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 S-shaped route

If you are planning an S-shaped route, take a closer look at the point of maximum deviation on the first curve — the point from which you intend to return toward the leg line. (point A on the figure)


From this point, mentally move the next curve to the opposite side (red line). The S-shaped route can then be viewed as one larger curve. This may reveal another option: from the same point, you might be able to run in the opposite direction along a better arc.

There is a more general principle behind this.

Once you have deviated from the leg line and start reconsidering your route, the leg line should no longer determine how you compare the alternatives. It may even interfere with the evaluation.

At that moment, your route choice should be reconsidered from your current position.

A good example comes from the recent Estonian Long Distance Championships, from the women’s elite course.

The winner, Marianne Hauge, chose an S-shaped route, while the silver medalist, Sigrid Ruul, took the left-hand arc along roads and paths. That option was slightly longer than the S-shaped route, but a much larger proportion of it was on tracks and roads.

Given the difficult runnability of the forest and marshes, the longer route proved faster.



In the figure below, the red line shows a route that is approximately the same length as the blue line from point A. We can also see that there is a slightly longer route nearby, shown in light blue, which follows roads and paths. At first, we may not pay much attention to this option. However, by mentally mirroring the arc to the opposite side, we are much more likely to notice it during the race.

This is one of the standard situations that you can learn to recognise and be prepared for in advance. An S-shaped route is a good example.

More about route planning and the principles behind these decisions can be found in my Confident Orienteering books:

Confident Orienteering: A Systematic Approach to Minimising Errors. Book1: Fundamentals 

Confident Orienteering Book 2: Planning Reliable Routes 

And there will be much more about decision-making during the race in Book 3, which is specifically devoted to route execution under race conditions — including how to adapt your plan when the situation 

 Aleksandr Alekseyonok, 11.09. 2026.

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