On September 24, the Jiuhuashan Orienteering Challenge of the 2023 Yangtze River Delta Green Mountains Sports Games commenced at the Dacheng Grand Wish Cultural Park. Six hundred orienteering enthusiasts from 27 cities across the Yangtze River Delta region competed in a rigorous test of physical endurance and navigational intelligence amid Jiuhuashan’s picturesque landscapes.
As an officially recognized discipline by the International Orienteering Federation (IOF), orienteering—dubbed "cerebral racing"—requires athletes to navigate designated terrains using maps, compasses, or GPS devices. Participants overcome obstacles, locate checkpoints, and complete timed tasks, with victory determined by the shortest overall course completion time. The event featured two categories: an 8km Endurance Challenge group and a 4km Self-Transcendence group, both set within the scenic Grand Wish Cultural Park.
Chief Referee Fang Xu emphasized the sport’s dual demands: "Orienteering challenges athletes not only to run but to master real-time terrain analysis. Competing in Jiuhuashan allows participants to experience its natural splendor while embracing orienteering’s unique thrill." During the race, competitors sprinted while interpreting maps, dynamically adapting routes to overcome obstacles and optimize checkpoint navigation under intense physical and mental pressure—a true dual test of speed and intellect.
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