Attending an Eventwhat happens at an organised orienteering event

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This section describes what to expect at a full scale orienteering event. If you have already been to one of our smaller events such as Park-O, you will already be familiar with the basics of the sport, but here we explain some aspects you might not find at a lower-key event.

Attending an Event

Select your event from the events list and check out the details given. Note that many orienteering events are in obscure rural areas so plan your journey to the event carefully.

At many events you can just turn up on the day and choose which course to run. However, it is recommended that you register in advance (or enter on-line). This helps reduce waiting times at registration and helps us gauge how many maps to print. The event page will have details of how to register or pre-enter. Some events will not offer entry on the day, and pre-entry is essential - please check before you travel to the event.

Novices will be able to get lots of help and advice from those at registration - ask when you arrive.

Please bring

• Comfortable clothes and footwear for walking or running in, that you don’t mind getting dirty. Not shorts (unless your course is exclusively in urban terrain) - Full leg cover is usually mandatory for forest events.
• A compass if you have one - not strictly necessary for easier courses but will make navigating much easier. You can borrow a compass at registration.
• A whistle is a useful safety measure if you get lost or injured. At some events you will not be allowed to start without one, but that would be unusual in East Anglia.
• If the weather is wet and cold, please bring a waterproof top layer
• A means to pay your entry fee, unless you have pre-paid. We can take card payments, unless we are in a forest without a phone signal, in which case you will need to remember to bring cash.

When you arrive you will get

• A map (normally printed on waterproof paper, with you course pre-marked). Usually you will only get to see your map after you have punched the start, but younger juniors on White and Yellow courses will be able to see their map before they start.
• A "dibber" (SI card) - a dibber is an electronic device that records when you go to a control, the modern equivalent of a control card. If you are hiring one of these, you must pick this up from registration when you arrive.
• Control descriptions - A printed list which tells you what you are looking for at each control site (e.g. path junction) and also used to check that the control you have found is the right one for your course. These may be handed out at registration or in the start lanes. There is usually a copy of the descriptions printed on the map, but having a separate copy avoids you having to keep unfolding your map to take a look. You will need some means to keep hold of the descriptions slip as you run - most orienteers use specially designed holders which fit on a wrist or sleeve.

Registration to Finish

We use an electronic system to record your passage around the course: you carry an electronic punch (SI card, or "dibber" which you use to record your visit to each control point on the course.

Veteran orienteers may still remember the 20th-century days of carrying a paper card around and recording visits to controls using a pin punch. This has been completely superseded by electronic punching, but that's where the term "punching" comes from, and also explains why the electronic dibbers are officially called "SI-cards".

The basic process is:

1. Check which course you want to run. If you have pre-entered and want to change which course you run, ask at registration - this is usually allowed, depending on map quantities available.
2. Fill out a registration slip (not needed if pre-entered)
3. Show your completed slip to the registration team and pay for your entry.
4. Collect your hire dibber (unless you are using your own).
5. You are now free to start your run. Aim to arrive at the start in your pre-assigned start block time, if these have been allocated. This is normally not critical, but at bigger events will you may be given an exact time to start - don't miss your slot!
6. At the start, the start official will ask you to clear then check your dibber using the electronic boxes provided. The dibber will not work unless this procedure is followed.
7. When the start clock beeps, get ready and go on the long beep. Punch the start control, pick up your map, and run your course, looking for your next control kite each time and recording your arrival at each control point by dibbing.
8. Don't forget to punch at the finish - your race time stops now.
9. Go to download so that we know you are home safe and you can obtain your result. With electronic punching the record of your run is immediately available and the course results are usually available before you leave the event. Provisional results are usually available on the website the same day and will be finalised over the next couple of days.

Safety

When you have visited all the controls on your course, not forgetting the Finish, you visit the download area to have your electronic dibber "read". If you have hired a dibber, you return it here.

Even if you don’t find all the controls it is important that you report to download so that we (and your friends) know that you have finished and are not lying injured in the forest.

The course closing time is printed on the map and you should aim to get to the finish by this time even if that means you won't visit every control.

If you lose your dibber you must tell the people at the finish / download.