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Course of the Year 2012: Submit Your Suggestions!

disney

What was the best orienteering course of 2012? Last year’s winner was the very technical WOC 2011 Middle distance course in France. Which course will take the prestigious top spot this year? The search for the course of the year  will be fun for sure, as it was last year! The rules are simple: Suggest a course from a competition or training in 2012, and state the reason why you think this course deserves to be “The course of the Year 2012″.

The best among all the suggestions will be chosen – and there will be a voting process among the readers of “World of O” in order to name “The course of the year 2012″. Prizes from sponsors make it more fun to be in on the suggestions and voting: MOC 2013 + PWT Matera is the main sponsor with a package worth 600 Euros. Other event sponsors are Orievent training camps, Bubo Cup, Fjord-o Arctic Midnattsolgaloppen, and Nice Holidays. See all details about the sponsors & prizes below – about 1400 Euros worth of prizes!

Use the comments below, and submit either

  1. The course which in your opinion is the best course you run in 2012 yourself!
  2. The best course you set this year as a course-setter.
  3. The overall best course you have seen/heard about in 2012

Most course-setters surely have to make some compromises, so finding the perfect one is probably not possible. Still, it is interesting to see which is the best course you run or set in 2012! Here are my choices for last year.

Starting point

To provide you with a starting point, I’ve picked out a few very different candidates for you based on maps and courses I have seen in omaps.worldofo.com and comments on various webpages:

I am sure you have a lot of better suggestions than the one I gave above – this is just a starting point to see the wide variety of candidates there are out there. Submit your suggestions now!

Rules

The following rules are given for “The course of the Year 2012″.

  • The course must have been run in competition or training in 2012.
  • Suggestions are submitted as a comment to this post – including link to the map with course in a quality which is good enough for the readers to understand the course and the challenges involved. Please add information about location/date if that is not clear from the link provided. Also include which sponsor prize you are interested in if you win.
  • You must give a reason for why you think this course deserves to be named “The course of the Year 2012″ (or why it is the best course you run/set this year). All reasons are valid. Examples can for example be “varied orienteering challenges”, “extremely technical orienteering”, “high fun-factor”, “fantastic map”, “spectacular orienteering”, “fantastic nature” – a combination of these – or a totally different reason. To get all the way to the top you should probably have a combination of reasons…
  • The course may be any discipline – e.g. a long distance, a middle distance, a sprint distance. It may also be a technical training course – like e.g. a corridor orienteering exercise.
  • There will be a voting process among the readers of “World of O” in order to name “The course of the year 2012″. This is your second chance to win sponsor prizes!

Prizes from our Sponsors

Prizes from our Sponsors always makes it more fun! There will be a prize for the first one suggesting the course which ends up becoming “The course of the Year 2012″, and prizes drawn among the ones suggesting and voting. All prizes are transferable to other persons (you don’t have to travel yourself).


MOC 2013
  • Prize offered: Hotel + entry package for 2 persons (4 nights accommodation in Hotel Formula B&B + entry fee for MOC 2013+PWT in Matera, value about 600 Euro).
  • LET’S ROCK in MOC- Matera 2013! The Mediterranean Open Championship Orienteering 2013 is organized March 15th – March 17th. Great events with world class runners!Read more


Orievents Training Camps
  • Prize offered: Training package with accommodation for 2 persons (6 trainings + 3 days of accommodation in half board at Castelo de Vide Hotel)
  • Orievents / GD4C’s Training Camps – Alto Alentejo – are an excellent training opportunity for Orienteering of good quality during the winter. The TC will have the technical support of Eva Jurenikova. Start the new season in training camps in Alto Alentejo, Portugal!  Read more

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Bubo Cup 2013
  • Prize offered: “Family” entry package (Entry for 4 persons for complete Bubo cup, transferable to other people)
  • Bubo cup is a new 5 Day orienteering event in Slovenia – with the same quality you are used to from OOCup. The 5 day event taking place from 19th to 23rd of July 2013 will take you through some great orienteering areas in the western part of Slovenia – from Karst terrain above the world famous Postojna cave to the Trnovski gozd plateau (which was the venue of unforgetably tough OOCup 2011). The venue of the mid stage will be Vipava, an old little town in Vipava valley. Read more



Fjord-o Arctic Midnattsolgaloppen 2013
  • Prize offered: Entry package for 2 persons (Entry for 2 persons for complete Fjord-O Arctic week)
  • Fjord-o Arctic Midnattsolgaloppen is the biggest and most popular event which is regularly organized north of the polar circle. Fjord-o is known for its mix of interesting orienteering with spectacular nature between fjords and mountains. Fjord-o 2013 is organized from June 29th until July 3st 2013. This year it will take place in the Harstad-region. Read more


Nice Holidays 2013
  • Prize offered: 2 packages – each consisting of entry fee + accommodation for 2 persons (Entry fee + accommodation in campsite for 2 persons)
  • Nice holidays are traditional 2-days, 3-stages orienteering competition organised by TJ Turnov orienteering club in beautiful sandstone terrains of Bohemian Paradise since 1992. Come to the Czech Republic and enjoy challenging middle distance, tricky sprint and tough long distance in hilly sandstone terrain. We are looking forward to seeing you from 23rd to 25th August 2013 in Turnov, Czech Republic. The competition has a limit of competitors set by natural park management usually to max 1000 runners. This year it was sold out in two months. Read more


For the record: All sponsor gifts/income related to “The Best Course of 2012″ goes directly to the WorldofO.com readers.

About Jan Kocbach

Jan Kocbach is the founder of WorldofO.com - taking care of everything from site development to writing articles, photography and analysis.

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156 comments

  1. Why not the disneyland night sprint? Very exclusive and strange to be in an area where thousands of people usually walks walks around having fun. But now there´s just some crazy orienteerers running around in the “dark”.

  2. WUOC long distance:
    http://www.adam-chromy.cz/map-archive/show_map.php?user=chra&map=71

    Why?: Interesting routechoises, technical orienteering, good variation

    Price: Orievents Training Camps

  3. Despite being unfit, I thought this one was great fun!

    http://hok.worldofo.com/kart/show_map.php?user=jankoc&map=155

  4. My choice for the years best race was held in Finland, Kajaani. Kainuu Orienteering Week stage 4. The comptetition centre was great, a lot of (almost 4000) competitors enjoying nice orienteering.
    The terrain and maps were just terriffic.
    The maps for the 4th day can be found at
    http://routegadget.rastiviikko.fi/cgi-bin/reitti.cgi?act=map&id=7&kieli=

    and for the other days at

    http://routegadget.rastiviikko.fi/cgi-bin/reitti.cgi

  5. One of the funniest race I’ve ever run …Sierra de Urbasa(Navarra, Spain). Karst, LIDAR basemap, 1:4000, 26 controls, rocky labyrinth…

    http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-f0RmKVkZ84M/UH8UnInwT9I/AAAAAAAACQA/zkOWOGGG5cA/s1600/urbasa-1-R.jpg

    JWOC Middle Final was awesome too…but I must choose only one!

    Price: Bubo Cup 2013

  6. Hi WorldOfO,
    The Course of the years happened in Fontainebleau and the “Mine du roi Salomon”.
    it’s an underground map with white sandy. Headlamp required.
    Why : unique map, technical orienteering by night in a maze.
    http://asosillery.fr/documents/071229pmteam.a.jpg

  7. POM 2012 Night Sprint in Viseu, Portugal

    Fast course but also very technical.

    http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Pe5W7IqhFJ0/T1P3OFPBH9I/AAAAAAAACdk/oNc5-haC90s/s1600/Night+Sprint.jpg

  8. Croatia Open 3rd day – 4 totally different terrain types in one course and some route-choices I still can’t figure out. And not only different terrain types but very challenging as well – some in technical and some in physical way
    Map(with route):
    http://kartes.magnets.lv/show_map.php?user=tamuzs&map=159
    Map(without route):
    http://kartes.magnets.lv/map_images/159.blank.jpg

    Prize: MOC 2013 or Nice Holidays 2013

  9. Nordic o-tour at Kajaani, ualification races, most for men:
    http://www.woc2013.fi/ssl/woc.nsf/0/90CAB706D2BD12DFC2257A71002F47D0/$FILE/Kajaani_sprintti_Men-Q1.gif
    http://www.woc2013.fi/ssl/woc.nsf/0/90CAB706D2BD12DFC2257A71002F47D0/$FILE/Kajaani_sprintti_Men-Q2.gif

    Small area and lots of effort from organisers to make area more interesting (like building temporary impassable fences)

    • Servers seem to be down from 21:00 to 05:00, but I’ll take a look tomorrow. I remember that a good effort was made there. Thanks for the suggestion!

    • Now the webpage is up again. The fence-idea is something which I think will get more and more important in sprint. And according to the runners I have talked to, it worked very well on this course. Without fences the course would have been quite boring as I understand…

  10. 1. I have run few really interesting and nice competitions this year. It’ really hard to choose the best, so here are two of them:
    a) Croatia open – day 1 – Golubinjak
    http://img545.imageshack.us/img545/4373/golubnjakstage1qrt.jpg
    All 5 stages were really nice. Good and challenging courses, nice terrains, but 1st day was something specific. Stony area, like “a big guy dropped a bag with stones”, nice course and very demanding (need a lot of concentration).

    b) Cerkno cup – 2nd day – WRE middle
    1st part: http://img39.imageshack.us/img39/9162/dan2m21eaqrt.jpg
    2nd part: http://img840.imageshack.us/img840/747/dan2m21ebqrt.jpg
    Really nice karst terrain, with a lot of details and demanding course.

    • Btw. Prize Bubo Cup

    • (a) I have heard about the first stage of Croatia Open – a stage which really got to people. Some though it was magic – others thought is was maybe even too tough. Course looks great! Thanks a lot for the suggestion!

      (b) The first stage of Cerkno Cup also looks very nice! Thanks for this suggestion as well.

  11. Nationale Sud Ouest in the in the French Pyrenees:

    Exceptional environment + top quality map and course setting + very technical orienteering = an unforgettable experience!

  12. the Tallin 100CP (100 control points) was really funny and challenging.

    this is the first (and third) part in 1:10.000 map
    http://sk100.ee/2012/oweek/6p/kaardid/M21A-AAe.jpg
    and this is the second part in a only contour map 1:5.000
    http://sk100.ee/2012/oweek/6p/kaardid/M21A-AAt.jpg
    here is map with all the CP (but i really saw only a few of them except mine…)
    http://sk100.ee/2012/oweek/6p/kaardid/koik.jpg

    Why? because you had to find every single CP, the terrain was really difficult, high vegetation hiding everything, and last but not the least, rain poured down all the race, really extra-work for your brain!!

    • Wow – this looked really special! How many competitors did finish that one? I guess the course setting is not the most challenging part here, but rather the concept combined with the terrain. Looks like an event I’d love to take part in. A very good suggestion for the Cours of the Year, Jo!

      • The Elite winner was Timo Sild in 1h47′ (12.350 mt)

        47 Elite runner finished the race, 16 mispunched or were out of time, and 16 did not start for the pouring rain (and moschitos)

        I forgot to tell that my interess for the sponsor prizes goes to MOC 2013

  13. 1. The course which in my opinion is the best course I run in 2012: http://www.orimarty-raus.blogspot.it/2012/09/campionati-italiani-long-2012.html
    (Gargano(ITA): very rocky zone and technik terrain)

    2. The best course I set this year:
    http://www.trent-o.org/public/attivita/2267/SPONGEBOB.jpg
    Why: orienteering challenge with an unusual type of map and we had a lot of fun!

    3. The overall best course I have seen and heard about in 2012: PARC DISNEYLAND!!!!!!!!

    Prize: MOC 2013 or Fjord-o Arctic Midnattsolgaloppen 2013

    • Thanks for both suggestions, Stefano! The first one is yet another course in Karst terrain. Also my favourite type of terrain (on the other hand I’m sure there have been great courses in Nordic terrain also this year..).

      The second one is a nice idea – orienteering is all about fun anyway :)

  14. My second start of this card in 2012 for the Cup “Veteran”.
    http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zcUHyTGNGBk/UKKzrza_b7I/AAAAAAAAJdU/N0DJshxnlCQ/s1600/M35route.jpg
    The first launch was in August 3ODays Cup in villages Zheravna Neikovo
    https://picasaweb.google.com/109190131951457876595/20120817Jeravna#
    Zheravna
    Time has stopped here… You won’t see people hurry for work or anything else. Life is passing with the typical tranquility of the mountain villages living. People of Zheravna are somehow over the everyday things – maybe a remain from the great past of the village.

  15. Also this training was wonderful! This terrain is full of holes because they used to find silver and it was quite difficult not to exit from the map:) (the body is mine)

    http://www.trent-o.org/public/attivita/2251/Argentario%20stefano%20percorso.A.jpg

  16. The by far best course I’ve run this year was the Swedish Night Champs. The most demanding night course I’ve ever seen! This is real night orienteering! http://www.gustavbergman.se/doma/show_map.php?user=Gustav&map=1046

    I’m extremely dissapointed at my own performance on this race, but I still think that it is the best course – orienteering is tough. And this course was the toughest. (prize: MOC)

    • Thanks for the suggestion! Good to see some courses from Nordic terrain here as well – and this surely looks like an interesting course with variation between route choices and technical orienteering.

  17. My chose is the National championship, long distance in Norway. Really challenging, some great long legs and pure orienteering all the way!

    http://org.ntnu.no/ogruppa/sportslig/doma/show_map.php?user=hansi&map=585

    • Another Nordic terrain one – good to see! Thanks for the suggestion. I’ve already done some analysis on this one, and I think we’ll even see one of the legs in “Route to Christmas”. Nice course with interesting routechoice legs, yes!

  18. I’d like to nominate the Chinese Sprint Championships in Wansheng. The incredibly unique setting of this race was really what sets it apart from anything I have ever done.

    http://okvaal.com/maps/show_map.php?user=oystein&map=226

    The extremely complex area of residential houses and small patches of farmland was, not only ridiculously difficult to navigate and to run at a good speed (partly due to the heavy rain), but a unique and stunning exploration of the what I would call “real China”; a place where no Western tourist would ever bother to venture. If nothing else, I would hope that showing off a map like this helps to promote the untapped gem that is orienteering in China.

    To see a brief bit of it in action, see this video:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=gLK3nsjWsS0

    Wansheng for Course of the Year 2012!

    • Thanks for the suggestion! This looked like the highlight of the PWT tour in China this autumn. From the map it doesn’t look that special, but when you see the video…

  19. I cant find direct url of this map…but this course is very interesting from Czeh championchips

    http://www.ceskatelevize.cz/porady/10183677624-beh/21247129192-mm-cr-v-orientacnim-behu-2012-turnov/

    Prize:
    Orievents / GD4C’s Training Camps

  20. http://toonmelis.com/doma/show_map.php?user=Desmond+Franssen&map=63

    Interesting course in Paris2012
    Date:
    10.11.2012.

    Prise: Orievents Training Camps

  21. Austrian Longdistance Championship:
    http://ol.kartenarchiv.at/show_map.php?user=gernotkerschbaumer.at&map=294
    http://ol.kartenarchiv.at/show_map.php?user=gernotkerschbaumer.at&map=295
    Hardest course of my year; in each perspective challenging and at the limit.
    why? technically extremly difficult, variable runnability, stony, real longdistance, long+short legs, unique terrain
    price: orievents

    • I’ve already had a thorough look at this course some weeks ago – some extremely long legs where you have to choose either to go direct or go around – and some very technical short legs to get you out of your rhythm. Thanks a lot for the suggestion!

    • Wanted to mention this, but 2 suggestions were enough…
      I’ve suggested this terrain last year when JEC were held here.

      Perfect terrain, tough courses and great atmosphere. Really enjoy to run here.

    • Maybe you will use it for “Route to Christmas”?

  22. The final stage of NORT and the ending of this year World Cup:
    http://www.tulospalvelu.fi/gps/20120908nortfinalM/

    The course was really thought through. It had an intense technical start, which meant that many lost time because they started out in a little too fast speed, as it was chasing start with many runners around you.
    The diamond was made in a good area with a long and a short round. It is said that this distributes the runners up best.
    It had an interesting long leg, and then finished it off with being extremely physical with uphill running. Still you had to keep the technical focus in the last diamond.

    Definitely the best course this year!

    Price: Orievents Training Camps or MOC 2013

    • Thanks for the suggestion! When I watched the TV broadcast, my impression was that the course was not perfect for a live broadcast due to the long time the runners spent in the butterfly (where you didn’t know who was in the lead) and that there was a TV control inside the diamond-forking, but except for that the course had many good properties, indeed! It is always a question about how to evaluate a course, but in the “Course of the Year” perspective we should probably not let the TV broadcast part of it have too much importance…

      • I have not thought of the TV, but it is probably right to look at such things when you arranging a WC. But as you say in the end it should hopefully a big part of this voting.
        I will also like to change my choice of prize to prefer: MOC 2013 (This look to nice!)

  23. Yannick Michiels

    I really enjoyed the training I did last month in Canada at ‘The Barrens’. No roads and the crossing over beaverdams made it even nicer! (prize: MOC)
    http://jan-gerard.nl/quickroute/show_map.php?user=yannick&map=60

    • @Yannick: I saw this one when you posted it and really liked it. I think I even posted it on the Facebook-page of World of O. Thanks for a nice suggestion! Again the terrain makes it easy for the course-setter, but that shouldn’t be held against the course-setter :)

  24. I made and saw many courses this year – Obernberg you suggested already, but you are right this technical terrain makes not hard job to course planner. Some suggestions here:

    * 50 controls event in Graz – celebration for my birthday, long leg to Nr.1, mass start, butterflies, people liked it, of course no route choice between close controls, more a control picking See map here
    * Greenland: close to the sea, no forest, water only 2 degrees, I could not put controls very close to sea, people liked it and Greenland might be in next years new experience. See map here.

    * Etna – with controls to the lava, fast forest, downhill from beginning. See map here

    * Petralia Soprana, Sicily – high situated town, nice centre, beautiful sprint race. See map here

    * Castelmola: Interesting scale, last day of 10th of sicily, small area, many controls, high speed not possible, each 50 metre one control. See map here
    * Asian champs sprints: I was invited to plan courses, nice park are, changing of legs See map here
    * Asian champs middle: See map here
    * Sprint race in Graz , normal area, but maybe interesting courses, you can also find routegadget, look to Austrian Website, Österreichische Akademische Meisterschaften See map here
    * WOC Longdistance Selection for Austrian team, long legs, butterflies, good variation of changing tactis and technique, map is near Fürstenfeld See map here
    * Sciacca – first race of Sicily 10, nice city, different length of legs, sprint with climbing. See map here

    • Thanks for the suggestions, Wolfgang! Have you got links to maps for the missing ones also?

      • Wolfgang Pötsch

        Thanks for publishing, I can see that there are so many nice courses and of course different types of terrain. But in my opinion only course planners have a chance with some special and exciting terrain. You can do good courses, but you have no chance with an average terrain.Thanks Jan also for your work and engagement

      • Thanks for remaining maps – I updated the links.

  25. When are the last day for giving suggestions?

    • Until Monday November 19th in the evening. I might even extend it another day depending on the suggestions available then. But just put it up at once :)

  26. JWOC Long http://www.jwoc2012.sk/files/long/Long_final.M20-1.jpg

    Not only for the race itself and the variety, but also for the extreme weather conditions. That makes this course legendary !

    Also 1st stage of Croatian Open in Golubinjak was such a f****** race

    Price : Bubo Cup

  27. I would actually say KKC 5; a night race with chasing start in Trondheim. With very intensive orienteering, a long interesting routchoice leg and contols in some of Trondheims most difficult and challenging areas:

    http://archive.spjelkavik.net/doma/show_map.php?user=norbech&map=248

    I also liked the norwegian middle champs final; a varied course with different types of terrain and real fun orienteering. The only annoying thing is that you have to follow taping three times during the course. But not for long.

    http://org.ntnu.no/ogruppa/sportslig/doma/show_map.php?user=Martin+Hoset&map=597

    Price: Fjord-O

    • Thanks for two very nice courses from Norwegian terrain. The Norwegian Champs Middle course I was through myself (I skipped a few controls, though). Enjoyable with very varied terrain which made it necessary to change tactics. The other one I’ve already had a look at at the Internet, and I liked the course a lot as a night-orienteering course.

    • Thanks for a very good suggestion! As you’ll see tomorrow, Tove Alexandersson is with you on that one :)

      • Wolfgang Pötsch

        I am also working for skiorienteering but I never was thinking that also skiorienteering courses can take part here. Kazahstan was great worldcup this year and of course all skiorienteers can exspect fantastic worldchampionships in March – Sixten Sild will be IOF Event Advisor. But what do you think – how should we compare foot o with skio – course planning is totally different. First you are trying to fix a dense network of tracks and then course planning starts. But I am happy that skio is present – maybe MTBO also. But anyway the problem is how to compare it.

  28. I would suggest Latvia orienteering championship.
    Untypical terrain for Latvia. Many elite runners made mistakes which costed many places:
    http://izskreju.mezu.lv/cgi-bin/reitti.cgi?act=map&id=106&kieli=
    or
    http://kartes.magnets.lv/show_map.php?user=tamuzs&map=209

  29. I suggest two nice long distances in the Swiss mountains. The first one was in Saas-Fee, with a lot of different type of terrain on the same map:
    http://www.tesella.se/tabyok/show_map.php?user=daniel&map=498
    http://www.guedels.ch/karten/show_map.php?user=T%C3%A9rence&map=393

    The second was the fourth stage of Swiss 5 Days in Villars. A legendary run : it was hot, tough and a bit longer than expected by the course setter :-). Terrain was very slow, because big plants grew in the forest. Men elite, winner time 1h53:
    http://www.tesella.se/tabyok/show_map.php?user=daniel&map=511
    For pictures and comments:
    http://kartparm.vasterassok.com/show_map.php?user=job&map=1001

    Price: Orievents training camp

    • The second one is legendary, yes:) While the world elite had their go down in the valleys, the “tourists” had some of the toughest terrain available up in the mountains! The first one also looks nice – although not that special.

      Thanks for the suggestions!

  30. Even if I did not start at this course I will suggest it: the 4th course of Swiss 5 Days during WOC in Lausanne. Alpine terrain, several intresting route choices and not to short …

  31. Hi!!!
    my suggestion is about Villa Borghese MOC 2012
    http://kartes.magnets.lv/map_images/15.blank.jpg

    Why?: is beautiful park really close to the center of Rome and the colosseo

    Price: Orievents Training Camps

  32. Hi!

    Many great courses I have seen and ran, but what I choose is Finnish Relay Champs. A beautiful and demanding terrain, nice looking maps and courses. Should have been in category what I have run, but because an injury just a day before I had to watch the competition as a spectator.

    http://omaps.worldofo.com/index.php?id=68977

    http://www.doma.sprintthebay.org/show_map.php?user=rossmaxmo&map=139

    Price: Nice Holidays 2013

  33. Here my suggestions:

    Jwoc 2012 Middle Distance Final – Izra

    http://www.jwoc2012.sk/files/middle-f/Middle_Final_trate.M20A.jpg

    Simply the best forest i’ve ever run in..

    SEEOC Middle Distance – Turkey – Sarialan – Bursa

    http://www.ivansirakov.com/maps/map_images/691.jpg

    I’ve found my race (M16 not this jpg) awesome, fast but also technically hard..

    Price : Orievents Training Camps

  34. The best course I ran this year was the Long Distance of the SEEOC, in Bursa – Sarialan

    http://seeoc2012bursa.com/events-maps.aspx#prettyPhotoday2/19/

    The terrain was technically difficult and you always had to be very careful to find the right balance between fast pace and accurate map reading. Intricate maps are absolutely my favorite!
    I was very surprised to find such beautiful forests just above Bursa, an extremely trafficked city.

    Prize: Orievents Training Camps or Bubo Cup 2013

  35. No doubts for me…Chinese Championships (sprint and middle) in Chongqing! Two World Ranking Events in incredible sceneries, challenging courses and oriental atmosphere :)

    Here you can find the maps!
    SPRINT: http://www.o-team.it/doma/show_map.php?user=alessio.tenani&map=23
    MIDDLE: http://www.o-team.it/doma/show_map.php?user=alessio.tenani&map=24

    Prize: Orievents Training Camps or Fjord-o Arctic Midnattsolgaloppen 2013

    • Thanks for the suggestions, Alessio! The sprint has already been suggested above (and will also be suggested again by Tomas Dlabaja in an interview tomorrow) – the middle also looks interesting, though!

  36. A break with tradition – the best course I competed in this year was the WOC MTBO Sprint race in Veszprem, Hungary in August. Not only did I achieve the best result of my career to date, but it was also the most mentally challenging, fast paced, intense course I’ve ever seen for MTBO. Many of the controls were ‘off-track’ and the majority required foot orienteering skills to find. The terrain was very fast so there were no mental breaks from navigating – athletes had to be going 100% and thinking 100% for the whole course. The whole week was excellent but this course really stood out as different and tested everyone to their limits.

    Here is the map on Routegadget (WE course) http://0x.hu/RouteGadget/cgi-bin/reitti.cgi?act=map&id=367&&kieli=

    Prize: Bubo Cup 2013.

    • Thanks a lot for the suggestion, Emily. Nice to see a MTB-O course here as well. It is actually the only MTB-O course I have studied in detail this year as I watched the GPS-tracking live.

  37. The best course I ran this year was the Norwegian Masters championship, long distance:

    http://tmsw.no/qr/show_map.php?user=terjem&map=636

    (Course without route choice here: http://tmsw.no/qr/map_images/636.blank.jpg )

    We had a very good map, lots of route choices, and interesting orienteering pretty much all the way.

    Price: MOC sounds nice. :-)

    • The terrain is great – I’ve been running there a few times. And the course also looks very nice and varied – so thanks for a good suggestion, Terje!

  38. I suggest Austrian Championship Sprint, H21E, Riegersburg.

    http://www.oefol.at/cgi-bin/gadget2/cgi-bin/reitti.cgi?act=map&id=51&kieli=

    Demanding Sprint race on historical ground (http://www.veste-riegersburg.at/en)

    Find some Impressions from the castle and the competition here (https://picasaweb.google.com/ThermenLandOpen/TLO20121AustriaCup) and here (https://plus.google.com/photos/109252819190049992204/albums/5732139125251209169?banner=pwa).

    Price:Nice Holidays

  39. Topi Syrjäläinen

    Nice course from Estonia and Tallin o-week last day
    H21A 100controls course
    the first part. http://sk100.ee/2012/oweek/6p/kaardid/M21A-AAe.jpg
    and second http://sk100.ee/2012/oweek/6p/kaardid/M21A-AAt.jpg

    and also GPS-Tracking
    http://sportrec.navirec.com/ui/#17rmdjj

    and the map with all controls
    http://sk100.ee/2012/oweek/6p/kaardid/koik.jpg

  40. Having set much more courses this year, than what I actually managed to run, I’m suggesting the best course I set this year. It’s the Hungarian long distance selection race for WOC, JWOC and WUOC (2nd June, 2012), which was run mostly on the grounds of the dramatic WOC 2009 relay (http://news.worldofo.com/2009/08/28/wrap-up-woc-2009-relay/).

    Maps of the courses are here:
    http://valogatott.mtfsz.hu/uploads/2012/BorsodF21.gif (M21 and M20 (without the butterflies))
    http://valogatott.mtfsz.hu/uploads/2012/BorsodN21.gif (W21 and W20 (without the butterflies))

    Why I like these courses:
    – terrain is quite unique in Hungary: very demanding and really slow in places (because of the very steep hillsides, stony underground and thick vegetation). The winner of M21 averaged 8.2 min/km
    – the course has a lot of fundamental route-choices, there was very little following in the field. There were also significant time differences between the different routes – up to 20%!
    – the course is full of changes (which is one of the most important aspects for me): terrain type changes, leg length changes, tactic changes
    – the butterfly doesn’t affect the course: it has a definitely distinct (middle distance) character compared to the other parts
    – the juniors ran the same course, but without the butterfly (they didn’t know it in advance!) – it’s a full value course even without the butterfly
    – in the end, I, as the course setter felt that I didn’t have to make compromises in any of these four courses!

    • Thanks a lot for the suggestion, Aron. Exceptional terrain and very nice courses. Would be nice to see some routechoice analysis from this race as well – maybe you have something ready for “Route to Christmas”?

  41. I also vote for POM-Viseu (map Sr. Caminhos,Sátão)where I ran M60. If I had a 2nd vote, I would hesitate between Obernberg (Euromeeting, Austria), where I ran M60, and MOV Venice, where I ran ME with “acqua alta”. In Portugal and Austria I loved the technical complexity. In Italy was the strange sensation of running into the “street-rivers”. Incredible!
    Manel

  42. Peder Aukrust Osmoen

    I think the best courses also could be those which are set in bad terrains, but turns out to be challenging and fun due to creative course setting. But when that’s been said, I think the greatest orienteering experiences are those you get in the real outback, and related to that I suggest the middle distance course I set for this summer’s Camp Norway:

    http://omaps.worldofo.com/index.php?id=66526

    The terrain is “Skårra” in Os in Østerdalen, and it’s for certain one of the most unique terrains in Norway. The terrain is close to the mountains and in many parts extremely detailed, with a lot of knolls and small depression. It’s also very fast, due to the hard grass-covered ground. Even if it’s generally like running in a park, the mountain birch and juniper vegetation make the visibility shorter and the orienteering more demanding. It’s a very hard terrain when you’re not used to it and with the wrong mental approach, but once you’ve cracked the code it’s like surfing through the forest.

    For the course setting I wouldn’t be greedy with controls when introducing new people to this kind of terrain. The start is a real kickstart with short legs in some of the more thicker parts. Then it’s a route-choice across the canyon, and only one, a local hero with good knowledge about the terrain from before, chose the fastest route to the left. The rest of the course is control picking, but broken up by two longer legs for giving opportunities to lose control, and some Formula 1 between the grazing cows in the end.

    Price: MOC 2013

    • Thanks a lot for the suggestion, Peder! Looks like a very nice course, indeed. And I’ve been up in this terrain type several time – and I must say the terrain gives you an advantage as a course setter. Easy to set an OK course – but still difficult to set a really good course:)

  43. Marcus Millegård

    The swedish night championships this year offered really demanding, varied courses with enough good forking without making the competition impossible to follow. The M21-course of this competition gets my vote for the course of the year. See for example http://www.gustavbergman.se/doma/show_map.php?user=Gustav&map=1046.
    Price: Orievents.

  44. The course of the Year 2012:
    Wuoc 2012 Sprint distance: http://sd.ua.es/en/orienteering-championship/documentos/maps/sprint-w21.pdf

    good routechoices, physically hard. Best sprint distance ever.

    Price: Orievents Training Camps

  45. Best course I have seen in 2012:
    Finnish middle champs final
    http://www.resultfellows.com/reittiharveli/gadget/cgi-bin/reitti.cgi?act=map&id=194&kieli=
    Why? extremely technical orienteering, with high grass, so the visibility and runnability was hard too.

    Price: Fjord-O arctic

  46. On a second thought I’ve changed my mind and would like to suggest your Algrøy Nord training together with the Karttapullautin / OL-laser map software as my candidate.

    I think the Algrøy training is a great example of this shift in technology: it is now possible automatically generate a very good training from scratch at a fraction of the time and cost.

    http://youtu.be/TFFW_QfkosU

    Price: MOC

  47. I wote for middle distance Euromeeting in Austria. Terrain was totally different with so many people in the forest helping each other to find controls between huge knolls. It was special, challenging and different

  48. One course which is to be mentioned is on the map Sarlian in Turkey on South east European championships. It was demanding, challenging without any paths on the technical part of the course.

  49. Simen Eid Nielsen

    XIII Meeting de Orientação do Centro Marinha Grande, Portugal- The long distance WRE 25th of february
    M18E
    Great terrain, a very good map, and a demanding course.
    The course was able to get us trough different areas of the forrest, and varied from a ravine terrain to a flatland.

    And of course the fact it was probably of the first race of the year for many others than just me

    Woman Elite: http://omaps.worldofo.com/images/68f9b2e9da23d18b70ac62ddd523dfe4_l.jpg

    • Thanks for a nice suggestion. I’ve used quite a lot of time analyzing this course as we had it as part of a training camp – several interesting aspects there. And I did some “nice” mistakes myself :)

      I took the men’s course for Course of the Year – I hope that is OK (you suggested the M18E course but linked to the W21E course?). Men’s course is here:

      http://omaps.worldofo.com/index.php?id=53282

      The courses had many of the same elements..

  50. I don’t think this have been suggested, so I would like to suggest the Norwegian Championship Ultralong as the course of the year.

    Why?
    1) Fantastic terrain! Large height differences, soft ground, big variation between the big marshes, the open mountain and the technical demanding hillsides. Almost no paths and roads at all, just “wild” forrest, and also a fantastic view from the top of the mountains :)

    2) A great course! Technical variation in the course. Some really long legs and I think the variation between long legs and short legs was good, and the same with the variation between “hard” and “easy” controls so change of speed is important. Tricky controls in the end, orienteering all the way in to the finish. Even the arena passing didn’t take away any “orienteering valuer”, maybe it even made the course a little bit better because it was more controls in the difficult hillside?

    3) High quality map, high quality event and top quality runners. 25 kilometer, winning time 150 minutes, 3 minutes starting interval. This is real orienteering at its best!

    M21-course:
    http://org.ntnu.no/ogruppa/sportslig/doma/map_images/515.blank.jpg

  51. Kainuun rastiviikko 4th day H21E:
    http://omaps.worldofo.com/index.php?id=64506

    Very good map, good runnability, nice forest and varied course between fast fysically demanded orienteering and skillfull slow green area. Course has also good route choices for longdistance course.

  52. I would like to suggest this sprint course in Lisbon downtown as one of the best in 2012.
    Begining in the S. Jorge Castle, with difficult controls in the middle of the ruins. Then interesting options and tricky controls in whole the course on the narrow streets of old Lisbon. Also very demanding physically. The finish line was in one of the most famous street in the city center.

    The course (with Joaquim Sousa route): http://mapas.joaquimsousa.com/show_map.php?user=jsousa&map=183

    you can also check the movie from the same athlete here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLkSjCCS6Hk

  53. I’d like to suggest 3rd stage of Nice Holidays in Bohemian Paradise 2012 – long distance. It’s one of the best terrains in the Czech republic and only once per 4-5 years we can compete there, so it must be in a company of Course of the year. ;) Map is significantly generalised. And just something over 1000 runners had an opportunity to try this terrain this year. This is M21Elite course with map exchange. Very strong winning time was approx. 69 minutes.

    http://tur.cz/pekneprazdniny/uploads/images/2012/aktuality/E3-M21E.jpg

  54. Here’s my suggestion from Bulgaria http://sport-place.com/bgorienteering/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/rousse2012w21n.jpg
    Why? -Because the competition was held in he medieval town and fortress of Cherven ,it was funny to run in this impressive forestress and of course it was attractive.

  55. “Special award”: http://www.lac-o-lac.ch

    – 15 days
    – 150 stages
    – 700,2 km
    – 1581 controls
    – 102 h

    Longest o-map worldwide (is there a picture somewhere available?).

    • Very nice concept! I helped rolling out the map the first time, and it was really fantastic. What an effort! I didn’t find a full course anywhere, though.

  56. JWOC long distance.

  57. The final stage of Oringen this year had great terrain, really detailed intricate areas, as well as some nice long legs and routechoice:
    http://www.gustavbergman.se/doma/show_map.php?user=Gustav&map=1016

    Training camp in Turkey had some beautiful areas too. Gebiz was absolutely gorgeous, and had a nice course over fast, varying terrain, with quite a lot of detail.

  58. The M35 course from WMOC 2012 Final and long qual 1 should be in there, too.
    link:
    http://www.orientierungslauf.de/routegadget/?act=map&id=57&kieli=
    and:
    http://www.orientierungslauf.de/routegadget/?act=map&id=55&kieli=

    • Thanks for the suggestion! I only found the M40 course in a Doma archive (it is easier accessible for those wanting to see the course before deciding) – so I hope it is OK that I added that one (course looks quite similar). And I only took the final – two from this race would be too much…

  59. The most challenging course I ran this year was the WUOC Sprint in Alicante.

    Very good course with a lot of variation: demanding orienteering with a lot of steps on the hillside and some fast/easier parts in the city.

    Great view from the pre-start area down to the city of Alicante and the mediterranean sea.

    http://ol-shop.at/erik/maps/map_images/5.blank.jpg

    (Prize: MOC 2013)