Planning an Event

Objectives of a Course

The primary goal of an orienteering course is to provide a fair and safe test of both physical and technical skills. The course should ensure that skill—not chance—determines the outcome, with the safety of all competitors as the top priority. Other key considerations include enhancing competitor enjoyment and accommodating the needs of media and spectators.

Features of a Successful Course

A well-designed course challenges competitors by engaging as many of their skills as possible. To achieve this, courses should:

Offer a Variety of Terrain: Include different types of terrain to test running and navigation skills.
Use Diverse Control Sites: Place controls in a range of locations, such as on distinct features or in challenging spots.
Incorporate Varied Leg Lengths: Mix long and short legs to test both speed and fine navigation.
Frequent Changes of Direction: Keep competitors thinking by regularly altering the course’s direction.
Maximize Route Choices: Present multiple route options to encourage strategic decision-making.

Course Planning Steps

Map Acquisition: Obtain the most up-to-date map from the Mapping Officer to ensure accurate course planning.
Site Selection: Identify suitable locations for the assembly area, finish line, and parking. Ensure good access for two-wheel-drive vehicles and ample parking for around 50 cars.
Children's Courses: Locate areas with linear features like fences and tracks for safe and straightforward children's courses.
Start Location: Decide on the start point(s). It’s acceptable to use two separate starts, typically one for children and one for adults.
Course Length Calculation: Review past events in similar terrain (check the results on the SOC website) to determine appropriate course lengths. Adjust for changes in vegetation or terrain. Consult an experienced course planner if needed, as getting these lengths right is crucial. Use Purple Pen software for accurate measurement.
Plan Shorter Courses First: Begin with the easier courses, identifying good “legs” that offer challenging navigation or route choice. Incorporate these legs into multiple courses where appropriate.
Different First Controls: Ensure each course has at least a different first control to prevent competitors from following each other straight out of the start.
Avoid Early Convergence: Avoid introducing common legs until after the first few controls to reduce the chance of competitors following each other.
Water Stations: Include water stations at appropriate points throughout the course, especially in longer or more physically demanding courses.

Setting Easy and Moderate Navigation Courses

Very Easy Navigation Courses (White)

Aim: Introduce beginners to basic orienteering skills, such as map orientation and understanding map symbols, and ensure that all competitors complete the course successfully.

Course Design:

- Use handrails (distinct linear features) or if necessary, tapes or streamers to guide competitors.
- The course should be navigable without a compass.
- No contour recognition or precise distance estimation is required.
- Keep the course safe, with good visibility and runnability.
- Design short legs with numerous controls, avoiding any route choice.
- Place controls on or near handrails or at obvious point features, clearly visible from the handrail.
- Ensure controls are present at every track junction, guiding competitors in the correct direction.
- Prioritize safety—avoid difficult obstacles or crossing busy roads.
- Err on the side of making the course too easy rather than too difficult.

Easy Navigation Courses (Yellow)

Aim: Introduce skills like basic contour recognition, distance estimation, and simple route choice.

Course Design:

- Built around handrails, but may incorporate strong contour features with good catching features (e.g., a road).
- Good visibility and runnability are essential.
- Orienteers should be able to orient the map without a compass, using linear features.
- Allow for direction changes or line feature changes without a control at the turning point.
- Controls should be no more than 50m from handrails, with obvious attack points and strong catching features.
- Occasionally allow competitors to cut corners, offering simple route choice.
- Controls should be visible from the approach side.
- Ensure safety by avoiding difficult obstacles or busy roads.

Moderate Navigation Courses (Orange)

Aim: Provide a technical challenge without allowing serious errors to occur.

Course Design:

- Course should traverse cross-country, with handrail options as the less desirable route.
- Legs should enable orienteers to maintain good map contact through well-defined contour features and prominent landmarks.
- Offer route choices that require rough compass running and fine navigation of up to 100m.
- Include distance estimation up to 100m, with strong attack points and catching features behind controls.
- Control sites should be on easily recognizable point features, such as boulders, rather than subtle features like pits.
- Avoid low-visibility areas and ensure that controls are on the far side of point features.
- Challenge orienteers while ensuring their safety.

Setting Hard Navigation Courses (Red)

Aim: Test all advanced orienteering skills, including map reading, route choice, compass skills, distance estimation, terrain running, concentration, and the ability to adapt speed to different conditions.

Guidelines:

Set long legs early in the course and short, intensive legs near the end.
Each control and leg should serve a clear purpose—consider adjusting legs for better challenge and flow.
Keep courses within the most detailed areas to increase technical difficulty.
Design long legs through easier terrain, where faster running can lead to errors.
Look for route choice opportunities within each leg, ensuring that the most difficult navigation is on the fastest route.
Use at least two controls in every detailed area to increase navigational difficulty.
On hills, opt for diagonal legs that are less physically demanding but more challenging to navigate.
After reviewing the course for some time, it may start to seem easy. Don’t worry—this is normal. Avoid hiding controls or using difficult-to-locate features.
If unsure about a control site, it's better to leave it out.
Avoid poorly mapped areas or control locations that cannot be clearly described.

Features to Avoid on a Course

Same First Control for Different Courses: This can lead to competitors following each other.
Excessive Controls: Using more than about 60 controls can create unnecessary complexity.
Overly Physical Courses: Aim for a maximum of 4% climb (climb/distance for the optimum route) to prevent unnecessary physical strain.
Dog Legs: Avoid routes that require competitors to retrace their steps to and from a control.
Dead Running: Ensure every leg presents a navigational challenge.
Bingo Controls: Avoid controls that rely on luck rather than skill, such as a small boulder on a rocky hillside.
Close Controls: Avoid placing controls too close together on similar features, which can cause confusion.
Map Edges: Be cautious with controls near the map edge or routes that might lead competitors off the map.
Tricks and Hidden Controls: Do not use trick features like hidden controls or those in a maze of detail.
Chance for Cheating: Design courses to minimize opportunities for competitors to punch controls out of order.
Poorly Mapped Areas: If a control location is difficult to describe clearly, it’s best not to use it.

Course Review

Before finalizing, share your draft courses with an experienced orienteer for feedback. Often, this person will serve as the Controller for your event, ensuring your courses meet the standards outlined above.

MTBO Rules (Mountain Bike Orienteering)

MTBO Rules

Avoid Score Events: Score events should be avoided in MTBO to prevent accidents caused by bikers traveling in opposite directions on narrow tracks. Design courses so that all participants travel in the same direction to minimize risk.

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