Thames Valley Orienteering Club

General information

Orienteering is a running-based sport which combines physical and mental activity. It's a race with a twist - there is no set route around the course! You're given a map at the start and once your time starts, you have to head off to find a series of checkpoints as fast as you can. How you get between each one is up to you - using your map! Electronic chip timing is used so you can register each checkpoint, and you'll get instant results and split times at the finish. It's a run with a difference!

Orienteering can take place in a vast variety of terrain, ranging from forests and moorland to urban settings such as city centres, university campuses and complex housing estates. We have lots of woods, parks and urban areas mapped, around Oxford, High Wycombe, Aylesbury, Abingdon and Didcot.

There are four main disciplines in Orienteering: Sprint, Middle, Long and Relay. Each discipline requires a high standard of physical and technical ability to compete in them at a top level; many World Class Senior athletes compete for their country at other running disciplines such as Cross Country, Track and Fell Running.

The beauty of the sport is that anyone can have a go - no special equipment is needed (we supply the special map, the electronic timing chip and we can lend you a compass too). Just come along and have a go at any of our events - run, jog or just go at your own pace. You keep your map as a souvenir too, after each race. We have courses for runners, families and children, from 1k to 5k at our Saturday events and longer courses up to 10k at our larger regional and national races. What are you waiting for? Get involved! We’d love to see you at one of our events and there is always plenty of help available for newcomers :-)