Split Times: Find Where You Lost Time
Students run an orienteering course in pairs while the partner records the split time at each control; afterward they analyze the splits, find the leg where they lost the most time, and rerun it. They practice self-assessment, technical analysis, and planned improvement.
How to play
- Set up an 8-control course in the park or field with legs of varied difficulty, and give each pair a stopwatch and a self-assessment form with a splits table.
- First turn, 8 minutes: one partner runs the course while the other follows a few yards behind without helping, recording the running time at each control.
- Second turn, 8 minutes: partners switch roles and run the same course in reverse.
- In 5 minutes, each student figures out each leg's time by subtracting the running totals and marks the slowest leg for its length.
- On the form, students explain the cause: map not set, long route, overshooting the control, or hesitating when leaving.
- In the final 4 minutes, each student reruns only their worst leg with the planned fix and compares the new time.
Rules
- The follower may not talk about the route or point; they only time and record.
- Record times right when the runner touches the control.
- Safety: the follower watches the terrain and speaks up only if there is a hazard.
Variations
Easier
Use a 5-control course and a form with the error causes already listed to check off.
Standard
Eight controls, splits in pairs, and a rerun of the worst leg.
Harder
Students compare their splits with the fastest time in the class and work out the seconds lost on each leg.
Adaptations
- Limited mobility: the student runs an accessible course and the partner uses the same form.
- Visual impairment: the follower reads times out loud and the form is completed orally.
- Fitness level: the analysis uses seconds per 100 yards, so technique counts, not speed.
Learning goals
- Record and calculate split times for a course.
- Identify the technical cause of personal mistakes.
- Apply a specific fix and check whether it worked.
Equipment for a class of 25
- maps: 25
- control markers: 8
- stopwatches: 13
- self-assessment forms: 25
Teacher tip
Show how to calculate a split with an example on the whiteboard before heading out; otherwise many students get mixed up. Choose legs with clear traps so there are mistakes to analyze.
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