| North American Orienteering Championships | |
|---|---|
 Finish line at the 2010 NAOC in Cranbrook, British Columbia | |
| Status | active |
| Genre | sports event |
| Date | May—November |
| Frequency | biennial |
| Venue | various |
| Location | various |
| Country | Canada, United States |
| Inaugurated | 1971 |
| Previous event | 2024 |
| Next event | 2026 |
| Organised by | IOF, Orienteering Canada, Orienteering USA |
| Website | https://www.cal-o-fest.com |
The North American Orienteering Championships (NAOC) is a biennial orienteering event organized by the International Orienteering Federation.
Contents
Originally, the North American Orienteering Championships consisted of just two forest races. The competition was held in odd-numbered years until 1977, after which it changed to even numbered years starting in 1980. A sprint race was added to the program in 2006. The event's location always alternates between Canada and the United States. The NAOC has been held in conjunction with other orienteering competitions such as the Canadian Orienteering Championships (1990, 1998, 2018, 2024) and the Asia-Pacific Orienteering Championships (1990, 2002). [1]
The current championship events are a long distance, middle distance, sprint distance, and either a forest relay or sprint relay. The events can take place in any order. [2] The competition has open age and gender categories as well as an elite category. Throughout the competition, points earned by Canadian and American competitors in the elite categories are added up. The team with the most points is declared the winner and is awarded the Bjorn Kjellstrom Cup, first awarded in 1980. [3]
| Distance | Winning Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Long distance | 70–80 min (women) 90–100 min (men) | |
| Middle distance | 30–35 min | |
| Sprint | 12–15 min | |
| Forest Relay | 105–135 min | Three-person teams |
| Sprint Relay | 55–60 min | Mixed four-person teams |
