Team Orienteering Relay
Teams of four split up an orienteering course: each member heads out alone to find two control flags and hands the map to the next runner in the exchange zone. Students practice solo navigation, running pace and responsibility to the team.
How to play
- Place 16 control flags around the field, each with a code. Prepare maps with 4 different legs of 2 controls each (legs 1, 2, 3 and 4) so every runner has their own route.
- Make 6 teams of 4 wearing matching pinnies, with one control card per team. Mark the exchange zone with cones.
- Each team takes 2 minutes to decide who runs which leg based on how confident they feel reading the map.
- On the signal the first runners go: they find their 2 controls, write the codes on the card and return to the exchange zone to hand the map and card to the next runner.
- When the fourth runner returns, the team turns in the card. Each wrong code adds a 1-minute penalty. One heat lasts about 8 minutes.
- Play 2 heats, changing the order of legs so everyone tries different routes.
Rules
- Each runner goes alone and may not get help from teammates during their leg.
- The map and card are handed off inside the exchange zone.
- Stay inside the boundaries shown on the map; anyone who gets lost returns to base and tells the teacher.
- Control flags are never moved or hidden.
Variations
Easier
Use legs with a single control visible from the exchange zone.
Standard
Each runner finds 2 controls on a medium-difficulty leg.
Harder
Use 3-control legs on maps without marked paths and place some flags in wooded areas.
Adaptations
- Limited mobility: assign a leg with controls on firm ground close to the exchange zone.
- Visual impairment: the student runs their leg with a guide and an enlarged map.
- Lower fitness: allow brisk walking and assign the shortest leg without penalizing extra time.
Learning goals
- Navigate independently with a map on a solo leg.
- Match running pace to the difficulty of the navigation.
- Take responsibility for one's own leg as part of a team.
Equipment for a class of 25
- maps: 24
- control flags: 16
- pinnies: 24
- cards: 12
Teacher tip
Have an injured student or helper serve as the official at the exchange zone to check cards. Keep legs from crossing at the same point so nobody just follows another runner.
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