Spring is in the air and we can’t wait to see you back out on the trails!
Our new website has launched and you can find lots of info about our upcoming events. Renew your membership and start planning your season.

All your favorite programs are back:

• Sunday meets starting April 19
• Tuesday evening Score-Os in June
• Tuesday evening Summer Sprints,
• Learn-to Orienteer programs for adults or youngsters. Tuesdays or Wednesdays, 8 weeks starting April 14 or 15
  • Dive into the world of orienteering with our exciting programs tailored for youngsters and adults.
  • - Engaging orienteering activities that add another dimension to your outdoor pursuits 
    - Learn essential map reading and navigation techniques
    - Forge meaningful connections and boost camaraderie with fellow adventurers 
    - Experienced instructors leading the way, ensuring both safety and enjoyment 
     Join us and embark on a journey where every step brings you closer to fun in nature!
     Limited spots available – Claim yours today!
    Sign up now and let your outdoor odyssey begin:
• Wednesday evening drop-in running group
  • Orienteering Ottawa offers an informal, physical training group for club members. Wednesday Night Workouts meets most Wednesday evenings at 6 p.m. primarily in Ottawa’s West end but with locations rotating across the city. Workouts are generally 75-90 minutes, including a warm-up, cool-down and typically a 45-minute training block that allows runners of different ages (from teens to seniors) and abilities to train together. Workouts emphasize intervals and hills designed to improve speed and fitness, and often incorporate orienteering elements such as maps or other navigation challenges. Runners train rain or shine, and there is no attendance commitment. Contact Sheldon Hancock (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) to be added to the mailing list.
• Thursday evening Intermediate and Advanced Navigation Training sessions
  • The Thursday Navigation training gives you the opportunity to run an orienteering training to practice one or several navigation techniques each week. Coaching will be provided to give instructions and advice before your run, and you will have the opportunity to discuss how your run worked out at the end of the session.  First session  for 2026 will be April 9.
• Introduction to Orienteering Workshops, April 7 at Richcraft Rec.. Center in Kanata and April 8 at Cairine Wilson Secondary School in Orleans  - 6:30 pm
• Customizable orienteering adventures for groups

Mark your calendars for a few special events:

• O-Fest May 9 - 10 at the Ark in Denholm, Quebec (1h north of Ottawa) . Register here 
  • Kick off the local orienteering season with a bang by entering Orienteering Ottawa's 2-day O-Fest on the May 9-10 weekend. This year O-Fest returns to the wonderful wilderness terrain at the Ark, near Denholm QC, 55km north of central Ottawa. The Ark was last used for orienteering in 2023 and in early May should offer bug-free forest running with great visibility.
     
    Pre-registration is required and is available now through Zone4 here. Lower “early bird” fees are in effect until March 31, while April 30 is the last day to register. 
    If you are interested in volunteering at O-Fest, please send a note to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. There are opportunities to help with the on-site information desk and with vetting, control pick-up, arena setup, post-race nutrition, and starts.

• Spring Training Weekend, June 6-7, Calabogie

  All intermediate and advanced orienteers are invited to a weekend of orienteering on the map used for the 2024 North American Orienteering Championships. We’ll focus on the western and southern sections of the map, away from the ski hill, featuring highly technical terrain with few trails.
  

   

  Tentative schedule: Saturday morning & afternoon training, Saturday evening spaghetti supper & social, Sunday morning orienteering event & afternoon training

   

  There will be no group accommodations, but stay tuned for camping recommendations. More details to come.
• Canadian Orienteering Festival will be held in New Brunswick & Nova Scotia July 25 - Aug. 2.  Registration opens soon.
• Ramblers is hosting the 2026 Eastern Canadian & Quebec Championships in Mont Tremblant and Domaine St-Bernard, September 18 - 20, 2026
• Frontenac Legends club is hosting the 2026 Ontario Championships near Kingston.  October 17-18 
• Want to start your season a bit early? Accro O Sport is hosting a sprint weekend April 11 - 12 in Cowansville (1h east of Montreal).

Sign up on our new Website:

You can now buy or renew your membership for just $25 for adults, $10 for youths. Membership in Orienteering Ottawa offers a number of benefits, including:

• Exclusive pricing at our local meets, including Sunday meets, Tuesday Score-Os and Sprints
• Joining our Wednesday running group (free)
• Registering in our skills training programs (fees apply), including
  • Thursday evening navigation training sessions
  • Learn-to Orienteer for Adults or Youths
• Access to the Members' Area on our website, including resources such as MapRun orienteering maps so you can orienteer whenever you like

You can also buy an annual pass that gives you free entry into our local meets, including Sunday meets, Tuesday Score-Os and Sprints, and new this year our winter ski-os. The cost of an annual pass is $120 (adults), $70 (juniors), no charge for children under 8.

Make new friends… Volunteer with us!
Our club is just that, a club. All our events are put on by fellow club members for fellow club members. There’s a real sense of camaraderie when you get involved.

When purchasing your membership please tick a box or two to offer to help. When you buy your membership, you’ll see a list of volunteer roles with tick boxes. There are many different ways you can help and chances are one of these roles will be a good fit for your time constraints and level of expertise, whether you’re new to the sport or a seasoned veteran. Some roles don’t even require any orienteering experience at all.
If you already renewed your membership and didn’t tick any boxes, it’s not too late! Log back into your account and click View Profile in the top right.

New Members:
If you are new to the club, we’d love to get to know you. Volunteering gives you an opportunity to meet new friends, to give back to a sport you love, and to improve your orienteering skills. Here are a few things you can do to help out. No experience necessary!

• Event setup and Registration before your run
• Collect controls after your run
• Bringing snacks to share at our meets
• Transport of equipment trailer - have you a trailer hitch?
• Journalism/promotion/social media
• English/french translation
• Help at major meets
• Web maintenance/design/photography
• Equipment manager
• Club accounting/bookkeeping

Have questions, or want to know more about how you can help? Reach out to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Note to returning volunteers:
Many of you have volunteered with us for a long time and we know who you are. Even so, it is important to tick all the boxes you volunteer for. If you don’t tick any boxes, the new system will wipe out your old volunteer roles. Our volunteer committee wants to maintain an up to date list of who can help with what, so please take the time to tick the volunteer role boxes. If you already renewed your membership and didn’t tick any boxes, it’s not too late! Log back into your account and click View Profile in the top right.