The 2017 World Orienteering Day China Orienteering Week – Hunan Orienteering League was launched in Hunan University and Yuelu Mountain Scenic Spot on May 28. More than 3,000 participants competed in the event.
It was co-hosted by the International Orienteering Federation (IOF), the Orienteering Association of China (OAC), Hunan Sports Bureau, Hunan Sports Federation, and Hunan University (HNU).
The course started from the track field in HNU south campus. Sixty control points were distributed throughout the campus and Yuelu Mountain. The participants were classified into five teams: junior, teenager, college student, adult, and parent-child teams. Cups were granted to the top three completers, and certificates of award to the first eight. Every completer received a certificate with a signature of IOF President.
The World Orienteering Day (WOD) was initiated by the IOF in 2016, being held worldwide in every May. On May 11, 2016, the first WOD event was held in 81 countries in 2,013 venues, with more than 250,000 participants taking part in. HNU, the world’s largest venue that day, attracted more than 2,400 participants and more than 1.2 million online audiences.
In 2017, the second WOD was marked in about 2,000 cities worldwide during this May. China, an IOF member, held its Orienteering Week activities throughout the country from May 20 to May 31.