Manchester in May 2026 Orienteering Weekend

Day 1 (Saturday 23rd May) will be held in Beswick with a set of middle distance races around a network of varied housing styles and shapes with a section of green space around the River Medlock.

Day 2 (Sunday 24th May) is returning to a base in the historic Castlefield area of Manchester which will give us the opportunity to run around parts of central Manchester and along the surprisingly numerous canals in the area.

Day 3 (Bank holiday Monday 25th) we are holding our first Knock Out Sprint which will give runners head to head racing. Participants will run an initial individual qualifier sprint race to determine the semi final and final 'streams' for the head to head races. Progress to the Finals will be determined by placing in the semi final heats. All entrants will get to run 3 sprint races so don't worry about being knocked out.
Choose from Long, Medium or Short course. Age and gender classes will not apply. Please consider the “5km Guide Pace” when selecting which course to enter.

The MDOC team are working hard to finalise assembly details for all 3 days to bring you an enjoyable weekend in the spring sun that Manchester can offer.

We are encouraging the use of public transport into Manchester, for example Day 1 assembly is 10 minutes easy walk from Piccadilly Station. Park free in somewhere like Stockport and then take 1 of the 12 trains per hour into the centre. Better still, leave your car at home and take the train all the way.