St. Louis Orienteering Club O-Meet & Training

St. Louis Orienteering Club kicks off its summer race series with an "O-Meet" in Jefferson Barracks Park. Orienteering combines cross country running with navigation, requiring athletes to use a map and compass to plan their own course as they run to reach certain markers and score points.

Registration opens at 8 a.m. and there will be two courses. One race begins at 9 a.m. and the other at 10. SLOC offers the following descriptions of each:

• The first is a sprint Score ‘O’ with a mass start and a 30 minute time limit.  You will not be allowed to look at the map until the start, so you will have to plan your route while you are running it.
• The second course will be a point-to-point cross country course through the scenic Jefferson Barracks fields and woods, intended to help you integrate your need for speed with navigation skills on the fly.

Sounds like fun, right? If you want to try it but don't feel up to starting with a meet, St. Louis County is sponsoring an orienteering training event at the same time. Learn the basics of the sport and how to use your compass and map, then test out your skills on a beginner course. All materials and supplies are provided. Advance registration is required, for $6 per person.