Course and Spot Settings

This page explains how to place spots or checkpoints for an event and configure courses and categories.

If you want to organize the relationships first

If the roles of Event, Course, Category, and Spot still feel unclear, read Understand the event structure first.

Setup flow

To create a playable course for an event, configure the following three steps.

1. Place spots - Put checkpoint spots on the map
2. Create a course - Group spots into a course and set scores or order
3. Create categories - Apply competition rules such as time limits and punch methods to the course

You can start with either spots or courses. You can also add spots while creating the course.

Place spots

Add a spot

Smartphone App

You can add and edit spots from All Spots on the event edit screen.

1. Move the map so the place where you want to add the spot is centered
2. Tap Add
3. Enter the spot name

Web

After opening event editing, the spot editor at /events/{eventId}/spots opens.

1. Click the place on the map where you want to add the spot
2. The spot name is set automatically as a sequence such as 001, 002, and so on
3. Edit the spot name and description from the list on the right

On the web, you can also drag a spot to move its position.

Spot fields

Item	Description
Spot Name	Name of the checkpoint, required
Description	Detailed explanation of the spot
Image	Photo of the spot, also useful as a reference for Camera Punch
Video URL	Link to a video such as YouTube

Auto-generate descriptions with AI

If the spot name, image, and location are already set, you can tap or click Auto-generate Description to create a description with AI. This works in both the smartphone app and the web app.

Import spots

Instead of placing spots one by one manually, you can import spot data in bulk from a file.

Format	Description
CSV	Four columns: name, description, latitude, longitude encoded in UTF-8
IOF-XML Ver3	Standard orienteering format. You can import courses and spots together

Notes on CSV import

Data with the same spot name is overwritten. Latitude must be between -90 and 90, and longitude must be between -180 and 180.

Export spots

Configured spots can be exported in CSV format. This is useful for reuse in other events or for backup.

Create a course

Course types

Score

Participants visit spots in any order and compete by score. This is the standard rogaining style. Each spot has a score, and participants freely choose which spots to visit and in what order. A start spot and a finish spot are required. The goal is to collect as many points as possible within the time limit.

Score (Free Start and Finish)

This is a score course without fixed start and finish spots. Participants can start and finish anywhere. It is suitable for permanent courses and other events without one fixed start location.

Fixed Order

Participants visit spots in a fixed order. This is the standard orienteering style. The visit order is fixed, the first spot is the start, and the last is the finish. Participants visit every spot in order and compete by time.

Steps to create a course

Smartphone App

1. Open Course Setup on the event edit screen
2. Tap Create New Course
3. Choose the course type: Score, Score (Free Start and Finish), or Fixed Order
4. Enter the course name
5. Add spots to the course and set scores or order

Web

1. On the event Overview page, choose Add Course
2. Select the course type
3. Enter the course name
4. For a Score course, enter scores for each spot and specify the start and finish
5. For a Fixed Order course, double-click spots to add them in visit order

Course settings

Item	Description
Course Name	Internal management name. It is not shown to participants
Control Circle Radius	Size of the spot circle shown on the map, 50m, 30m, or 18m

Create categories

A category applies competition rules to a course. You can create multiple categories on the same course with different rules such as time limit or punch method.

For detailed settings such as punch method, team settings, and mass start, see Category settings.

If you want to organize the difference between courses and categories, also see Understand the event structure.

Detailed spot settings

Secret spots

On score courses, you can hide the score or the location of a spot from participants.

Setting	Effect
Hide score	The score of the spot is not shown to participants
Hide location and score	Neither the spot location nor its score is shown on the map

Pause spots

You can set a specific spot as a pause point. When participants arrive there, the timer stops, and it resumes when they leave. This is useful for rest stops or transfer sections.

Quiz spots

You can set a multiple-choice quiz on a spot. Participants answer it when they arrive and can earn additional points for a correct answer.

Item	Description
Question	The quiz prompt
Choices	Up to four choices and the correct answer
Explanation	Explanation shown after answering
Points	Additional score for a correct answer
Image / Video	Image or video related to the question

Beacon Punch

Instead of GPS, you can detect punching with a Bluetooth beacon, specifically Eddystone-UID. This is useful for indoor events or places where GPS accuracy is poor.