'm told). There is a great sense of achievement though when you plan a route and execute it well!

    I'll also be at the 6 days.

  • Considered "adventure racing" ?

    Basically speaking they are generally time based races (score) in which you visit as many controls as you like / can / feel like, and return to base within the given time. So fairly sociable with people finishing close together regardless of ability.

    The clinchers for runners / hillwalkers is that firstly they tend to use the OS maps you are familiar with, and secondly the navigation on shorter races is often less technical than on the longer orienteering races you'll be tempted to enter ("to make it worthwhile turning up").

    However they are multi discipline - so you're pretty much guaranteed a mountain bike section. Longer events add different disciplines - basic kayaking being fairly common.

    http://www.racingsnakes.com/searchtype.php

    and

    http://www.sleepmonsters.com/v2_calendar.php?

    are good sources.

    Good luck with whatever rocks your boat & gets you out there.

     

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