Disciplines and types of races
There are a number of different types of orienteering. Foot orienteering is the most common but there is also mountain bike, ski, and trail orienteering.
Within each type there are various types of race.
Disciplines
- Foot-O
- Foot orienteering (Foot-O) is the most common type of orienteering in Canada. Competitors walk or run around the course visiting the controls in order.
- Ski-O
- Similar to Foot-O but on cross-country skiis. The map is a standard orienteering map with the trails higlighted to indicated navigability.
- MTB-O
- MTB-O is also similar to Foot-O but the competitors ride bikes and so generally have to stick to trails. The map is attached to the handlebars.
- Trail-O
- In Trail-O, competitors have to stay on the trails but the controls themselves are off the trail. When the competitor reaches the area of the control, they have to successfully identify the correct control from a number that will be visible.
- Adventure Racing
- Adventure Racing often contains stages of orienteering or requires navigation in other stages.
- Rogaining
- Rogaines are events with a time limit rather than a set course; competitors try to visit as many controls as possible within the allowed time. Each control is worth a number of points based on how difficult it is to visit. The competitor with the most points wins. Rogaines are typically longer events — with time limits of 6, 12, or even 24 hours — and use a map with less detail and participants compete in small teams.
Types of races
- Sprint
- Middle Distance
- Long Distance
- Relay
- Teams of 3 or more competitors each running their own course. Unlike individual races, where competitors run by themselves, in a relay, all first runners start at the same time and run a variant of the same course.