Register Now
This, right here, is the important notice of the week. If you have not yet signed up for the Alaska Orienteering Festival Events, please do it now. Your club membership will get you a spot for free if you preregister using the code: PASS2026.
Registering not only drums up excitement and gets you in for free, it ensures a map gets printed for you on the days and courses you want!
You can register through the festival website or on EventReg. If you use EventReg you will need to select your club affiliation as “ARCTIC” not “AOC” and complete another online waiver in the registration process.
National Ranking Matters
If you want to earn national ranking points, be sure to become an OUSA member and run at or above your age-appropriate category at Saturday’s Mirror Lake Event. That will count as one of four nationally ranked events (NREs) you’ll need to compete in this year to become ranked. Our club is only putting on one such event, but for adults and youth looking to apply for the US National Ski Orienteering or Junior Ski Orienteering Team or Foot Orienteering teams, it’ll be fun to travel to other such events Outside and show your mettle in races with other national competitors.
Aside from helping to forward any individual members’ personal goals, Arctic Orienteering Club board and festival committee members are jumping through the extra red tape of putting on a nationally sanctioned event to draw in outside competitors and give us all the opportunity to test our skills against a wider range of orienteers on our home turf.
Likewise, when any of our members travel outside to compete in events in other parts of the country and the world, we’re representing our Arctic Orienteering team. Plus, we learn techniques and skills which we can bring back to continually improve our own maps, our course-setting, and our navigation skills.
UAA Sprint Thursday, June 25
starts from 5-7pm
This first sprint of the year is designed to be super fun and fast. Put your route choice decision making skills to the test as you navigate one or both of these great courses through the University of Alaska’s urban landscape.
Mirror Lake NRE Saturday, June 27
starts from Noon – 2 pm
Come enjoy the beautiful forest running on a newly-expanded Mirror Lake map. Starting at the Singing Hills Girl Scout Camp on the east side of the Glen Highway on Edmonds Lake, this National Ranking Event boasts white, yellow, orange, brown (short green), green, red and blue (long red) courses through open birch forest. Stick around afterward for the cookout at the finish area!
Chugach Mountain-O Sunday, June 28
starts from 10-11 am
See the Chugach front range from all new angles as you navigate your way around its spectacular peaks and tundra. Starting from Glen Alps parking lot, a short walk takes you to the enchanting start/finish area for a 10:00-11:00AM interval start on your “Short” or Long Course. This is what Alaska orienteering is all about!
Consider bringing bear spray, a jacket, a snack, and water or water filter.
Saturday Awards and Bar-B-Q
Following Saturday’s Mirror Lake NRE on the 27th, please stay to enjoy socializing by Edmunds Lake (Singing Hills Girl Scout Camp start/finish) with your fellow orienteers from Alaska and abroad. Everyone is invited to munch on a late lunch off the grill (feel free to bring a side dish or dessert) while we wait for the awards ceremony to begin.
It’s a great time to compare the routes you took to tough controls with other orienteers and make connections with new friends to visit or meet up with when you go on your next orienteering vacation Outside!