Madeira Orienteering Festival 2026 Officially Presented in Camacha

The official presentation of the 11th edition of the Madeira Orienteering Festival (MOF 2026) took place at the iconic Quinta da Moscadinha in Camacha, bringing together organizers, partners, and official entities to kick off one of the largest international sporting events in the Autonomous Region of Madeira.

The President of Clube Montanha do Funchal, the organizing entity of MOF, highlighted the record number of participants in this edition: 662 registered athletes, spread across the five stages of the festival. Among them, 283 are foreign athletes, with delegations from the United Kingdom, Finland, and Norway leading in number of registrations. He also emphasized the importance of local partnerships, particularly with the Associação desportiva da Camacha, which is essential for the success of the event.

The Event Director, Tiago Aires, highlighted the Orienteering Training Sessions and the Model Event that precede the main competitions, as well as the races taking place in Camacha: the Sprint World Ranking Event and the Euro City Race, which will feature some of the world’s best athletes, including an exciting Mass Start.

The Mayor of Santa Cruz, Élia Ascenção, expressed her gratitude for choosing Camacha to host part of the event, emphasizing the enthusiasm of the organizing team and Technical Director, Tiago Aires. The President of Associação Desportiva da Camacha, Ricardo Miranda, also expressed his satisfaction with the number of participants and thanked the trust placed in the association for this fruitful partnership.

The President of the Associação de Orientação da Região Autónoma da Madeira reinforced the role of clubs in developing the sport in the region, while Juan Gonçalves, representative of the Regional Directorate of Sports, praised the joint efforts to promote orienteering and the exceptional conditions Madeira offers for events of this nature.

Finally, the Councilor of Porto Moniz Municipality thanked the organizers for bringing this type of event to the municipality and for their commitment to decentralizing sports activities, thus showcasing the beauty of the region.

With a diverse program and world-class athletes, the Madeira Orienteering Festival 2026 promises to be a landmark in Madeira’s sporting calendar and strengthen the region’s presence on the global orienteering stage.