About 27 years ago I was living in Leeds, and some friends who knew I liked running took me to an orienteering event on Ilkley Moor. I was instantly hooked. A lot of people don’t realise that it takes place in towns and cities, too; I’ve been doing urban orienteering for 10 years and I much prefer it to the rural sort. Racing through suburbs and city centres, while everyone around you is going about their lives, is a real adventure. You enter a different world.
Urban orienteering is a race between checkpoints using a map and compass. You set off at intervals, so you can’t just follow someone else. The maps are specially created for the purposes of orienteering and they’re incredibly intricate – more detailed than an ordnance survey map. Sometimes a checkpoint will be on a particular level of a multi-storey car park, or on the underpass of a dual carriageway, so knowing how to read and interpret the map symbols is crucial. I try to look at the map while running and stop only when I absolutely have to.
You can do really stupid things if you’re not careful. Earlier this year I was running on the campus of Leeds University. I came around a corner and suddenly I was knocked to the floor. I looked up and there was my friend, a 70-year-old chap from my club, lying on the road. I’d broken his nose. There was blood all over the street. We’d both been looking at our maps really intently.
Races are totally absorbing. When you finish, you’re drained. I consider myself quite fit – I’d be competitive at half marathons and the like – but I find orienteering much more exciting. It’s a challenge beyond the purely physical.
I actually haven’t got a very good sense of direction. When I’m driving, even on familiar routes, I look at the road atlas. During races, I rely on my compass. But urban orienteering has changed the way I experience towns and cities. It’s a wonderful way to get to know somewhere.
My weekend workout
How often do you run? I train twice a week and compete once or twice most weekends.
Recovery fuel of choice? Steak and kidney pie.
Five ways to get started
1 A town is better than a city for your first event – bigger cities tend to have more complicated infrastructure. It’s a good idea to get used to the map symbols and scale before you enter a competition.
2 Don’t expect to run a course in the time you would take for a straightforward race. You’re better off taking your time than going too fast and finding yourself off the map.
3 Plan your route to the next checkpoint by working backwards to where you are now. With a maze, it’s kind of cheating; but with orienteering, it isn’t, because it’s all about expediency: who gets there the quickest.
4 You can give it a go whatever your age. Urban orienteering is particularly good for older people as you don’t have to clamber over fallen trees or other obstacles.
5 It’s fun to discuss the route you took with others after the event and to share tips. Being part of a club means you can compete in national and international championships or run in relay races. Find your local club on the British Orienteering website (britishorienteering.org.uk).
Essential kit
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