The 2024 NAV-X race season is here!

The plan for 2024 is to hold 5 GPS events and 1 in-person season finale.

Each GPS course is open for two months: pick any day during those two months to be your race day. You can register and run after the end date, but it won’t count toward official results.

Registration Instructions and Pricing

Can you still run GPS courses from PREVIOUS YEARS?

Yes, you can! But you will need to purchase a NAV-X Club Membership. The pricing is $35 for new members and $25 for renewing members, $10 off for juniors. Members get access to all our 2021 to 2023 official GPS courses until the end of the year. Here’s what you get:

  • Access 18 quality GPS map trekking courses from the 2021, 2022, and 2023 series

  • A pair of NAV-X arm warmers (select size during sign-up)

  • Discounted entry fees to NAV-X 2024 official events as well as events from other orienteering clubs

After signing up, you will receive an email with instructions for how to access the archived courses.

Free Local GPS Training courses

The MapRun app for GPS-based timing is pretty easy to use and intuitive. But if you want to do a dry-run, we will also have a few training courses available for free in different locations, in order to allow everyone to get used to the app before doing a “real” course that is part of the race season.

  • Peninsula/South Bay: Arastradero @ Palo Alto (1h/2h) - AVAILABLE NOW

  • Sacramento area: Mississippi Bar @ Orangevale (1h/2h) - AVAILABLE NOW

  • East Bay: Joaquin Miller @ Oakland (1h/2h) - AVAILABLE NOW

Other Navigation Events

There are several other clubs that organize events around Northern California, check out a list here.

2025 Schedule

While we’re still working on the last events of 2024, here’s a sneak preview of next year’s schedule

  • Jan - Feb: Mt Diablo - 2h/4h

  • Mar - Apr: Auburn SRA - 3h/6h

  • May - Jun: Annedel - 2h/4h

  • Jul - Aug: Tahoe Northstar - 4h/8h

  • Sep - Oct: ??? - 2h/4h

  • October - Briones (IN PERSON) - 2h/4h


How DO GPS COURSES Work?

All you need is a smart phone running either iOS or Android. Here are the basic steps:

Before race day

  • Sign up online using the links in the schedule above. (you can decide on your race date later) - within 24 hours, you will receive a confirmation email with links to the map files and course instructions.

  • If you haven’t already done so, Install the MapRun app, ver. 6 or 7.

  • On your phone, load the chosen course when you have reliable Internet service.

On race day

  • When you are ready to start your run, open the app and walk toward the Start location until the app beeps. This starts the race clock.

  • Run the course - the app will beep at each checkpoint you visit. You can keep phone packed away while you run. Keep in mind the following as you run:

    • Be respectful of other park visitors

    • Practice Leave No Trace (LNT)

    • Have a safety plan (tell someone where you are going, ideally run with someone, bring first aid kit, etc.)

  • Run to the Finish, the app will beep, telling you that you have finished your run.

After race day

  • Final official results will be posted and sent out via email to all participants within a few days of the end of the 2-month competition window.

  • You can also view your splits and track in the app or online, and after the course has closed, you can also compare your checkpoint sequence, splits and GPS tracks with fellow runners (Route Gadget)

Get all the details here.

How do GPS events differ from regular events?

As with most things, there are pros and cons, and in this case there are in fact a surprising number of advantages.

What’s great about it?

  • Can set courses where it’s hard to otherwise have large group events

  • Can have Start/Finish locations better suited to the course (example Cache Creek we can Start/Finish in the middle)

  • Easier and less costly to organize, resulting in...

  • ...lower race fees (much lower!)

  • Can do the course when it fits your schedule.  Courses will be open for an entire month.

  • A wealth of post-race data and route analysis, including control sequence, route, time tracking on legs, etc.

What’s different/challenging?

  • Won’t be able to socialize with other racers around the food table - you provide your own post-race food and refreshments.

  • You have to print your own maps (we provide PDF files).

  • We can’t enforce a time cap on route planning (this may be perceived as a benefit to some).

  • You’ll be waiting for a beep from your phone, rather than looking for an orange/white flag (we will mark with biodegradable flagging but no guarantee it will be there all the time - other visitors, cows or deer may remove)

  • Individual safety preparations become critical as there will not be any race organization at the venue - you’re it!  As a result, we will not be doing anything longer than 8 hours using the GPS system.

We think the Pros outweigh the Cons and think you will really enjoy racing this way.  We look forward to watching the leader boards as the season gets underway.  Adventure on in 2024!

The NAV-X Team