Trail orienteering

PreO (precision orienteering) is the traditional form of trail orienteering. Competitors are given a map at the start. The locations of the controls, the start and the finish are marked on the map, as in traditional orienteering. At each site, there are a number of control flags (which is called by a Latin letter A, B, C, D or E, determined at the decision point from left to right but not shown physically), but only one or none correctly represent the control marked on the map. The competitors have to stay on trails as shown on the map and look at the control at a specified location on the trail, which is called the decision point (DP). Decision points are marked on the ground, but not on the map. The sole purpose of the decision point is to determine which flags are A, B, C, D or E, which is needed to make the answer. Competitors are allowed to move along the trail to observe, but need to choose the answer at the decision point. Each correct answer scores one point, and wrong answer scores zero point.

In addition, there may be a few timed controls in a PreO course, which is used for tie breaking only. They are not included in the total points (starting from 2014 rules)[3] but only have the time taken.

A TempO course has timed controls only. The competitors are ranked according to their time taken, which is the time needed to answer all controls and 30 seconds penalty for each incorrect answer, including blank and multiple answers.

In each timed station, competitors are required to sit at a designated place, at which all control flags can be seen clearly. The flags are labelled from the left to the right, using the NATO phonetic alphabet (alpha, bravo, charlie, delta, echo, foxtrot). They are given a set of maps including only the area around the controls, one for each question, and have to point at the correct answer on a plate showing A, B, C, D, E, F, Z, or speak out the answer orally (alpha, bravo, charlie, delta, echo, foxtrot, zero) as quickly as possible.

A night course is similar to a normal PreO course except that reflective markers are used on control point flags. Competitors use a headlamp to see.

The TrailO relay is a team event of 3, where every team member has to complete a precision orienteering course first and a timed part afterwards.[4]

The official format used in World Trail Orienteering Championships is as follow:

• The start is a mass start, with a time limit set on the precision orienteering course shared by all three members.
• The precision orienteering course consists of a number of controls, which must be a multiple of 3, where each member has to complete exactly one-third of the course in any order. For example, if there are 27 controls on the precision orienteering course, the first team member answers any 9 of them, the second answers any 9 out of remaining 18, and the third answers the remaining 9.
• The transition is done in a transition area marked clearly on the map, just like in the FootO counterpart, however, each team member gets an identical map.
• No communication among team members is allowed, except when at transition the previously teammate may pass a team sheet, which only indicates which controls are answered (but not the answer themselves) and nothing else.
• After transition, the first and second team members are led to timed stations (which may be different for each leg), which is run using TempO rules with possible zero (Z) answer and 30 seconds penalty for each incorrect answer.
• The final score is calculated by adding all team members' time used at timed stations, plus 30 seconds penalty for each wrong answer at timed controls, and 60 seconds penalty for each point deduction (mistake or exceeding the overall time limit) in the precision course.
• The timed station for the third (final) leg is the final. When the third team member finishes the precision course, they are placed into a quarantine zone for the score calculation, and introduced into the timed station in reverse standing (i.e. longest time used first).

There is also an alternative format, which resembles more to the FootO counterpart, where the only difference to the format above is in the precision orienteering course:

• All team members share the same control sites, where each team member must visit in order, but the answers for each leg may be different.
• The combinations for the controls may be different among teams, but all teams answers the same overall combination. (akin to the forking of FootO relay)