CNYO’s 35th Annual Rogaine
Register at Orienteering USA’s Event Register: 2026 CNYO ROGAINE
Date: July 11-22, 2026
Time: Maps available at 8am Saturday, starts at 8am-noon, finish by 6 hours after start.
Duration: This year there are only 3 and 6 hour versions of the event.
Objective: Competitors (solo or team) have a 6-hour time span to visit by foot as many as possible of about 40 checkpoints shown on a detailed topographic map. The maps will be available any time after 8am on Saturday morning for advance route planning, and teams may after their planning go to the start and request a start time. They then have 3 or 6 hours—which must be selected before starting– from this start time to be back at the finish (or by 6pm at the latest). Penalties will be assessed for overtime finishes. Each control has an assigned point value which may depend on the navigational complexity, physical difficulty, or other factors.
Participants: People from many different backgrounds enjoy rogaines—hikers, cross-country runners, trail runners, orienteers, adventure racers, family groups…. Some are very competitive in their outlook, others take a more casual recreational approach, but all are welcome to take part! More casual participants may choose to stay out for fewer than 6 hours. Map reading skill is the most important specialized technique in the event, while route planning strategy is also a major factor.
Organizers: Central New York Orienteering
Start/Finish area: The start and finish area for the event will be at the Fire Tower Campground area in Sugar Hill State Forest (GPS coordinates 42.387415,-77.002488). The campground has about 25 campsites available at no cost on a first-come first-serve basis for participants wishing to camp at the site before or after the event. There will be portable toilets available, but problems with the campground water system might make it necessary to have your own water supply if you are camping there if the water problems are not taken care of by the time of the event (we will have drinking water available during the event itself in any case).
Provided equipment: A special-purpose topographic map at a 1:30,000 scale on either 11”x17” or 13”x19” (not yet certain which) paper with a plastic bag for protection, and a set of control descriptions will be provided for each participant. The map has been created with a mixture of USGS provided contour information, aerial photography from NY state, and limited field checking on the ground. Food will be provided for finishers at the start/finish area from roughly 2pm until 7pm depending slightly on when competitors start getting back from their trip. There will be water drops at two or three places on the course as well as at the start area.
Required equipment for each team: Whistle, Water bottle, Watch.
Recommended equipment: Compass, Liquids, Food, Sunscreen, Insect Repellent, Long Pants, Extra Clothes (including rain protection), Emergency Headlamp, First Aid Kit, Mobile Phone (though coverage may be unreliable on much of the course). Small Pack.
Rules: A full listing of the rules for rogaining may be found at the IRF website.
A number of the more important rules for this race include the following, some of which may vary from the customs in adventure racing or individual orienteering events. No vehicular transport is allowed during the race. No use of GPS systems or altimeters is permitted for navigation during the race (dataloggers for postrace analysis are fine). If you decide to quit early, you must notify the finish personnel before leaving the area. You must stay on public land (which includes public roads and a few public access trails crossing private property). The state forest does not allow off-leash dogs or alcoholic beverages.
Checkpoints: Each checkpoint is marked by an orange and white “control”, usually two or three metal signs about a foot square strapped around a tree near eye level. There will be a pin punch hanging on a string below the control marker, and additionally a sign-in sheet indicating your intended next stop and the current time, to assist in search operations if a rescue should become necessary. It is not compulsory to go to the control indicated on the intention sheet if plans change en route, but please do not intentionally fill in incorrect information. The control flags will usually be visible from some distance, not intentionally concealed, but also usually not within view of trails or roads.
Scoring: The point value of all control points visited is summed. In this event the point value of each control in this event is the value of its code number—i.e. control 53 is worth 53 points. A late penalty of 11 points per minute (or fraction) is subtracted from the score of any team finishing after the 6-hour time limit. Any team finishing more than 30 minutes late will be disqualified. Tie scores will be decided by the order of finish times (faster team winning).
Awards: We will keep track of teams in the categories of Men, Women, and Mixed, with each category subdivided into Open, Veteran (all members 40 or over), Superveteran (all team members 55 or over), Ultraveteran (all team members 65 over), or Junior (all 18 or under), in addition to an overall placement. Depending on how many people show up, there are likely only to be listings of the points and categories for everyone, but not any physical medals or trophies.
Terrain and weather: This area has rolling hills, mostly forested. There are many trails and dirt roads, and a few paved roads. There are a number of streams shown on the map, some of which may not have much water in them if the weather has been dry in the last couple of months before the event. The area is not particularly noted for either ticks or poison ivy, but you might run across either annoyance. As ticks are becoming an increasing problem in the Finger Lakes region, you may want to consider insect repellent and/or treatment of clothing with permethrin. The high temperatures in this area in July could be in either the 50’s or the 90’s (Fahrenheit), so be prepared for either extreme. The short-term forecasting is usually pretty good, so it shouldn’t be necessary to actually carry clothes for the whole spectrum on the course. Many of the trails in this area are used by horseback riders, so be expecting to see some riders during your day, and to treat them courteously and avoid startling the horses. The area is rather hilly, and the start/finish area is near the high point of the map (that is why the fire tower was built there!), so expect to have an uphill finish.
Directions: Use Google Maps to get to the start location. There are paved roads most of the way to the campground loop. Park on the inside edge of the dirt road loop running through the campground (the side away from the large field and near the fire tower).
Accommodations: There are quite a number of motels available in Watkins Glen, the biggest town near the event site.
Fees: Preregistration is strongly preferred. Registration is done online via EventReg (https://eventreg.orienteeringusa.org/) Entries received by June 21 will cost $30 per person. Entries from June 22 to June 9 will be $40, and after that should be made by cash or check at the event site on July 11 for $50 per person. Minors will need a liability waiver signed by a legal guardian. All participants will be required to sign a liability release waiver.
Waivers: Minors will need a liability waiver signed by a legal guardian. On-site registration by minors will require the presence of a guardian to sign the waiver if the form has not been filled out in advance. All participants will be required to sign a liability release waiver.