Chongqing hosts successful International City Orienteering Challenge

Eight days, 7,000 fitness enthusiasts and a whole city turning into a playground - this is the Chongqing International City Orienteering Challenge.

With a lot of fun and rugged urban terrains, the Chongqing International City Orienteering Challenge capped its second edition on Saturday amid surging interests from the southwestern metropolis in the sport of navigation, endurance and teamwork.

Featuring 25 courses and 180 checkpoints scattered across Chongqing's landmarks, the challenge's main race put participants through arduous, yet fun tests to navigate through the city's main urban areas, beginning with the four districts – Dadukou, Nanan, Shapingba and Banan – at the same time in order to complete all checkpoints and cover their entire race routes. They were able to run on their feet and take public transport in allowed sections.

The weeklong events kicked off with a Park World Tour (PWT) China series leg at the Dandelion Coldplay Camp in Dadukou district on April 8, where over 100 international elite-level orienteers from countries such as, Russia, Uzbekistan and Latvia competed against host athletes in a race of time, speed and precision in nature.

Endorsed by the International Orienteering Federation, the PWT has been organizing races across the world and promoting the outdoor sport's popularity since its establishment in 1995.

In addition to the elite PWT stop and the final mass race, organizers of the Chongqing challenge also put together a series of carnival events, including an outdoor 3X3 basketball tournament, a live music concert and a gourmet festival, to offer participants a full culture experience in the city.

It was the second time for Chongqing to play host to the orienteering gala since the inaugural edition in 2019 and the city has promised to keep bringing it back.

"This orienteering challenge demonstrates the great potential of hosting international sporting events as a platform to promote city image, local tourism and traditional culture," said Du Xueyong, a deputy director of Chongqing municipal sports bureau.

A national guideline on outdoor sports development issued by eight ministerial departments last year specifically highlights Chongqing and its neighboring metro city Chengdu as major hosts in Southwest China for sports and tourism events, such as cross-country running, hiking, mountaineering and rock climbing, for the unique natural attractions in the region.

Orienteering as a sporting exercise based on natural terrains seems a perfect match for the region's ambition in developing a robust outdoor and leisure sports sector, Du added.

Originating from navigation training exercises for military officers, orienteering has developed into a group of sports that requires navigational skills using maps and a compass, physical endurance and teamwork to move from one point to another as quickly as possible in wild terrain.