I had the pleasure of interviewing Fiona Bunn, Peter Molloy and James Ackland last week. Household names they may not be (yet), but they are Cambridge’s very own members of the GB Orienteering team. This summer, the trio competed at the 2022 World University Orienteering Championships in Biel, Switzerland. Before we delve further into the obscure sport of Orienteering, let me first introduce you to our three protagonists.

Ackland, a proud Scot, is in the second year of his PhD. Bunn has recently graduated from Cambridge and is undertaking a PhD at Edinburgh University - but maintains links to Cambridge through the Alumni section of the Cambridge University Orienteering Club. And lastly, Molloy is a 3rd year MMLer now in Georgia on his year abroad – his internet connection was erratic, but this was forgiven as he had just moved to Georgia on the day of the interview.

Over the course of 45 minutes, the three athletes introduced me to the world of orienteering. To be perfectly honest, I only knew what orienteering involved because my girlfriend’s dad had earnt a half-Blue in the sport sometime around the 16th century (please don’t kill me, girlfriend’s dad). By the end of the interview though, it became clear to me that orienteering is an undersold sport and certainly worth a try. A hidden gem of the sporting world, if you will.

Orienteering is an individual sport (although there are team relays as well), in which competitors race to various markers around a set course. Each runner carries a ‘Dibber’, an electronic tag which records the fact that you have reached a marker, with the winner being the one who can reach all the markers in the fastest time. These courses are set up by orienteering clubs, which for Cambridge students is the Cambridge University Orienteering Club. The club is nonselective and has runners of all abilities, who have weekly training races. There are numerous orienteering courses in Cambridge including at Churchill College and St John’s sports pitches, which offer a simple and accessible introduction to the sport. On top of the training races, there are other orienteering races held throughout the year, including Varsity and university level (BUCS), for which entry is also non-selective.

It is in these national races, such as BUCS, that Bunn, Ackland and Molloy caught the eye of GB selectors over the past year. Bunn secured her spot in the GB team for a second time, with a strong 2nd place at BUCS. James broke into the GB team for the first time after a string of top 10 results in national races. Molloy won a string of national races (and also failed to mention he won the men’s section of the Varsity match). He also raced at the European Orienteering Championships, and qualified for the Junior World Championships (an event the other two are too old to take part in), rescheduled for November due to wildfires taking place in Portugal this summer.

The athletes all raved about the physical and mental challenges during orienteering races, which makes it such an interesting and enjoyable sport. Whereas track running is boring in Ackland’s opinion, the tactics and navigational skills needed in orienteering are what make it so versatile. Molloy even ventured that orienteering is better than rowing: “it’s not miserable and we don’t talk about it all the time!” Bunn also added that she enjoyed the opportunities to travel for competitions, both within the UK and abroad.

Before we said our goodbyes, I enquired if there was anything else that needed to be mentioned in this article, to which they exclaimed: “50th Anniversary Dinner!” I was duly informed of a new sport concocted by the greatest minds of Cambridge, voirienteering, invented to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the Cambridge University Orienteering Club. Essentially, it entails orienteering around Cambridge except on Voi e-scooters and dressed in black tie, yielding a race with more speed and more fun. Brilliant. Sounds like the club and alumni had a blast, and voirienteering is something I’d definitely give a go!