London Orienteering Klubb

London Orienteering Klubb is an orienteering club which draws its members from the north side of the River Thames and to the west of the Lea Valley. Our runners are of all ages and abilities. New members are welcome. Read more about membership here. Information about our next and recent orienteering events is shown below with more details on our Events page.

Next Event – Friday 18th September 2026

See flyer for Middlesex University at Hendon as part of the London City Race weekend.

GLOSS Series 2026

The GLOSS 2026 series is now complete, with the final event details below. Congratulations to HAVOC who are series winners.

GLOSS 2026 Event 5 – Beckenham Place Park 25th July

Event page | Results | Routegadget | GLOSS scoring | Commentary to follow.

GLOSS 2026 Event 4 – Dagnam Park

In contrast to last week when the air temperature for later starters was 27c, today was significantly cooler at 18c and breezier. Nevertheless, the sun shone on competitors as they navigated their way across Dagnam Park, a former estate deer park, in forest sprint like conditions. The deer present on the estate had seen to it that the forest floor was clear of almost all vegetation – not so great for biodiversity but ideal for fast running conditions. There was, however, plenty to negotiate from lots of dead wood, rootstocks and ruined earth banks scattered across the wooded areas to the hedgerows of ancient open field systems. Trickiest control was perhaps the rootstock at number six high above the oscillating tributary of the Ingrebourne River in an area called The Osiers.

The Extension course took competitors into Duck Wood for yet trickier orienteering challenge – there was even the possibility of getting your feet wet across the marshy areas. It also involved negotiating around what looked like the remains of a ha-ha of one of the no-longer-standing estate manors on this site.

Thanks to Dale Bennett for planning the GLOSS courses and Colin Jackson for organising as well as the rest of the crew from HAVOC.

Unhandicapped course results [and a few photos] are now available on the HAVOC’s event page  as is a link to Routegadget. You can use RouteGadget to show the planner where you went and review others’ routes.

Quickest on the GLOSS course was Christopher Prince (M21) of HAVOC and Demelza Robinson (W21) of LOK, and a recent arrival to the UK from New Zealand, in 20:25 and 25:51 minutes respectively. Christopher’s time was a few seconds over the lower end of the GLOSS expected winning time of 20-22 minutes, indicating that the course / conditions were perfect for GLOSS.  Top junior on GLOSS today was Charlie Maule-Lidbury (M16) of HAVOC in 24:15, a shade quicker than his younger brother Hugo in 24:29.

For handicapping purposes competitors are awarded points based on how well on the day they outdo their average ranking scores across all British Orienteering (BO) ranking events over the past year instead of their best six. Full details of the handicapping approach is here and the list of average scores for all BO members as at 20 June 2026 is given in the penultimate column here. Unranked competitors, which also includes juniors, are each assumed to perform at 0.95 against expectations.

Quickest on handicap ie the individual whose ratio of actual event points to expected points based on their current ranking this time was Dave Norman (M65) of CHIG in a time of 35:58 minutes, giving an outperformance ratio of 1.168.

In the team competition it was DFOK who turned in the strongest performance with a 10-person team outscoring hosts HAVOC by 25 individual score points on the day and thereby scoring the maximum 20 team points. LOK was third ahead of HH. Congratulations to DFOK for their win.

Full handicapped results are here. Any scoring queries to Paul Todd at fixtures@londonorienteering.co.uk.

Entries are open for the final event in the 2026 GLOSS series hosted by today’s winners DFOK at Beckenham Park Place, next Saturday, 25 July 2026.  See you there for the fifth and last instalment of the 2026 GLOSS series!
Catherine Galvin – 2026 GLOSS series coordinator (LOK)

GLOSS 2026 Event 3 – Scratchwood

This was only the second use of Scratchwood for orienteering, the previous occasion also being the finale to the 2021 GLOSS series. Some of us remember arriving early to see police marching down past Download into the woods in order to serve a disbandment order on the overnight rave that was still ongoing during the event. Today was a little quieter at this remnant of the once great Middlesex Forest.

A proper orienteering challenge was on offer on the 3.0k 105m climb 14 control GLOSS course. First few controls headed out across wildflower meadows before tackling trickier (and at times confusing) spur and gully terrain in the middle of the map.  Then across the top of the hill for a control located on an earth bank that had seen better days. At this furthest west point of the GLOSS course the rumble of trains could be heard heading into the Elstree tunnel on the way up to Sheffield. Trickiest of all was the penultimate control – a concrete covered inspection hatch located in a re-entrant running due south but for which the most obvious approach path had been affected by windblown vegetation.

The heat combined with the challenge (vegetation as well as orienteering) explained why quite a few competitors for one reason or another didn’t fully complete the GLOSS course or the GLOSS + Extension course. 

Thanks to Jon Chandler for planning the GLOSS courses and Charles Spence for organising and Ronan and Julie Cleary for controlling as well as the rest of the crew from LOK.

Quickest on the GLOSS course was James Errington (M21) and Kerria Lines (W21), both of HH in 26:59 and 39:30 minutes respectively. James’s time was 5 minutes slower than the GLOSS expected winning time of 20-22 minutes, indicating that the course / conditions were demanding.  Top juniors were Kieran Dedman (M14) and Charlotte Naughton (W14), again both of HH, in 32:15 and 81:17 respectively.

For handicapping purposes competitors are awarded points based on how well on the day they outdo their average ranking scores across all British Orienteering (BO) ranking events over the past year instead of their best six. Full details of the handicapping approach is here and the list of average scores for all BO members as at 20 June 2026 is given in the penultimate column here. Unranked competitors, which also includes juniors, are each assumed to perform at 0.95 against expectations.

Quickest on handicap ie the individual whose ratio of actual event points to expected points based on their current ranking this time was Paul Hearn (M60) of HH in a time of 55:48 minutes, giving an outperformance ratio of 1.394, the highest seen in this series so far. Spare a thought however for Ben Gostick (M21) of ShUOC and member of British Orienteering development squad, and the highest ranked competitor attending. On account of injury, Ben walked round the GLOSS course in a respectable 43:01 but finished last on handicap.

Despite 23 of their club members successfully completing the GLOSS course, local club HH was only able to finish second to HAVOC, the current holders of the London Bus Trophy, with DFOK again in third place.

Full handicapped results are here. Any scoring queries to Paul Todd at fixtures@londonorienteering.co.uk.

Entries are open for the next event, hosted by current holders of the London Bus Trophy HAVOC at Dagnam Park, a former deer park and yet more recent addition to areas previously unused for orienteering that have a hunting background.  See you there for the fourth and penultimate installment of the 2026 GLOSS series!

Catherine Galvin – 2026 GLOSS series coordinator (LOK)

GLOSS 2026 Event 2 – Verulamium

Competitors today had a full tour of full variety that Verulamium has to offer – from the Roman ruins of the old city to controls a stone’s throw from St Albans Cathedral, the oldest site of continuous Christian worship in Britain – as they made their way round the 3.9k 60m climb 20 control course. The course was topped and tailed by trickier controls in the rewilded former golf course area southwest of the running track. Trickiest control of all however was number 4 , in a hollow in the woods, not far from where the remains of the old Roman city wall petered out. Though the weather this morning was a tad fresher than of late at 19c, the grassland and vegetation seemed higher than ever.

Thanks to Alexander Lines for planning the GLOSS course and Tim Bywater-Lees for organising and rest of the crew from HH.

Unhandicapped course results and photos are now available on HH’s website as is a link to Routegadget. You can use RouteGadget to show the planner where you went and review others’ routes. There are also more photos by David Dixon (HH) here and further ones taken by Rob Lines (SO) here.

Quickest on the GLOSS course was again Tim Scarborough (M40) of MV and Becky Raftery (W40) of HH in 24:17 and 37:24 minutes respectively. Top juniors were Sebby Elder (M14) and Isabelle Raftery (W12), both of HH, in 36:17 and 75:45 respectively. It was good to see so many juniors successfully completely the at times tricky GLOSS course.

For handicapping purposes competitors are awarded points based on how well on the day they outdo their average ranking scores across all British Orienteering (BO) ranking events over the past year instead of their best six. Full details of the handicapping approach is here and the list of average scores for all BO members as at 20 June 2026 is given in the penultimate column here. Unranked competitors, which also includes juniors, are each assumed to perform at 0.95 against expectations.

Quickest on handicap ie the individual whose ratio of actual event points to expected points based on their current ranking was Gavin Truter (M35) of SLOW in a time of 37:26 minutes, giving an outperformance ratio of 1.170. Five clubs were able to field a full team of at least six successful competitors for the handicap competition. Hosts HH, with 45 GLOSS finishers, prevailed over HAVOC, current holders of the London Bus GLOSS trophy, with DFOK again in third place.

Full handicapped results are here. Any scoring queries to Paul Todd at fixtures@londonorienteering.co.uk.

Entries are open for the next event, hosted by series co-ordinators London Orienteering Klubb at Scratchwood, a remnant of the once great Middlesex Forest and used for hunting up until the 1920s.  See you there for the third instalment of the 2026 GLOSS series!
Catherine Galvin – 2026 GLOSS series coordinator (LOK)

GLOSS 2026 Event 1 Report – Epsom Downs

The heatwave of the previous week relented somewhat for the inaugural event of the GLOSS 2026 series at Epsom & Walton Downs, home to the iconic Derby held 3 weeks earlier. But why endure race day crowds when you can get to experience the venue in all its midsummer glory through competing in GLOSS? Competitors traversed the famous course as well as several gallops in between forays into mature patches of woods in sunshine (22c) and a pleasant light breeze.

Mole Valley (MV) provided an exemplar GLOSS course with a couple of straightforward controls before things got a lot trickier in the woods of Langley Vale. Those who elected for the extension course got to view the grandstand before galloping through flower filled meadows to run right past the remote racecourse start before looping back across the course to the (orienteering) Finish just south of the 7-Furlong carpark, the highest point on Epsom Downs at 148 metres above sea level. Après O picknickers enjoyed a panoramic view to the North and West, with the towers of Woking clearly visible in the far distance.

Thanks to John Pickup for planning the courses, Justin Farhall for organising and rest of the crew from Mole Valley (MV). Unhandicapped course results and photos are now available on MV’s website as is a link to RouteGadget. You can use RouteGadget to show the planner where you went and review others’ routes.

Quickest on the 3.9km (as the crow flies!), 45m climb, 13 control course were Tim Scarborough
(M40) of MV and Kristin Waage (W21) of SLOW, in 22:34 and 30:15 minutes respectively. Tim’s time was just a shade over the GLOSS expected winning time of 20-22 minutes. Top juniors were Charlie Maule-Lidbury (M16) of HAVOC and Amelia Todd (W14) of LOK in 37:12 and 46:39 respectively.

For handicapping purposes competitors are awarded points based on how well on the day they
outdo their average ranking scores across all British Orienteering (BO) ranking events over the past year instead of their best six. Full details of the handicapping approach is here and the list of average scores for all BO members as at 20 June 2026 is given in the penultimate column here. Unranked competitors are each assumed to perform at 0.95 against expectations.
Quickest on handicap ie the individual whose ratio of actual event points to expected points based on their current ranking was Ben Page (M55) of DFOK with a time of 43:27 minutes, giving an out-performance ratio of 1.173. Three clubs fielded a full team of at least six successful competitors for the handicap competition. HAVOC, current holders of the London Bus GLOSS trophy, prevailed over hosts MV, with DFOK in third place.

Full handicapped results are here. Any scoring queries to Paul Todd at fixtures@londonorienteering.co.uk. Apologies for the delayed posting of GLOSS results – controls had not been fully synchronised, in particular the Finish / shadow Finish control on the extension course – but this has now been sorted out.

Entries are open for next Saturday’s event, hosted by Happy Herts at Verulamium Park in historic St Albans. See you there for the next installment of the 2026 GLOSS series!
Catherine Galvin – 2026 GLOSS series coordinator (LOK)

SE Middle Distance Championships Hampstead Heath Sunday 11th October 2026

LOK are holding the SE Middle Distance Championships at Hampstead Heath on Sunday 1th October. PDF Flyer.

Event Page Entries open via Fabian4

Scratchwood GLOSS Event – 12th July

LOK held a GLOSS event at Scratchwood on Sunday 12th July. See Final details, event page, GLOSS 2026 series pages.

Results | Routegadget | GLOSS scoring | Planners Report | GLOSS commentary below

Lost property – one Uniqlo T-shirt/jersey – message organiser, will be taken to next week’s GLOSS.

Gladstone Park Park Race – 30th June

There is a full programme of Park Races over the summer held by various London clubs. LOK organised an event on 30th June at Gladstone Park.

Results link | Routegadget | Splitsbrowser | Event Page

Finsbury Park Park Race – 19th May

LOK held the first Park Race of the 2026 season at Finsbury Park on 19th May.

Results link | Routegadget | Splitsbrowser | Event Page

Thanks for bearing with us during the event. We lost access to the pub at the last minute due to the football hence the short notice arrangements. First ever orienteering event held from a Kabab restaurant?

Lost Property: 1 bike helmet and 1 pair size 6.5 black ON trainers. To claim please contact Charles Spence at chairman@londonorienteering.co.uk

Future Events

Southgate StreetO – 10th February 2026

RESULTS

LOK held a StreetO in Southgate, based at the New Crown Pub (Wetherspoons). More details on the Event Page.