The 2026 Oceania Orienteering Championships is held in Canberra on Ngunnawal Country from 26 September to 4 October. The Championships are comprised of the 2026 Oceania Orienteering Championships, 2026 Australian Schools Orienteering Championships and the 2026 Oceania Orienteering Flight of the Bogong.
Oceania Middle – Saturday 26 September
Oceania Orienteering Champs 2026 was off to a big start with the middle distance race on the Bogong Creek map in Namadgi National Park with high stakes!
As 20E and 21E ran the same course, the fastest male and female winner from M20E/21E and W20E/21E are eligible for a personal WOC 2027 place in that event.
Congratulations to Leith Soden for securing spot in WOC 2027!
Official results: https://eventor.orienteering.asn.au/Events/ResultList?eventId=22900&groupBy=EventClass
M21E
1 Leith Soden (SA Arrows) 29:56 5:26
2 Zefa Fa’avae (Nelson) 30:15 +0:19
3 Aston Key (VIC Vikings) 30:22 +0:26
W21E
1 Grace Crane (CBR Cockatoos) 32:06
2 Emily Sorensen (SA Arrows) 32:11 +0:05
3 Nea Shingler (NSW Stingers) 32:46 +0:40
M20E
1 Euan Best (TAS Foresters) 32:05 5:50
2 Cooper Horley (NSW Stingers) 33:49 +1:44
3 Sam Carryer (Auckland) 37:20 +5:15
W20E
1 Rachel Baker (Wellington) 31:46
2 Erika Enderby (NSW Stingers) 34:43 +2:57
3 Milla Key (VIC Vikings) 36:28 +4:42
M18A
1 Evan Rees-Jones (Waikato) 31:19
2 Matthew Slater (Goldseekers Orienteers) 31:20 +0:01
3 Callum Degenaar (Australopers Orienteering Club) 33:35 +2:16
W18A
1 Grace Jardine (Range Runners Orienteering Club) 37:49
2 Torun Joergensen (Peninsula and Plains) 38:27 +0:38
3 Sanda Halpin (Parawanga Orienteers) 38:35 +0:46
M16A
1 Felix Ward (Australopers Orienteering Club) 25:16
2 Henry Jordan (Australopers Orienteering Club) 27:55 +2:39
3 Jamie Appleton (North West) 28:45 +3:29
W16A
1 Sophie Herde (Auckland) 28:16
2 Jemima Hoskin (Southland) 30:37 +2:21
3 Beatrix Louis (Australopers Orienteering Club) 33:05 +4:49
Course planner Grant Bluett used traditional middle-distance course design emphasising frequent short legs, regular changes of direction, high navigational intensity and continuous map contact. Competitors who maintained strong compass discipline and close map contact avoided unnecessary time loss.
The Elite (M/W21E), Junior Elite (M/W20E) and Youth (M/W18A and M/W16A) classes are official IOF Regional Championships and eligible placegetters were awarded IOF championship medals.
Presentation ceremony photos by Tom de Jongh.
Oceania Relay – Sunday 27 September
The Oceania Relays on Sunday 27 September were at Honeysuckle Creek, also in Namadgi National Park. The Oceania Relay Championships was an international competition where official teams were comprised of three competitors from the same nationality.
Official results: https://eventor.orienteering.asn.au/Events/ResultList?eventId=22902&groupBy=EventClass
W21E
1. New Zealand 2 – 2:09:26
Katherine Babington, Briana Steven, Kaia Joergensen
2. New Zealand 1 – 2:10:04 +0:38
Lara Molloy, Zara Stewart, Lizzie Ingham
3. Orienteering Australia 1 – 2:10:51 +1:25
Caitlin Young, Grace Crane, Nea Shingler
M21E
1. Orienteering Australia 1 – 1:53:57
Leith Soden, David Stocks, Aston Key
2. New Zealand 1 – 1:57:28 +3:31
Jakob Knoef, Zefa Fa’avae, Joseph Lynch
3. Orienteering Victoria 1 – 2:18:23 +24:26
Jensen Key, Henri du Toit, Torren Arthur
W20E
1. Orienteering Australia 1 – 1:56:23
Milla Key, Ella Clauson, Erika Enderby
2. Orienteering Australia 3 – 2:24:34 +28:11
Rebecca Craig, Sanda Halpin, Ella Hogg
3. Orienteering Australia 2 – 2:37:33 +41:10
Katherine Maundrell, Aoife Rothery, Maggie Mackay
M20E
1. Orienteering Australia 1 – 1:56:11
Cooper Horley, Owen Radajewski, Euan Best
2. Orienteering WA 1 – 2:15:05 +18:54
Rohan Braid, Christopher Drury, Liam Dufty
3. Orienteering Queensland 1 – 2:15:24 +19:13
William Barnes, Alex Vanzella, Dylan Bryant
W18A
1. Orienteering Australia 1 – 2:13:11
Sophie Hartmann, Katie Clauson, Mira Walter
2. New Zealand 1 – 2:28:27 +15:16
Niamh Hoare, Orla Hoare, Greta Prince
3. Orienteering SA 1 – 2:53:21 +40:10
Lenya Bertram, Adeline Richmond, Lucinda Fogarty
M18A
1. Orienteering Australia 1 – 2:12:53
Elye Dent, Isaac Butler, Matty Maundrell
2. New Zealand 2 – 2:27:46 +14:53
Lachlan Cameron, Evan Rees-Jones, Cameron Johns
3. New Zealand 1 – 2:47:58 +35:05
Tahi Harris, Isaac Stewart, William Wood
W16A
1. New Zealand 1 – 1:36:41
Sophie Herde, Victoria Underwood, Jemima Hoskin
2. Orienteering Australia 1 – 2:05:51 +29:10
Ivy Rapley, Aria Butler, Naomi Penton
3. Orienteering ACT 1 – 2:12:19 +35:38
Veronika Iskhakova, Alma Walter, Isobel Walter
M16A
1. Orienteering Australia 1 – 1:46:26
Hayden Dent, Aidan Tomlins, Rory Shedden
2. Orienteering Tasmania 1 – 2:05:20 +18:54
Felix Ward, Angus Hewitt, Henry Jordan
3. New Zealand 1 – 2:08:15 +21:49
Alfie Cochrane, Daniel Porteous, Xavier White
Course planner Eoin Rothery created a relay with many forkings, common controls, nearby competitors and losely located controls. It was highly advised to check your control codes. The vegetation offered its own challenges as most of all, it was recommended that all but the hardiest Kiwis wear full body cover.
