Orienteering

WHAT IS ORIENTEERING

Foot orienteering is an endurance sport which involves a huge mental element.
There is no marked route - the orienteer must navigate with map and compass while running. The map gives detailed information on the terrain such as hills, ground surface, obstacles etc.
To be successful in foot orienteering, the athlete needs excellent map reading skills, absolute concentration and the ability to make quick decisions on the best route while running at high speed. Orienteers run over rough ground, completely unprepared forest terrain or rough open hills - cross country in the true sense of the word. Therefore, considerable body strength and agility is needed. Fitness similar to that of a 3000m steeplechase or marathon runner is required.
There is a wide variety of orienteering events: individual competitions and relays, ultra-short park races and mountain marathon events. Night orienteering with the aid of a head lamp is also a popular form of orienteering. Every year, the best foot orienteers in the world fight for the World Champion titles and the World Cup victory. The programme of the World Championships includes four competitions for both women and men; Sprint, Middle Distance, Long Distance and Relay.
Foot orienteering became a recognized Olympic sport in 1977.

ORIENTEERING MOVES LEGS AND BRAIN

Orienteering is an all-round sport: it is a healthy exercise for both brain and body. It was born in Scandinavian countries at the beginning of the 20th century (in 1919 the first official race was held in Stockholm) and this sport has attracted many Italian fans. The first competitions in Val di Non, Trentino and in the Agro Romano, Lazio date back to the early seventies. Today in Italy orienteering is present in all the Regions and there are about 7000 athletes.
Orienteering consists in completing a predetermined course with the aid of a map and a compass. Looking for control points along the course helps develop physical and mental abilities and opens the doors of our rich natural environment. Athletes can walk through the woods and hills surrounded by the peace of nature. You can feel self-confident, you can trust yourself and you can test your ability to know exactly your position.
Orienteering can be practiced throughout the year, on foot, with Nordic skis or on a mountain bike. The first case is called “foot orienteering”, the second “ski orienteering”, and the third “Mountain bike orienteering”. The International Federation has also recognised “Trail orienteering” or precise orienteering: it requires excellent navigational skills and involves precise reading of a map and it is accessible for physically disabled competitors.
Orienteering can be practiced at both competitive and amateur levels, with the aim of doing outdoor physical exercise in the silence of nature. Every wood can be a race course, but there must be a detailed topographical map of the area. Races are also organized in city parks and in the historical centres of important cities (Venice, Rome, Milan).
It is a sport which is spreading among students thanks to its many didactic aspects. The physical fitness and ability of each competitor must go with reasoning, navigation and map reading skills. These elements are included in the interdisciplinary aims of middle and high school programmes because they make students think about their abilities and they can put them to the test in a game-sport dimension. It is not by chance that Orienteering is among the sports promoted by Isf, the International School Sport Federation.