All points of the compass will point to the Cowra district on May 18 and 19 for the NSW Orienteering Championships.
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Organisers expect close to 400 of the country's best to take part in the titles which are also a final opportunity for the sport's elite to qualify for this year's world titles to be held in Norway.
Orienteering NSW marketing and communications officer Ian Jessup said entries had already been received from 370 competitors, some as young as eight and others as old as 80.
"It's equal parts brain and equal parts brawn," Mr Jessup said of the sport.
Held over two days the titles will see competitors navigate themselves around a series of courses at Wyangala on Saturday, May 18 and then Roseberg State Forest on Sunday, May 19.
It's not like a fun run where everyone just follows each other...
- Orienteering NSW's Ian Jessup
"You might be the fastest runner but not able to read a map," Mr Jessup said.
"Orienteering is a bit like golf, you can play 17 holes to par and triple bogey one hole, in orienteering you can do a whole lot well and then completely stuff up one task and not do well.
"You have to execute well, you're always in a different terrain and going somewhere new.
"Each competitor has a map of the terrain which shows roads tracks, fences, cliffs and boulders etc as well as check points marked which have to be done in order," he said.
Competitors will compete over 12 courses on the first day of competition and around 15 on day two going off in waves.
Race distances cater for age and experience with the courses for the younger and older competitors as short as 1.5km and as long as 16km for the elites.
The age group competitors set off in waves to stop them from following each other while the elites have a mass start at 9.30am on Monday.
"It's not like a fun run where everyone just follows each other," Mr Jessup said.
"We don't want people just following each other, it's not ideal to follow someone anyway, they might be going the wrong way or get lost."
Competitors also need to be aware that a direct line on a map may not be the best way to go from check point to check point.
Mr Jessup explained the direct route may involve a steep hill requiring a lot of stamina while another route might seem the easiest way to go but be like having to negotiate a lot of traffic lights.
The assembly area for Sunday's racing at Roseberg is on Tea Tree Road just north of the intersection with Rock Crossing Road.
Saturday's middle distance races are at Wyangala Waters Holiday Park.
The best time to catch the action on Saturday is from 12 noon until 2pm and on Sunday from 9.30am until 12 noon.
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