Orienteering: A Great, Outdoors Scandi Adventure for ALL!
Welcome to the start of the 2025 orienteering season in Columbus, Ohio, fellow Scandinavians! Central Ohio Orienteers (COO) will have its first 2025 event on Saturday, March 22 at Sharon Woods Metro Park, Westerville. Dress in layers, prepare for rain, and come with an extra pair of socks and shoes in your car because March can be a muddy month!
COO's website is here: https://www.centralohioorienteers.org/ Always a good idea to check there for last minute info, like verifying the start locations in the parks.
Brain Benefits: In a study specifically done of orienteering and how good it is for our brains, they found orienteering makes us use so much of our brain to figure out where we are and how to get to the next place we want to go. Orienteering, for sure, gets us out into nature and outside of our daily routines.
2025 Events Schedule
- Saturday, March 22: Sharon Woods Metro Park, Westerville
- Sunday, April 13: Alum Creek State Park OR Highbanks Metro Park; check back for exact location.
- Saturday, May 3 OR 10: Slate Run; check back for exact date.
- Sunday, June 1: Whetstone Park, Clintonville
- Sept/Oct: Check back soon.
- Saturday, Nov 8 OR 15: Alum Creek State Park OR Delaware State Park, check back soon.
- Sunday, December 7: Alley Park, Lancaster
Event Logistics
Look for conspicuous signage at events, typically a large white/orange square at the park entrance and another near the reserved shelter/park section where the club starts and finishes. New for 2025 is the addition of electronic punching on the long courses, starting with the April event. We will still offer traditional red "paper punches".
Start your walk or run between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Details are available on the COO website or COO Facebook pages. If possible, let's meet at 11 a.m. at the start or see you on the trail.
Contact
Annie Almstedt, your Intrepid Scandi-Orienteer-er Coordinator
ohioalmstedts@att.net
614-975-5949
Registration and Donations:
Please, RSVP online so that Annie, our Coordinator, knows how many to expect. Hope to see you there.
At the event, inform Annie of your attendance.
No charge for Metro Park events, but COO (Central Ohio Orienteers) accepts donations.
