Category: Video & Articles

The week of the 17th to the 25th May this year is World Orienteering Week! This is the 10th year World Orienteering Week has been celebrated and it consists of organised races and educational events around the globe to foster and promote the sport of orienteering.

Here in Sydney we have Garringal Orienteers organising their Moonlight Madness orienteering evening to celebrate WOW 2025. Running around the Woolwich foreshore on the lovely Sydney Harbour will be an ideal way to celebrate this great week! As the name suggests, it’s an evening event and as such head torches are necessary. As usual you can read about the event details on Eventor.

If you are thinking of registering and hosting an event, WOW organisers maintain a catalogue of possible events that you can freely get ideas from.

Happy orienteering in World Orienteering Week!

The good folks at Randwick Sustainability Hub and Uringa Orienteers are launching the new permanent and accessible orienteering course in Randwick on August 10! If you want to attend the launch (initially scheduled for earlier in the year but cancelled because of the atrocious weather) you can do so at Humanitix.

 The Randwick Permanent Courses consist of an EASY course which is 1.4km and wheelchair accessible, and a MINI course which is suitable for younger children and is only 400m. They are a great introduction to orienteering for both able-bodied and kids with disabilities.

You don’t even need a compass to do these courses! You can download the map and control card straight to your phone here, or alternatively use the free MapRun app on your phone to navigate the courses!

Armidale is going to host the next Australian Orienteering Championships at the end of September and beginning of October in 2024! Armidale is situated on The Granite Belt of the Great Dividing Range, and has played host to many regional and state orienteering events. This year it will offer a new area with captivating granite features and fast, runner-friendly terrain and foliage!

The whole festival will last from Saturday, 28th September to Sunday, 6th October and there is plenty of tourist and cultural activities to experience between races.

The races in the AOC include the Australian Sprint, Long, Middle, & Relay Championships and the Australian Schools Sprint, Long, & Relay Championships.

Also included in the program of races is the Thunderbolt Series which is made up of Sprint, Middle and Long Distance events over 3 days which is separate but complementary to the Australian Championship.

The Thunderbolt Series provides some extra racing while being a little less exacting – starting times are not scheduled, categories are not divided by age. The races do however offer differing levels of difficulty to suit wherever orienteers feel they’re at, with divisions from A (Hard course, most competitive) through G (Very Easy course, less hell-bent!). It’s a great event to race with family members in a less competitive environment while still enjoying the challenges of the course and the joys of the scenery.

Moira Whiteside Bequest    

This carnival is supported by a grant of $15,000 from the Moira Whiteside Bequest through Orienteering Australia. Orienteering is the beneficiary of a magnificent bequest by Moira Whiteside of Garingal Orienteers in NSW.