History of orienteering
Where and when did orienteering start, and how did it develop worldwide and in Turkey?
Short answer
Orienteering began in late 19th-century Scandinavia as military land-navigation training. The first public competitions were held in Norway and Sweden in the late 1890s, and it became a popular sport in Sweden in the first half of the 20th century. The International Orienteering Federation (IOF) was founded in 1961, and the first World Orienteering Championships were held in Finland in 1966. In Turkey the sport is run by the Turkish Orienteering Federation.
Military roots
The word “orientering” was used at Swedish military academies in the late 19th century for navigating unknown terrain with map and compass.
A sport for everyone
The first public competitions took place in Norway and Sweden in the late 1890s. After the First World War, sports and scouting leaders in Sweden promoted orienteering to get more people running, and it became a popular sport across the Nordic countries.
International organisation
- 1961: the International Orienteering Federation (IOF) was founded.
- 1966: the first World Orienteering Championships were held in Finland.
- Mountain-bike, ski and trail orienteering later joined the IOF disciplines, and the sprint format brought orienteering into towns.
- Today the IOF coordinates World Orienteering Day/Week around May, introducing orienteering in schools and cities.
Scandinavia today
In Sweden and Finland orienteering is a mass sport: open permanent-course programmes in city parks attract hundreds of thousands of visits a year, and night-and-day relays such as Jukola and Tiomila bring together thousands of teams.
Orienteering in Turkey
In Turkey the sport is organised by the Turkish Orienteering Federation (TOF), a member of the IOF. A tiered national championship, club and school competitions, university championships and international events in Antalya, Istanbul and Muğla show a growing sport. Turkey hosted the Junior World Orienteering Championships (JWOC) in Kocaeli in 2021. More: Orienteering in Turkey.
Sources and further reading
Related guides
- What is orienteering?Orienteering is a sport in which you use a detailed map, and optionally a compass, to find control points in order. Rules, formats, kit and how to start in Ankara.
- Orienteering in TurkeyOrienteering in Turkey: the Turkish Orienteering Federation (TOF), national championship, school and university sport, licences and international events.