New electronic punching system for UK Trail Orienteering
We are pleased to award funding to British Orienteering to purchase a Trail Orienteering Electronic (TOE) punching system, enabling the UK to deliver modern, high‑quality TrailO events and support athlete development at all levels.
For many years, Trail Orienteering has relied on pin‑punch answer cards, with some attempts to adapt SPORTident and EMIT systems for PreO. However, these traditional electronic punching systems require one unit for every possible answer at every control - often 60–80 boxes for a big event - making them unwieldy, error‑prone, and economically unrealistic for regular UK use. With the IOF approving the TOE system in 2023 and all major international events now using it, the UK urgently needs access to this technology to keep pace with global standards.
The new equipment will allow TrailO events to use the same electronic punching used at European and World Championships. This will significantly improve competitor experience through faster, more accurate results processing, and reduce the manual workload that has previously been a barrier to staging events. The TOE system will be held as a central resource at British Orienteering, available to clubs across the UK to support the delivery of TrailO competitions.
The project also aligns strongly with the Foundation’s aims of enhancement and innovation. The application highlighted that the new system will bring the UK up to the same level as the other European Federations and improve accessibility, including for disabled competitors, by offering a smoother and more modern event experience. It will also support international ambitions by allowing British athletes to train on the same equipment used at the highest level.
With this investment, the UK will be able to expand its TrailO calendar, with ambitions to increase the number of events and work towards hosting regular World Ranking Events - and potentially laying the groundwork for future European or World Championships bids.
For those interested in getting involved in Trail Orienteering, learning more about the discipline, or finding upcoming events, British Orienteering maintains an excellent resource hub at: https://www.britishorienteering.org.uk/site/trailo.
The Foundation is delighted to support this important step forward for UK TrailO and looks forward to seeing the impact of the new system in the years ahead. This award follows other previous ones for Trail O, including supporting individuals at international competitions and production of the This is Trail Orienteering video.