At the start of a normal orienteering event competitors will receive a map with a course drawn on it. Before this time the competitors do not know where the course will go. The course will show all the "control points" which must be visited in the correct order. The competitor can choose any route they like to go between the control points - this "route choice" is a crucial element of orienteering.

At each control point there is a red and white flag, about 25cm high, which marks the point the competitors are trying to find. Each flag has a 2 letter code on it so the competitor will know when they have reached the correct point. Attached to the flag is a special punch which is used to punch a pattern of holes in the "clipcard" carried by each competitor. Each punch leaves a different pattern of holes, and the organisers use the clipcard to check that the correct control points have been visited.

The most important aid an orienteer has is the map. This is a specially prepared map which shows the start (a triangle), control points (circles), and the finish (a double circle). Good map reading skills are valuable, as it is important to minimise navigational errors which cost time. A compass is usually carried, however this is mainly used to assist the map reading.

The orienteer who completes the course fastest is the winner (provided they have visited all the correct control points). Courses usually take between 30 and 70 minutes, although longer elite races such as national and world championships are 90 - 100 minutes long. Many people prefer not to race, which is fine. Families and other groups can walk around their courses, making it a sport for all.

At the elite level orienteering is a highly competitive sport. Top orienteers will train between 8 and 15 hours per week. Although Scandinavians dominate the sport, New Zealand is now well known on the international scene. In 1991 New Zealand orienteer Katie Fettes was 10th in the World Championships in Czechoslovakia, while in 1994 Alistair Landels won a world cup race held in Woodhill forest, north of Auckland. The sport is for the most part amateur, with competitors having to find most of their funding with little assistance from sponsors. At the very top level there are some Scandinavian clubs who offer assistance to their top runners, but this is only for a small number of the top elites.

The orienteering season usually starts in February, and continues through to November.

A glossary of orienteering terms:
Classic - The traditional length orienteering races. Winning times for these in major competitions are usually around 60 minutes for women, and 90 minutes for men.

Short 'O' - A shorter length race, with the winner taking between 25 and 30 minutes to complete the course. These races usually have a similar number of control points to a classic distance race. This increases the pressure on the orienteer, requiring high navigational accuracy at speed.

Relay - This is run with teams of 3 or 4 orienteers, who run individually. Each orienteer completes their course and hands on to the next team member.

O-Ringen - The world's largest orienteering event. Held in Sweden each July, this event attracts 15,000 - 20,000 competitors in 150 different classes. The event is actually 5 separate races held on consecutive days, with the total time for all 5 races being used to determine the winner of each class.

World Championships - Held every two years, usually in August. This competition features men's and women's races in each of the 3 disciplines above. Locations of world championship races:

1997 Grimstad, Norway

1999 Inverness, Scotland

2001 Finland

Junior World Championships (JWOC) - Held yearly for juniors between the ages of 16 and 20. Races are in all 3 disciplines. Locations of JWOC races are:

1998 France

1999 Bulgaria

2000 Czech Republic

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