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West Anglian Orienteering Club

Types of Event

Last Updated: Fri 13 Feb 2026

Types of Event

There are several forms of Orienteering events:

Colour coded events - These are the most common type and are typically set in woodland or parkland. Usually 7 or 8 different courses will be on offer, each with a colour to indicate length and technical difficulty. Although the simplest and shortest are intended mainly for juniors, anyone can enter any course. The map will show a sequence of controls which must be visited in the order given. The fastest to correctly complete the course is the winner, but finding all the correct controls in the correct order is more important than speed.

Urban events - these also offer a range of courses for different skill levels and ages, but are set in streetscapes, sometimes involving multiple levels. The courses are not usually colour-coded in this case (you enter according to age class) but they operate in the same way - pick up a map and navigate to the controls in the correct order in as short a time as you can. In urban terrain only those 16 and older are allowed to enter courses that involve proximity to traffic; junior courses at these events are planned to avoid roads. Our MapRun League events are usually set in urban areas.

Score courses - For a score course a large number of controls will be shown on the map. The idea is to visit as many as possible, in any order, within a time limit. The "score" is given by the total of points for visiting controls less any penalty for being over the time limit.

Park-O, Summer Series, and "Come and try it" events - These are aimed specifically at individuals of all ages, and families, who are new to the sport. These are on a more informal smaller scale, and are less competitive.

Night events Orienteering after dark, with a headtorch, can be a thrilling experience. Open heathland which might be a doddle in daylight becomes more challenging, and it is even more important not to get lost!

String course - Not so common nowadays, these are laid on in addition to regular courses at some major events. They are intended for the very young. Follow the string to find the controls.

Relay events - There are several different types of relay but they usually involve several individual runs from a team of 3 or 4 runners being combined into a single score.

We also help to set up and maintain Permanent Orienteering Courses which provide a way to try orienteering in your own time, and MapRun courses which allow individuals to run a course using a smartphone.