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This article appeared in a recent edition of the Swedish Orienteering Magazine, Skogssport.
It was written by Mårten Lång and translated by Caroline Pigerre
“The maze can open our sport to more people”
“If we are to open up orienteering to more people, we need to think of new things. So, the maze concept can be a way to attract new people to try the sport,” says Mats Lundberg, competition manager for Dalaporten Orienteering Club and one of the initiators of World Maze Orienteering.
The 30th of May was the day for the premiere of World Maze Orienteering. The idea behind the event is that you should be able to build an orienteering maze anywhere in the world, and you can compare times with everyone else who runs the same course.
- The idea is that this will be reoccurring and we naturally hope for this to grow, says Mat Lundberg who is the competition manager for World Maze Orienteering.
Why the maze as a form of competition?
- We believe that if we are to open up orienteering to many more people, we have to think of something new. Many newcomers simply do not dare go out into the forest. We have moved into the cities with the sprint orienteering, which has made it a lot easier. About a year ago, when we were around local schools here, we started to build the maze and it has been really appreciated. One child ran courses in it 50 times – they said they would run until they were tired. It ended when their mum came and said that they really had to leave and go home now, laughs Mats.
Do you notice that this has led to attracting more children to join the club activities?
- We have 50-60 children training with Dalaporten Orienteering Club at the moment, which is more than double what we had a few years ago. I cannot say for sure if this is due to having the maze, however it is likely due to being out in the schools where the children have been able to test both sprint orienteering and running in the maze.
How long does it take to build the maze?
- Previously we built it with wood which took quite a long time. But we have a fantastic team which helps us with the construction itself. Now we have bought these finished sections which have made the set up and pack up of the maze a lot quicker.
Two hours drive south-east, more specifically in Skarpnäck, national team runners Gustav Bergman and Johan Runesson stand out in a maze duel that is broadcast live on Swedish television. And just seconds after Bergman and Runesson have finished, the other runners can compare their times with what last year’s relay world champions just ran.
Thank you so much to Caroline for translating this article for us all to enjoy.
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With the term of office for Orienteering Australia’s Head Coach coming to an end, Orienteering Australia is looking to fill the position, initially for the 2021 - 2022 period with an option to continue in the role for a further two years by mutual agreement.
The Orienteering Australia (OA) National Head Coach and High Performance (HP) Administrator have operational responsibility for OA’s HP program. The roles work closely together, and the precise division of duties between the two can be tailored to the particular skills and preferences of the individuals.
The Head Coach position description is as described in the attached.
The primary selection criterion for the role of Head Coach is the candidate’s vision for the position and their capacity to implement that vision. It is also essential the successful candidate has:
- a strong background in, and high-level knowledge of, high performance orienteering
- capacity to lead the planning and management of all aspects of the high performance program and associated activities
- capacity to manage people within the program, including both paid staff and volunteers.
- ability to collaborate with fellow members of the OA High Performance Management Group as well as other key stakeholders.
Formal coaching qualifications would be a significant advantage.
If suitably qualified, the Head Coach will also have the first option for appointment to the position of Australian team coach for the World Orienteering Championships in 2021 and 2022. It is mandatory that the WOC team coach has Level 2 or higher coaching accreditation, or is in the process of completing this accreditation, or holds an equivalent overseas qualification.
Orienteering Australia is prepared to negotiate duties, hours worked and remuneration for both positions. The nature of the appointment (casual employee, or volunteer with reimbursed expenses) will be subject to negotiation with the successful applicant and subject to available budget.
All applications, consisting of current CV, coaching experience and qualifications, and an outline of vision/aspirations for the role, should be submitted to the Orienteering Australia Executive Officer.
Application deadline is 25th October 2020.
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As with the Head Coach role, the term of office of the current High Performance Administrator is coming to an end. Orienteering Australia is looking to fill the position for the 2021 - 2022 period, with an option to continue in the role for a further two years by mutual agreement.
The Orienteering Australia (OA) National Head Coach and High Performance (HP) Administrator have operational responsibility for OA’s HP program. The roles work closely together, and the precise division of duties between the two can be tailored to the particular skills and preferences of the individuals.
The HP Administrator position description is as described in the attached.
Primary responsibility is for administration of the HP program in consultation with States, athletes, OA and other stakeholders.
The main selection criterion for the role of HP Administrator is the demonstration of high level program management skills and the ability to effectively communicate requirements and outcomes with stakeholders, maintain trust and transparency, and deliver on expectations in a timely manner.
In addition to working closely with the OA Head Coach, the role must also collaborate with the other members of the OA High Performance Management Group as well as other key stakeholders.
It is desirable that the successful candidate has a background in, or knowledge of, high performance orienteering.
Orienteering Australia is prepared to negotiate duties, hours worked and remuneration for both positions. The nature of the appointment (casual employee, or volunteer with reimbursed expenses) will be subject to negotiation with the successful applicant and subject to available budget.
All applications, consisting of current CV, and aspirations for the role should be submitted to the Orienteering Australia Executive Officer.
Application deadline is 25th October 2020.
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GPS watches are an integral part of the post-race debrief. The amount of information to peruse seems formidable. From route to VO2 max, from heartrate to elevation; what does it all mean? Amongst the myriad of data they generate, what is useful in an orienteering context? This article explores the main features relevant to an orienteer, and how to use them in race analysis.
* A note on Orienteering Australia Rules*
The rules of foot orienteering state that :
Competitors shall not use or carry telecommunication equipment between entering the pre-start area and reaching the finish in a race, unless the equipment is approved by the organiser. GPS-enabled devices (watches etc.) can be carried provided that they have no map display and are not used for navigation purposes. However, the organiser has the right to specifically forbid the use of such equipment.
In practice, no GPS watches are banned during events. In major events, you may be required to cover the watch face with tape so that you cannot see it. As part of the fair play rules, competitors cannot use the watch during a race, including but not limited to: distance estimation, map overlay or compass navigation. Luckily for us, the best features of the watch come out to shine after the race!
Part 1: Racing and Routegadget
When you record a run on a GPS watch, it creates a GPX file. This is the key to post-race analysis. It saves your location and speed, and other software allows you to place this on the map. The good news is that almost all GPS watches have this feature. The two major players in this market are Garmin and Polar. Once you have the GPX file, they are the same for analysis.
How to Download GPX file from Garmin Connect:
Download GPX file from Polar Flow
How to Analyse a GPX File
The [best result] of combining GPS watches with orienteering is the ability to see where you were after the race. This is normally done using the website routegadget. It allows you to compare your route and pace with other orienteers who also upload. You can replay the race to see where you gained and lost time and see the mistakes common to competitors. Download your GPX file, then follow the routegadget instructions on eventor. Routegadget automatically places your route on the map, but you can manually adjust it if there are errors.
Here is a link to a race in NSW last year. You can see which orienteers have uploaded their GPX file, and replay the race to compare them.
The other option is the program QuickRoute . This allows a user to overlay their GPS route onto the pdf of the map. This is useful for training, or where the organiser has not set up the routegadget for the event. Once you have your map file (as a pdf or image) and your GPX file (explained above), open Quickroute and create a new document (see Photo 1 below).
 
You then tell Quickroute certain waypoints along the route to calibrate the GPX to the map. This is as simple as using the start, and perhaps a track along the way to make sure it lines up (see Photo 2 above).
Quickroute gives you some tips along the way and then go to pointer view (see Photo 3 above).
Now comes up the fun bit! Quickroute shows your location and your speed. It is very useful to know not just where you were, but how fast you were going. Here is my whole race (see Photo 4 below).
 
Focussing on 3-4, we can see how Quickroute shows my mistake. Seeing this after the race is the best way to learn from your errors, and to stop doing them over and over! (see Photo 5 above)
All it takes for this level of analysis is a GPS-enabled watch. On every leg you run, you can see which rock you ran past, where you changed direction, how fast you were going. There is so much to learn from GPS analysis! For best results, set the GPS accuracy to 1-second recording, and allow the use of GPS, GLONASS and Galileo satellites (check your user manual).
Part 2 : Heart Rate and Training
Running watches aren’t just useful on race day. They are great interval companions, recovery advisors, and, in the higher-end models, your credit card and music player. Here is a great link to a comparison of some of the Garmin Forerunner models.
The other major player in this market is Polar. Polar has similar features, including everything you need for orienteering. Some of the staff at Wildfire Sports discuss two of the new Polar models here
It would be remiss not to mention the social aspects of running accessible with these watches. Strava has a community of 42 million athletes. Connect to strava to see others’ workouts, try and win local segments and compare to your previous efforts. If this appeals to you, look for a watch that has Bluetooth connectivity to your phone.
Once you have GPS connectivity, the rest of the features depend on the customer. There is always a trade-off between price and features, battery life and size, aesthetic and durability. Those conundrums, I leave to you 😊 Some possible watches are shown below:
The Basics:
Look good on your wrist, and look good on your credit card. These watches bring everything you need for detailed race analysis.
Garmin Forerunner 45: ($319.03)
Polar M200 ($248.90)
Style Conscious :
If you are a runner who goes straight from orienteering to an urban café, these watches fit right in, everywhere.
Garmin Vivoactive 4 ($578.90)
Garmin Venu ($629.43)
Watches that can keep up with you :
Look here for watches that have it all. Recovery features, multi-sport modes. These watches are aimed at athletes who want it all.
Garmin Forerunner 945 ($998.90)
Polar Vantage V Titan ($798.90)
Thank you to Daniel Gray for providing such a comprehensive overview of the uses of GPS watches in orienteering.
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Orienteering Australia is seeking applicants who have an interest in controller accreditation, particularly from amongst its pool of past and present Level 3 controllers, to participate in the process of reviewing and updating OA’s controller curricula. In particular, an OA Controller Curricula Coordinator is sought for this project, for which Sport Australia Funding has been obtained by OA. Applicants are also sought to review and update one or more of the individual curricula (foot and MTBO).
Further details on the project and roles are available at https://orienteering.asn.au/index.php/2020/09/03/positions-vacant-revision-of-oa-controller-curricula/.
Expressions of interest should be sent to the Director (Technical), Jenny Casanova, at technical@orienteering.asn.au by 25 September.
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On Monday 7th September 2020, The Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) and National Eating Disorders Collaboration (NEDC) launched a call to action around awareness of poor self-image and poor body image among high-performance athletes, with the release of the AIS-NEDC Disordered Eating in High Performance Sport position statement and supporting resources. The position statement assists sporting organisations to address this serious, but often misunderstood area, enabling them to recognise that disordered eating can occur in any athlete, in any sport, at any time.
There is a spectrum of eating behaviours in sport that spans from optimised nutrition through disordered eating to clinically diagnosed eating disorders (see graphic above - AIS & NEDC, 2020).
Everyone in the sport system has a role to play in recognition and early intervention, and anyone can refer athletes to, and/or consult with, any member of the core multidisciplinary team (doctor, sports dietitian and psychologist) for further assessment and support. Rapport between the athlete and his or her support network (coach, training partners or teammates, service providers) is important in recognising and evaluating disordered eating and eating disorders.
The AIS and NDEC have developed a number of useful resources for managing disordered eating in both High Performance Sport and Community Sport. In keeping with everyone involved with sport having a role to play, specific resources have been targeted at health professionals, sport professionals and volunteers (e.g. coaches) and members of the general community (sport participants, their peers and families).
Orienteering Australia encourages all orienteering participants to explore the AIS website, but some of the key takeaways are:
- Disordered eating can be associated with behavioural, psychological and physical warning signs. Some warning signs can occur early (e.g. behaviour change), while others such as weight change may occur later in an individual’s trajectory of disordered eating.
- Disordered eating and low energy availability can occur together, or in isolation. Identification of one necessitates the investigation of the other. Low Energy Availability occurs when there is a mismatch between energy intake and exercise load, leaving insufficient energy to cover the body’s other needs. This may lead to a decrease in metabolic rate and reduction in activity of many body systems.
- Three categories of sports: aesthetically judged, gravitational and weight class sports, are consistently identified as high risk for the development of disordered eating or an eating disorder. Being a gravitational sport, orienteering fits into the high-risk category, due to successful performance being related to low body mass, leanness and high power to weight ratio.
- Individual athletes can move back and forth along the spectrum of eating behaviour at any point in time over their career and within different stages of a training cycle (e.g. during the off-season, pre-season, when injured).
- There are health and performance implications regardless of where an athlete falls along the spectrum, where risk of these implications increases when disordered eating worsens into a diagnosable eating disorder. In addition to the direct impairment of physiological and psychological function, disordered eating can increase the risk of illness and injury, compromise training quality and consistency and indirectly interfere with competition goals.
Thank you to Brodie Nankervis for supplying this article.
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