Toolbox for orienteering coaches
Description
Plan a course. Two runners go around the circuit in opposite directions. The first to come back wins.
Alternative
Comment
Keep in mind. The opposition option can be added to many exercises to increase physical commitment
Contributor
Nathalie Rauturier
Description
Plan a follow-the-line exercice. The runners have the map without the line, which will be followed.
Everyone follows the coach.
When the coach stops, everyone has to find where they are on the map … so they can go back if the coach leaves them in the forest alone 😉
Alternative
The runners have only map sections in their hands. Each time the leader stops, they have to say where they are by looking around (answer a at h)Comment
This exercise is made in groups and therefore nobody can get lost 😉 .
Contributor
Nathalie Rauturier
Description
Give to each runner a control number from 1 to 9 (for the adjacent example). Each runner must punch all the controls in order. If a runner starts with marker 2, he punches 2 to 9, then 1 and back. The objective is to chase the one in front without being caught by the one behind.
Alternative
Each runner can go and put out his control, do the course and then put down his control. The objective is then to succeed in punch all the controls before they are collecting. This alternative can only be organised with experimented runners.
Christine’s suggestion: If, however, the level of the runners is heterogeneous, it is possible to pre-marked one or more controls so that the objective of running on high speed is achieved.
Comment
The more homogeneous the group is, the more interesting and challenging the exercise is.
Contributor
Nathalie Rauturier
Description
Relay situation
Mass start.
When you arrive at the first control (31), the runners go alternately on the blue or green branch. In practice, the first runner who punches th control, shouts the colour he has chosen (e.g. “blue”); the next runner to come shouts green, the next one blue…
At each control, with a blue/green choice, the first of a group to arrive shouts the chosen colour and the others behind alternate. If the runner arrives alone, he chooses his colour.
In the second loop, runners do the legs they did not do in the first rloop and take the purple dotted lines between the common posts (33 to 35 below) to avoid doing the same thing twice.
Alternative
Comment
Contributor
Nathalie Rauturier
Description
Plan a course and put a map of the course at each control. At the starting point, the runner memorizes the route to go to control 1. Then at 1, he memorizes the route to go to 2. He has to select only the essential elements to find the control.
Alternative
Comment
Contributor
Nathalie Rauturier
Description
The map with the course remains at the start point. The runner has a blank sheet of paper. He draws the elements that are useful to find the controls, without forgetting to draw the North, the number and definition of each control. The purpose of the exercce is to learn to select the important elements that will help us to find the controls.
Variante
To simplify, give to the runner the course without the map. The locations of the controls are already indicated making the drawing easierComment
Highly instructive
Contributeur
Nathalie Rauturier
Description
A brown map is an exercice to focus on contours training.
To make it, you just hide all th symbols except the brown ones on the map and then plan a course.
Alternative
To make it less difficult, you can plan a star course and leave the paths. Be careful with the instructions: the paths are only there to relocate if necessary, not to get as close as possible to the control by avoiding reading the contour lines 😉
To make it more difficult, you can get rid off the North lines
Comment
This exercise is “scary”. It is a good idea to propose different steps before going into a complete brown course: brown and path star course, brown star course, then small loops. Also let people having a spare map, in the pocket.
Contributor
Nathalie Rauturier
Description
This exercise gives you the opportunity to work on accurate bearing and distance evaluation.
Alternative
The exercise can be done as a circuit, but it may be wise to have a spare map in your pocket.
You can add false controls to check the precision of your bearing: either false because not exactly the right angle, or false because not at the right distance
Comment
You should plan situations that you can face during a race, so there is no point in working out precise bearings of more than 200m.
Be careful not to forget to mention the scale of the map.
Contributor
Nathalie Rauturier et Christine Verdeil
Description
For each control on the map, either the flag on the ground is well put out (TRUE), or the flag is not well put out (FALSE), or it is not there (MISSING). The control card should be only punched when the flag is TRUE.
Alternative
The route can be marked for children.
Put out many flags along the route. You can then ask them to punch only the flags that are on the map.
Or you can put out less flags than controls on the map and ask them to find the missing ones.
Comment
When you do this exercice, plan the course and print your runners maps. Draw on your own map, where the wrong flags are and where there are some missing.
Don’t put missing flags only far away. The runners motivation may collapse…
Contributor
Nathalie Rauturier
Description
It is a course, which links different training exercises.
Alternative
They are endless
Comment
This sort of training is more suitable for advanced orienteers
Contributor
Nathalie Rauturier (MTK Tracé par Antoine Stéphany)