Wight Orienteers celebrate 50 years with two days of orienteering races at the sites of the island’s two iconic lighthouses. Come and join us!

Orienteering is a small but active sport. Competitors aim to visit a sequence of controls (checkpoints) in the shortest time, with map and compass being the only allowed navigational aids. 

Typically there are around 20 controls, and the route taken between them is entirely up to the you! Competitors carry an electronic timing chip which registers their visit to each control.

Day 1: Saturday 5th Sept, St Catherines Lighthouse & Knowles Farm

Two short and intense races, each of around 2-3km in length with a winning time of around 15 minutes.

St Catherine’s Lighthouse is located at the southern most point of the island. The map incorporates the dramatic and rugged coastline dominated by the lighthouse. The coastal section is undulating and very open, allowing fast runnability through the many rock formations around Knowles Farm. The backdrop is a climb through wild scrubland with intricate paths that lead you to the higher ground.

Day 2: Sunday 6th Sept, The Needles Headland

A single race with a choice of courses suitable for everybody, including children, with lengths ranging between 2km and 8km. A winning time of around 30-35 minutes is expected.

The infamous Needles Lighthouse is at the far western point on the island. The map stretches from the memorial cross on the top of Tennyson Down, to the less talked about ruins of the rocket launching site, Needles headland and battery. From here you look down to the famous colourful sand cliffs at Alum Bay and the views from wherever you are on the map are spectacular! The terrain is very fast open down land, peppered with an abundance of embankments, knolls, earth walls, pits and depressions.

For more information please visit: https://wight50.uk or contact [email protected]