Good Course Planning
The aim of a well-designed course is to:
1. Provide a course so participants enjoy themselves
2. Stimulate participants mentally and physically
Anndy’s general rules for Course Design:
1. See the area first. Bring your map!
Are there places to avoid? Great views to see?
Poison oak, cliffs, sensitive vegetation?
2. Plan draft courses.
3. Check out the courses in the field.
Adjust, re-do, fine tune.
4. Mark control sites with tape.
5. Have someone else vet the courses.
Andy Dale’s cartoon
Armchair planning is not enough!
Mistakes that I and every first-time course planner have made
(but you don’t have to):
1. Use a control feature that is in the field but not on the map
Map and terrain must agree. If it isn’t on the map, it probably is not significant in the map
maker’s view. If it really should be on the map, have the map maker add it.
2. Use a control feature that is not an orienteering feature.
Although that sunflower is really amazing, find something else nearby.
3. Place the control flag wherever you want on the feature.
For intermediate and advanced courses, place the control at the center of the feature, or
describe its placement in Column G of the control description sheet. For beginner courses,
place the control so it’s easily seen on the approach.
In other words: The Map should agree with the Control Placement which should agree with the
Control Description.
Focus on the Leg
Plan the leg so the participant can use the appropriate skills.
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White Course Design
Beginner
Skills, Techniques to be learned and practiced
Orient the map
Read major features on the land and on the map (trails, buildings)
Legs

Along linear features

Less than 250 meters

First 2-3 controls very easy

Control at every decision point

Use streamers for the leg when the linear features run out
For illustrations see
www.britishorienteering.org.uk/images/uploaded/downloads/planners_whitecourses.pdf
Control placement

Visible as one approaches

Large feature

Often the location is a trail intersection

Place control to lead the participant to the correct direction at each decision point

Fine to have first control visible from the Start

8 – 10 controls
Important !

Don’t make it boring !

Don’t make it too hard, which is the tendency

Help the participant to feel successful

White level participants don’t see hills, terrain, open areas.

White participants can panic easily.

It’s good to keep white controls distinct from other courses, so they don’t try to keep up
with other runners they see.

Avoid road crossings !
Notes
Length and Climb
2-3 kilometers, max 15 meter climb, shorter distance if climb
White is the competitive course for 9- to 12-year olds.
2
Yellow Course Design
Experienced Beginner
Skills, Techniques to be learned and practiced
Leave the linear feature to reach a visible control
Use a decision point that is not at a control
Go off-trail without danger of navigation
Legs

Use handrails (stream, fence, etc.)

Reward for easy off-trail (e.g. cut corner)

May have at most two decision points per leg

Easy start. Build confidence and success.

Avoid dense areas

Maximum leg 350 meters

Use streamers when linear features run out
For illustrations, see
https://www.britishorienteering.org.uk/images/uploaded/downloads/
planners_yellowcourses.pdf
Controls

Large or distinct feature

Visible from trail, and off the trail

Introduce collecting feature: place control nearby

7 to 14 controls
Notes

Use very little contour reading if any
Length and Climb
3 to 5 kilometers, max 35 meters climb; shorter distance if climb
Yellow is the competitive course for 13- to 14-year-olds
3
Orange Course Design
Intermediate
Skills, Techniques to be learned and practiced
Use a simple compass bearing between two linear features
Use a rough compass bearing to get to a feature in front of a catching feature
Evaluate simple route choices
Legs

Mostly off-trail, but it’s possible to orient from a trail

Route choices

Hand rails such as ridge, clear vegetation boundary

Obvious topographic items (hilltop, top of reentrant)

Catching features each leg

Limit fine compass bearings and pace count

100-400 meter leg
For illustrations, see
www.britishorienteering.org.uk/images/uploaded/downloads/planners_orangecourses.pdf
Controls

Prominent feature

A more difficult location should be near a good attack point

Once the feature is found, the control is easy to see

10 to 12 controls
Important !

Have catching features

Present just one skill challenge per leg
Notes

Orange can orient by large terrain shapes.

They are not good at judgment

They’re slow to recognize they’re lost.

They panic AFTER they’re lost.
Length and Climb
4.5 to 6.5 kilometers, up to 100 meters climb; less distance if climb
Orange is the competitive course for 15- t0 16-year olds.
4
Advanced Course Design
Skills, Techniques to be learned and practiced
Read and use contour lines
Navigate with compass
Route choices
Always navigating
But don't discourage them !
Legs

Vary lengths. Include one at least 800 meters.

Include direction changes

Route choices every leg

Navigate via hill, reentrant, ridge, etc.

Avoid handrails and trail runs
Controls

Small items okay (boulder, cliff, knoll) rather than large (top of hill, trail-stream junction)

Distinct feature (not “middle of hill”)

Not too near collecting feature

Place so participant navigates to the feature, not to the control bag

“Feature – other side,” but not always

10-14 controls
Important !

Challenge the participant navigationally

Always have route choices
Notes

Advanced should be encouraged to grasp the terrain, and to use a variety of skills

Don’t make it too easy

And don’t make it too hard, for a local meet
Length and Climb
4.5 to 7 kilometers, 200 meters of climb; less distance if climb
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The Feedback Loop
Whew! Course design is harder than you imagined!
Even though you had someone vet the courses, and even though you worked with a mentor this
time, the best feedback comes from people who actually did the courses. And the best way to
get that is to ask them.
Sample questions:
How did it go?
What did you enjoy?
How did you get from #6 to #7?
What challenged you, stretched you?
What’s one thing I could do better next time?
What could have made the course better?
Also note the Finishes. All Beginners should finish.
Most participants in each course should finish. Look
at the finish times as well. Too fast? Too slow?
Feedback or evaluation is useful for all courses,
although you may want to focus on your most
challenging courses.
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