The British Orienteering Championships are the highest level of competition in Orienteering in the United Kingdom, along with the JK Orienteering Festival.
1967 saw the first British Championships, held in Hamsterley Forest, in what was then called the "Classic" discipline, and is now more commonly known as the "Long" distance. Since then, 5 further disciplines have emerged over which a British Championships is contested: The British Relay Championships were first held in 1972 The British Night Championships were first held in 1978 The British Middle Championships were first held in 1998 The British Sprint Championships were first held in 2002 The British Mixed Sprint Relay first had a trial in 2016 followed by the first official championship in 2017
Race venues Year Long (Classic) Relay Night Middle SprintMixed Sprint Relay 1967 Hamsterley Forest - - - - - 1968 Cannock Chase - - - - - 1969 Kirroughtree - - - - - 1970 Fernworthy, Dartmoor - - - - - 1971 Redesdale - - - - - 1972 Mark Ash Wood Newcastleton - - - - 1973 Tarn Hows Clipstone - - - - 1974 Blackdown Puddletown - - - - 1975 Strines Hope - - - - 1976 Cropton Hafodgwenllian - - - - 1977 Cannock Chase Christmas Common - - - - 1978 Tentsmuir Forest Mulgrave Woods Ash Ranges - - - 1979 Bethecar Moor Swynnerton Frith Hill - - - 1980 Bramshaw Pickering Sutton Park - - - 1981 Dipton Wood Holmbury Hill Delamere Forest - - - 1982 Shining Cliff Pembrey forest Longmoor - - - 1983 Pippingford Park Dalswinton Bradgate Park - - - 1984 Wharncliffe Wendover Woods Burnham Beeches - - - 1985 Wyre Forest Clipstone Bulford Ranges - - - 1986 Achilty Crabtree Hill Broomley Fell - - - 1987 Lightning Tree Hill Dipton Woods Clipstone Forest - - - 1988 Holme Fell Torver Common Sandringham Park - - - 1989 Star Posts Mytchett Common Grindleton - - - 1990 Ewden valley Deffer Woods Swallowvallets, Forest of Dean - - - 1991 Kyloe Callaly Clent & Hagley - - - 1992 Kelling Brandon Park Ogden - - - 1993 Brown Clee Hill Brown Clee Hill Chelwood - - - 1994 Charlton Forest Heyshott Delamere Forest - - - 1995 Newborough Forest Rhos & Bryngefiliau Blackwood - - - 1996 Creag Mhic Chailein Coille Nathais Pembrey forest - - - 1997 Clumber Park Chatsworth Weybourne Woods - - - 1998 Black Fell Mytchett Common Newcastleton Tarn Hows - - 1999 Greythwaite Holker Penhale Sands Blakeholme - - 2000 Loch Vaa, Aviemore Penyard Hill Bentley Woods Loch Vaa, Aviemore - - 2001 Newborough Forest - Blacka Moor - - - 2002 Magilligan Strand Baronscourt Estate Heyshott and Ambersham Commons Binevenagh Williamson Park - 2003 High Dam Greno Woods Duke's House Wood Haverthwaite Ham Hill - 2004 Lossiemouth Forest Lydney Park Crich Chase Culbin Forest Haverthwaite - 2005 Penhale Sands Penhale Sands Watergrove The Devil's Pound Sandhurst - 2006 Furnace Wood Furnace Wood Hawley & Hornley Fonthill Campbell Park - 2007 Pwll Du Pwll Du Sheringham Park Mulgrave Woods Scarborough - 2008 Culbin East Culbin West New Beechenhurst, Forest of Dean Hopwas Woods Warwick University - 2009 New Beechenhurst & Mallard's Pike Beaulieu Estate Mytchett Common Cademan & Thringstone Woods University of Nottingham - 2010 Cannock Chase Cannock Chase Pentland Hills Haverthwaite Chorley - 2011 Wharncliffe Tankersley Woods Bentley Woods Worth Forest Brighton - 2012 Dale Garth, Lake District Helsington Barrows Hamptworth Estate Strensall Common York University - 2013 Winterfold and Pitch Hill Holmbury Hill Tankersley Woods Stanton Moor Loughborough University - 2014 Thrunton Woods and Callaly Cragg Estate & Chesterhope Common Pippingford Park Brereton Spurs Keele University - 2015 New Beechenhurst, Forest of Dean Cannop Ponds Middleton Park Bradenham and Naphill Aldershot Garrison - 2016 Brown Clee Hill Brown Clee Hill Cademan & Thringstone Woods Leith Hill Queen Elizabeth Olympic ParkThe Edge Campus, Sheffield 2017 High Dam Summerhouse Knott Great Tower Wood Wendover Woods Campbell ParkEdge Hill University 2018 Balmoral Estate Torphantrick Merthyr Mawr Stock Hill University of BathPegswood, Morpeth 2019 Arncliffe and Kilnsey North Middleton Park Muir of Dinnet Chinley Churn Loughborough UniversityBradford University 2020 [Note 3] [Note 3] Hambleden [Note 3] [Note 3][Note 3] 2021 Braunton Burrows Fairy Knowe and Doon Hill Cleeve Hill Summerhouse Knott SkelmersdaleSkelmersdale 2022 Golden Valley and Cognor Wood Iron Hill and Parkgate Rough Ilkley Moor Rushmere University of Leeds2023Cold AshHambledonMoors Valley Country ParkDrumkeeragh Wood, Northern IrelandArmagh, Northern IrelandBrunel University2024Mulgrave WoodsHutton Mulgrave and SkelderHawse End, KeswickDanefieldUniversity of WarwickBirmingham University2025Grizedale ForestBiglandTouch MuirHolmbush and Buchan Country ParkUniversity of East AngliaRAF Honnington
Men's champions Note 1: Courses cancelled due to an outbreak of foot and mouth disease.
Note 2: Courses voided due to unfair advantage.
Note 3: Courses cancelled due to COVID-19.
Year Long (Classic) Relay Night Middle Sprint 1967 Gordon Pirie - - - - 1968 Gordon Pirie - - - - 1969 Mike Wells-Cole - - - - 1970 Mike Wells-Cole - - - - 1971 Geoff Peck - - - - 1972 Mike Murray INT (Edinburgh) - - - 1973 Geoff Peck OK Nuts (South East) - - - 1974 Alistair Wood OK Nuts (South East) - - - 1975 Tony Thornley Oxford University - - - 1976 Geoff Peck WCOC (West Cumberland) - - - 1977 Geoff Peck University of London - - - 1978 Brian Bullen AIRE (West Yorkshire) Mark Elgood - - 1979 Geoff Peck Oxford University Adrian Barnes - - 1980 Chris Hirst Cambridge University Dave Kingham - - 1981 Chris Hirst British Army Mark Elgood - - 1982 Chris Hirst SN (Surrey) Ian Rochford - - 1983 Chris Hirst FVO (Stirling) Chris Hirst - - 1984 Martin Bagness SYO (South Yorkshire) Mark Elgood - - 1985 Martin Bagness Sheffield University John Rye - - 1986 Andy Kitchin British Army Steven Hale - - 1987 Andy Kitchin SYO (South Yorkshire) Steven Hale - - 1988 Steven Hale WCH (Cannock Chase) Bill Edwards - - 1989 Steven Hale WAROC (Lake District) Tim Watkins - - 1990 Steven Hale SYO (South Yorkshire) Alun Powell - - 1991 Stephen Palmer INT (Edinburgh) Clive Hallett - - 1992 Steve Nicholson CLYDE (Glasgow) Dave Peel - - 1993 Dave Peel SN (Surrey) Ulrik Staugaard - - 1994 Neil Conway SYO (South Yorkshire) Steve Nicholson - - 1995 Jonathan Musgrave SYO (South Yorkshire) Simon Bourne - - 1996 Steve Nicholson Sheffield University Dave Peel - - 1997 Jamie Stevenson Sheffield University Bill Edwards - - 1998 Steve Nicholson SYO (South Yorkshire) Dave Farquhar Jamie Stevenson - 1999 Stephen Palmer SYO (South Yorkshire) Charlie Adams Dickie Wren - 2000 Jon Duncan SYO (South Yorkshire) Dave Peel Ed Nash - 2001 Jon Duncan [Note 1] Oli Johnson [Note 1] - 2002 Daniel Marston INT (Edinburgh) Oli Johnson Jon Duncan Jon Duncan 2003 Ed Nash Octavian Droobers Steve Birkenshaw Oli Johnson Jamie Stevenson 2004 Ed Nash FVO (Stirling) Ed Nash Ewan McCarthy Jamie Stevenson 2005 Oli Johnson Sheffield University Andrew Etherden Oli Johnson Nick Barrable 2006 Jamie Stevenson WAROC (Lake District) Nick Barrable Neil Northrop Graham Gristwood 2007 Oli Johnson Sheffield University Nick Barrable Oli Johnson Scott Fraser 2008 Oli Johnson INT (Edinburgh) Nick Barrable Matthew Crane Scott Fraser 2009 Oli Johnson SYO (South Yorkshire) Tuomas Tala Scott Fraser Scott Fraser 2010 Matthew Crane Sheffield University Alasdair McLeod Oli Johnson Graham Gristwood 2011 Doug Tullie Sheffield University Matthew Crane Graham Gristwood Murray Strain 2012 Hector Haines INT (Edinburgh) Mark Bown Oli Johnson Chris Smithard 2013 Murray Strain Oxford University Jonathan Crickmore & Richard Robinson Murray Strain Kristian Jones 2014 Graham Gristwood INT (Edinburgh) Graham Gristwood Kristian Jones Murray Strain 2015 Graham Gristwood INT (Edinburgh) Graham Gristwood James Tullie Murray Strain 2016 Graham Gristwood Edinburgh University Graham Gristwood Kristian Jones Kristian Jones 2017 Graham Gristwood Edinburgh University Graham Gristwood Jamie Parkinson Jamie Parkinson 2018 Peter Hodkinson FVO (Stirling) Graham Gristwood Jonathan Crickmore Jonathan Crickmore 2019 Alasdair McLeod AIRE (West Yorkshire) Graham Gristwood Graham Gristwood Kristian Jones 2020 [Note 3] [Note 3] Graham Gristwood [Note 3] [Note 3] 2021 Alasdair Pedley FVO (Stirling) Philip Vokes Graham Gristwood Jonathan Crickmore 2022 Graham Gristwood FVO (Stirling) Graham Gristwood William Gardner Kristian Jones2023Peter Taylor-BrayODRichard RobinsonNathan LawsonNathan Lawson2024Will GardnerFVO (Stirling)James HammondBen MitchellNathan Lawson2025Ben MitchellFVO (Stirling)Luke FisherJonathan Crickmore
Women's champions