Orienteering Canada – National Orienteering Week (NOW), an initiative of Orienteering Canada, is an 8-day nation-wide celebration of the sport of orienteering. Local orienteering clubs across Canada are hosting beginner-friendly events that will raise awareness of this adventure sport. National Orienteering Week (NOW) runs from May 20 – 28th, 2017.

There are at least 30 orienteering events happening during NOW from BC to Atlantic Canada and many points in between. “National Orienteering Week is a great time for Canadians to experience orienteering for the first time” explains Orienteering Canada Executive Director Tracy Bradley.

Orienteering is a cross-country adventure sport in which the participants use a detailed map to help them navigate through the race course. Orienteers enjoy the physical and mental challenges of the sport, which is why orienteering is often referred to as ‘the thinking sport’; with athletes striving for balance between physical and mental exertion. Events vary in length from 15 minutes to 2 or more hours depending on the type of event and the terrain. Events are held in a wide-range of areas from forested wilderness areas to city parks to urban landscapes.

“The sport has lots to offer for all ages, all fitness levels, and all levels of experience”, explains Orienteering Canada President Anne Teutsch. “Whether it’s people wanting to be more active in the outdoors, runners seeking a sport involving more brain-work, adventure racers wanting to improve their navigational skills or families looking for a fun sport they can do together, orienteering fits the bill.”

All events have a range of race courses appropriate for the various ages, skill and fitness levels. Young participants race primarily on trails with simpler navigation (either walking or running), while elite athletes will run primarily off-trail with difficult navigational challenges and complex route choices.

World Orienteering Day, an initiative of the International Orienteering Federation, falls right in the middle of National Orienteering Week. Worldwide, there are over 1900 orienteering events scheduled for May 24^th in over 80 countries. The goal is for over 350,000 people around the world to orienteer on World Orienteering Day. There are at least 10 Canadian events on World Orienteering Day.

Information about NOW, including a complete event listing, is at www.nationalorienteeringweek.ca.

Orienteering Canada is the national governing body for the sport of orienteering. It is responsible for the development of the sport in Canada, including Canada’s participation at the World and World Junior

Orienteering Championships. There are four disciplines in orienteering: on foot, on nordic skis, by mountain bike, and trail orienteering which is designed for athletes with a mobility impairment. For more information, visit the Orienteering Canada website at www.orienteering.ca.

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For more information, please contact Charlotte MacNaughton, Communications & Development Director at 403 283 0807 or by email at communications@orienteering.ca

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