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Course Lengths
Different length courses are provided for varying levels of fitness and experience. The course lengths will be published in the event information and you will be required to choose a course when you pre-enter online. For 2010, there are five courses of varying lengths and difficulty. Generally, the course lengths are shown on the event details.
The course lengths are based on the estimated distance of the shortest reasonable route for a rider. This is different to foot-orienteering where they measure course distances as the crow flies.
Types of courses
There are several different formats that are used for events. With each version the start will be indicated by a red triangle on the map and the finish point by a double red circle (sometimes the start and finish are in the same point). The controls are marked by a red circle.
A line course is the most common where the controls are numbered consecutively from 1, and you must visit the controls in this order. In such events a line will be drawn between consecutive controls to aid navigation and remind you which control to visit next:
A score course does not require you to visit the controls in any particular order and there are no lines connecting the controls on the map.
There are several versions of score courses. Most commonly, a time limit is specified and controls are allocated varying "scores" (often 10, 20, 30 points etc). The aim is to get as high a point score as possible in the given time limit. Points are deducted for participants that return after the allocated time limit. If two participants have the same point-score at the end of the race, the participant that returned in the faster time is ranked higher. In a Spanish Score event you must visit all the controls on your map, but you can visit them in any order, with the fastest time winning.
In a yet unnamed version of the score event, the controls are again allocated scores and a point limit (rather than a time limit) is specified. The particpant to reach that certain point score in the fastest time is declared the winner.
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