Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some frequently asked questions (and answers) ESOC has had from people who are trying the sport at Local/CATI level or above.
If the answer to your question isn’t here then there’s a very good glossary of orienteering terms on the Mole Valley website you might want to check out.
I already do cross-country running, why would I want to try orienteering?
Where does it take place?
What sort of courses are there?
What do I need to wear and take with me when I go to an event?
How do I get there?
What do I do when I get to an event?
What are all the gadgets people have strapped to themselves?
What is Sport Ident, and what is an e-card?
How do I interpret my map?
What do all the symbols and lines mean on the maps?
What happens at the Start?
What do I do at the Finish?
Do I need to be a member of a club?
How do I find out what events are on in my area?
Q. I already do cross-country running, why would I want to try orienteering? A. Orienteering allows you to go much further off-path than you would in normal cross-country running. You have comprehensive, detailed maps which allow you to cover ground which you probably wouldn't tackle in any other sport. It also works your brain as well as your body as you have to keep a cool head as well as quick feet to get around in the fastest time. Since you are running on your own, against the clock it is a great personal challenge.
Q. Where does it take place?
A. Orienteering generally takes place in forest and woodland areas, although events also take place on fell and moorland areas. And even on sand dunes. Small local events can be found on commons and parkland. Some areas are quite flat, but at others you'll find yourself having to run (or walk !) up and down steep slopes. Urban Orienteering has really taken off in recent years too, both at 'sprint' events which are usually very short (~3km) or for longer 'City races'
Q. What sort of courses are there?
A. Full information on these is on the British Orienteering Federation website page NEW2SPORT
Q. What do I need to wear and take with me when I go to an event?
A. You don't need special clothes to start with, but you will need trousers rather than shorts, and often a long-sleeved top. Unless the weather is cold, you will want light clothes so you don't get too hot. Trainers are fine for shoes, but don't wear anything too nice as they will probably suffer from undergrowth in the forest, as well as getting wet and muddy - this applies to clothes as well. Once you become a regular, you will probably want to buy some special orienteering kit, and some hard-wearing, grippy, O-shoes.
For colour coded events, you may need a red pen to draw the course, and possibly a map case in anything other than very good weather. The only fairly expensive equipment you need is a compass, but you might be able to borrow one if you don't have one. GPS is not allowed. A whistle is advisable, or even compulsory, in steep or exposed areas to call for help if you fall over and injure yourself, and safety pins are useful for all sorts of things. If you come to larger events you'll soon get used to seeing the Ultrasport and Compass Point vans, which both sell a large range of orienteering kit and equipment.
If the weather has been wet recently the ground may be wet, in which case it is advisable to take a change of clothes and shoes. You may want to take a picnic and a drink, although there is usually squash or water available at the Finish at larger events.
There may not be any toilets on site, so please be prepared for this. There are also rarely any changing facilities, so don't be shy about changing in your car, everyone else will be!
Make sure you have enough cash with you to cover any parking and entry fees.
Q. How do I get there?
A. The event will usually be signposted from the nearest major road.
Sometimes a fee is levied (often £1). If so, please have this ready at the entrance as you drive in.
Q. What do I do when I get to an event?
A. Follow the parking marshal's directions (if any marshal is present) to a suitable parking space. Then proceed on foot to Registration. This is either set up in a tent or in a car (or two) at a strategic point in the car park. The courses on offer will be displayed, showing the distance and the amount of climb involved for each course.
Register and pay for a course appropriate to your ability and you will usually receive a map (unless they are pre-printed in which case they will be available from the Start), control description sheet and control card (unless the event is using Sport Ident electronic punching). Sometimes control descriptions are available slightly apart from registration to help yourself to. If the event is using Sport Ident (or Emit) electronic punching, you will need to have an SI card (Brikke) before registration. You can usually hire these at the event for a small fee.
You will usually be allocated a start time at registration. Make sure you are at the Start in plenty of time. The Start may be quite a distance from the car park so during registration check how long it takes to get to the Start.
Check your control descriptions before going to the Start, and if you need any advice as to what they mean, ask someone. They tell you what sort of feature your control will be on, for example a path junction, boulder, ditch etc.
Every control out on the course has a number on it. This number will be listed on the control description card so that you know you've found the correct control when navigating.
Q. What are all the gadgets people have strapped to themselves?
A. Many people wear lycra, or other thin trousers and tops that don't have pockets, therefore, anything they want to carry needs to be attached to them so they don't drop them.
Many people have compasses that you can attach to your thumb with elastic; there is the SI card which straps to your finger also with elastic.
It can be compulsory to carry a whistle.
Some use a clear plastic control description holder for the wrist so you can keep it visible and dry easily. This means that the only thing you have to keep a hold of is your map.
None of these gadgets are essential to buy initially except possibly a compass. If you are taking part in a reasonable number of events it may be worthwhile buying an SI card. These, along with all other orienteering gadgets and gubbins, are available from the Ultrasport and Compass Point vans that frequent large events.
Q. What is Sport Ident, and what is an SI card?
A. Sport Ident is a system which is used for orienteering to electronically register the 'punching' of control points. It consists of a small plastic SI card on elastic which is strapped to the finger. This allows the runner to quickly 'punch' the card into the hole in the top of the SI boxes to register their control point.
The card contains a computer chip which picks up data from each control point that it is 'punched' into. This data can then be downloaded at the Finish to give information about which controls the runner has visited and how long it took to get there from the previous control. They can be hired for a small fee.
They can be bought from Compass Point or Ultrasport at large events. Once bought they should be registered with Sport Ident, so that your information can be automatically entered upon registration at some events using your SI Card number.
Q. How do I interpret my map?
A. Courses are overprinted on the basemap in red. So if there have been any map corrections since the original maps were printed they will be done in red, either written or printed.
Q. What do all the symbols and lines mean on the maps?
A. Well, most maps will have a key which will show what some of the areas and features mean. However, it is worth studying the map key to feel confident about the maps.
Control descriptions can be written in words or with IOF (International Orienteering Federation) (link) symbols. If you need any explanation of what a control description is then don't be afraid to ask.
Q. What happens at the Start?
A. As you make your way from Registration to the Start look out for any notices that may be up outlining any alterations to terrain or other important notices. You never know how important this information may be to your course. There may be map corrections on a Master Map: make sure you copy down any map corrections as accurately as possible, as you may need to navigate off them.
Sport Ident Electronic Punching Events:
Ensure that you punch your SI card into a box marked 'Clear' at the Start. Wait for it to beep before moving on. There will probably be a number of boxes marked out on the ground with tape. These boxes are to organise the competitors before their starts. You will be called up a couple of minutes before your start time (it may be that the TIME is called, rather than your name if you have entered a Colour Coded course). You will then be asked to stand in a taped box. Usually the person controlling the start will ask you to punch a 'Check' box to ensure that your SI card is clear for use. A minute before the start you will be asked to step forward into the final box, and you will be told where to find your map (if you are picking one up at the start) or where the Master Maps are for copying your course onto your map. You will probably be started by either a beep or a whistle. If you need to copy your map be VERY careful to put the circles in the right place!?
Control Card events:
Your control card generally has a stub attached to it, which you will need to complete to hand in at the start. Other than that the start is pretty much the same as above
Q. What do I do at the Finish?
A. The final control is the Finish and will be marked on your map by a circle within a circle. At the Finish, make sure you punch (if it's SI), and then walk back to the Download to retrieve your split times. If it's a Card Punching course then hand your control card to the person manning the Finish. There should be a juice/water station somewhere between the Finish and the Car Park so you can rehydrate after your run (or walk !).
If you've been punching then remember to Download. You punch a box next to a computer to download your course data. Usually you will be given a print out of your split times so you can see how fast you went from each control. There may be some preliminary results up around the Download station, although the final results will only be available once all competitors have completed their courses. Results are more easily found on the website a few days after the event.
Once you have Downloaded, if you have hired an SI card, please remember to return it. Then you are free to browse the flyers for events, socialise with other runners (although it's important not to show your map to people who have yet to run), and get changed and go home.
Q. Do I need to be a member of a club?
A. No, but if you have entered a few events and wish to continue with the sport, it's a good idea to join your local club for information, support and social events. Also, non-members pay higher entry fees at larger events, and are not permitted to run competitively at the highest level events. When you join a Scottish orienteering club, you will automatically become a member of the Scottish Orienteering Association and British Orienteering (the national governing body of orienteering in the UK). For people who are new to orienteering, both the SOA and British Orienteering waive their fees for the first year of membership, so you can try the sport for a modest membership fee. See the "Membership Information" section for further details of ESOC membership.
Q. How do I find out what events are on in my area?
A. Events in the region are listed on the Fixtures/Events page on this website and also on the Scottish Orienteering Association and British Orienteering sites. There are often flyers available at events detailing future events.
Last updated on 02nd Nov 09
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