There are a variety of levels of events for orienteers to take part in.
- Training — non-competitive, used for training and coaching.
- Local — low-key events in the local area.
- Regional — events that attract participants from across the region. Counts toward British Orienteering ranking points.
- National — higher-level competitions that attract people from further afield. Counts toward British Orienteering ranking points.
- Major — the British Championships, the JK and equivalents. Counts toward British Orienteering ranking points.
Details of events from our neighbouring clubs can be found on the Events page. Details of all events nationally can be found on the British Orienteering website.
Colour coding and technical difficulty
Orienteering courses range from very easy (TD1) to very hard (TD5) and are usually colour coded.
- TD1 (White) — line-following on tracks and paths. Suitable for very young children or complete first-timers.
- TD2 (Yellow) — straightforward navigation between obvious features and along handrails (paths, walls, streams). For families and confident newcomers.
- TD3 (Orange) — leaves the path network for short legs across simple open ground. Requires basic map-reading.
- TD4 (Light Green / Green) — full cross-country navigation using contours, vegetation and point features. The first properly technical level.
- TD5 (Blue / Brown / Black) — the hardest navigation, often in subtle or featureless terrain. For experienced orienteers.
British Orienteering’s Course Planning guidance covers the full TD1–TD5 specification in detail.