DC Athlete Heads To World Championships In Japan

DC resident and Quantico Orienteering Club member Jon Torrance will compete in the 2005 World Orienteering Championships being held in Japan this August.

WASHINGTON DC (PRWEB) July 1, 2005 -- Joining over 350 competitors from over 35 countries, local athlete Jon Torrance will compete this August in the 2005 World Orienteering Championships taking place in Japans Aichi prefecture.

Jon, 34, a member of the Quantico Orienteering Club (QOC), is highest ranking runner in the North American Orienteering League and in the 2005 Sprint Series, two series of events bringing together orienteers in the U.S. and Canada. This will be his first time competing in the world championships.

The 2005 World Orienteering Championships (WOC) will be held in Aichi prefecture near Nagoya in conjunction with the 2005 World Exposition and the Honokuni Forest Festival. The areas highlands are forested in a mixture of pine and deciduous trees and feature complex networks of steep-sided valleys which should provide significant physical and navigational challenges.

Japan during the summer, however, would not top many lists of favorite places to compete for reasons well known to DC residents: heat and humidity. The organizers are relying on the higher elevations of the chosen venues to reduce discomfort, but perhaps Jons summer training in DC area conditions will provide a bit of an equalizer against the Northern Europeans who usually dominate international orienteering competitions.

About Orienteering:

What is orienteering? It's an activity in which participants use a compass and detailed map to walk or run between mapped sites that are numbered in the order they must be visited, a bit like a road rally -- without the car. At each site there is a numbered flag and coded hole punch, which the participants use to punch their cards. On more advanced courses, the flags are harder to find and the courses can be quite physically challenging. The person or team finding all flags in order in the shortest time wins.

Orienteering originated and is most popular in Europe, where serious competitors train quite regularly with their local clubs and are sponsored by their national athletic organizations. But its not just a competitive sport", says Greg Lennon, QOC President. Its also recreational. We get lots of folks, including families, who just like combining a bit of navigation with a good walk." In the DC/MD/VA area, the Quantico Orienteering Club holds 2-3 events per month during its regular season running from September to June.

Lennon says that orienteering is spreading in North America, aided by the growing interest in adventure races, which usually include orienteering challenges. This September, QOC will host an event at Northern Virginias Lake Accotink Park in celebration of National Orienteering Day.

About the Quantico Orienteering Club:

Incorporated in 1979, the nonprofit Quantico Orienteering Club is one of the oldest and largest orienteering clubs in the nation. Events are held most weekends during the Sept. -- June season, and take place at local parks in DC, Maryland, or Virginia. All events are open to the public and offer free beginner instruction.

For information about the Quantico Orienteering Club: http://qoc.us.orienteering.org/

For information about the 2005 World Orienteering Championships: http://www.woc2005.jp/index-e.html

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