Juniors

Starting Off

Explorer challenge

This scheme aims to encourage young orienteers by rewarding them for locating controls. It is ideal for the younger or less competitive who might not be able to qualify for the colour coded awards. Every time the young person visits an orienteering event, permanent course or training exercise they record how many controls they locate in a logbook [Download here]. Depending on the number of controls visited they can claim the following awards:

• 10 controls – Acorn certificate
• 25 controls – Tree certificate and badge
• 50 controls – Copse certificate and badge
• 75 controls – Wood certificate and badge
• 100 controls – Forest certificate and badge

For more information on the explorer challenge please see this page on the BSOA website.

Training

Events

Most events will be colour coded.

• White White courses are very easy with all controls on paths. They are mainly used by 6-10 year olds and family groups. Length of course 1.0 – 1.5km
• Yellow Yellow courses use simple linear features like paths, walls and streams. They are mainly used by under 12’s and families. Length of course 1.5 – 2.5km
• Orange Orange courses progress to basic use of the compass and route choice. They are ideal for novice Orienteers. Length of course 2.5 – 3.5km
• Red Red courses are technically similar to an orange course. They are used by beginners wanting a longer run. Length of course 3.5 – 7.5km

Some more important events will use age classes. Your age class is determined by your gender and how old you will be on the 31st December of the year of the competition.

W/M refers to gender.

Badges

Colour Coded Badge Scheme

If you orienteer at local or district events you’ll be familiar with colour coded courses, graded on technical and physical difficulty – White, Yellow, Orange, Red, Light Green, Green, Blue and Brown. If you complete three White courses you can claim a White badge. To claim any other colour you need to complete three courses of that colour in a time below or equal to the par time. The par time is calculated by whichever of the following two methods gives the greatest number of qualifiers:

• 150% of the winner’s time
• the time that is achieved by at least 50% of starters

White, Yellow and Orange badges can be claimed when competing as an individual or a pair. For the other colours you must compete as an individual.

SeNiLe Colour Coded

For the night orienteers amongst you the SEOA also offer colour coded badges for the courses used in SeNiLe events – Ochre, Olive and Navy. This scheme operates in exactly the same way as the ordinary colour coded scheme.

Club Championships

At the CHIG club championships there are trophies annually for the best juniors. Our 2009 junior boys champion is Alex Blowers (M9).

Junior Squads

• South-East
• England
• Great Britain

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