Orienteering is a running sport combining cross-country running with navigation using map and compass.
The goal is to find a series of checkpoints (called controls) shown on the map, choosing routes both on and off trail to find those checkpoints, and return to the finish.
The fastest finisher who found all the controls in the right order wins.
Participation can be at recreational level, a family experience, or a competitive sport.
To excel at a competitive level the athlete requires several skills:
- speed, endurance, and agility in running off trail in varied terrain
- the skill of map reading at speed to choose the best route
- the ability to read the terrain and relate it to the map
- decision-making under physical stress
Orienteering Ottawa has over 50 years of organizing competitions, training for youth and adults, and developing athletes to compete at an international level. The club has a full schedule of local events and trainings year-round. We participate regularly in national and international races, and recently hosted the North American Orienteering Championships in the Ottawa Valley.
Perhaps you or your child has tried out the sport at school. Orienteering Ottawa has partnerships with the OCSB and the OCDSB and has introduced the sport to thousands of students over the past few years. Orienteering is listed as an option in the Ontario school curriculum, with protocols for supervision and safety, and some teachers instruct a full orienteering module as part of their courses.
Students can continue to gain experience and opportunities in the sport by joining one of Orienteering Ottawa’s Learn-to-Orienteering programs or by competing in the club’s local Sunday events.
For students who enjoyed the orienteering introduction at school but may have difficulty attending evening training sessions or weekend competitions, Orienteering Ottawa is planning to pilot interschool competitions in the spring to help them continue to improve their skills and compete at a higher level.
Our primary target is high school athletes who may or may not already be involved in track or cross-country running. Most of the members of the Orienteering Canada National Junior Team and the National Team also race cross-country or did so in high school.
Orienteering Ottawa owns a strong history of developing Team Canada athletes who compete at World Championships, often held in the sport’s European hotbed.
We invite all interested athletes to come on out and give orienteering a try – you never know where it may take you!
Find out more at OttawaOC.ca.