Carrying A Whistle

Part of every orienteer’s kit is a whistle. While organisers don’t physically check that individuals are carrying whistles the onus is on individuals to do so. This is especially important in bush events. If you are injured or need assistance, it is recommended that you blow six short blasts on your whistle, wait and then repeat. If you come across someone who needs assistance, you are required to provide this.

At a recent OST event, an injured runner was assisted by a fellow competitor. Many thanks to Sam Woolford who spoke with the injured runner and then deviated from his course to alert officials about the injury. The injured runner could then be rescued safely from the forest.

Reporting to the Finish

All orienteers who start a course must report to the finish and download, even if you have abandoned your course. One of the excellent safety features of SportIdent is the capacity to check which competitors are still out in the forest. To avoid a search party being mounted, everyone needs to report to the finish before leaving the event.