Profiling Elite Runners in Orienteering

Background: Profiling adolescent and elite runners have involved assessing trainability and physiological determinants of success. Objective: The objective of the “Profiling Elite Runners in Orienteering” is to develop a comprehensive database of runners. Methods: Fourteen elite runners will be recruited for two types of assessments: i) Lab-based testing conducted at the Human Performance Laboratory at the Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK); ii) Field-based testing conducted at a sports field. Analysis: The profiles of elite runners will be created to highlight the performance standard of international athletes in orienteering. Concurrent validity analysis will also be performed to evaluate the feasibility of adopting field-based testing for runners’ profiling. Potential Impact: This runners’ profiling project aims to lay the groundwork for talent identification. The methodology developed could be extended to schools or community programs to identify potential orienteering runners. With an approved budget of HK$140,000, Dr. Chow Chi Ching Gary, Dr. Lobo Louie and their research team at EdUHK will commence the research project of “Profiling Elite Runners in Orienteering” from January 2025 to December 2026 (i.e., 2-Year). Dr. Chow will oversee the research progress, while OAHK will be responsible for participant recruitment.

Funding Source: HK Private Fund - Others^^