Plotting UTM points onto an adventure race map is typically a skill reserved for “longer” races. It often shows up in expedition races, where you’ll plot UTM points either pre-race when mapsets are received, or on-the-clock when more of the course is revealed during the actual race.

That’s not to say you won’t see it for certain 12 hour or 24 hour races, depending on the old-schoolness of the Race Director. Plotting your map used to be the norm. It was one of the basic required skills in the navigation bucket. 

The good news is, that you should be given a heads up if you’ll need to plot points. If it’s not explicitly stated, a great tipoff is the inclusion of a UTM Plotter listed on the mandatory gear list. Another tell is if you see mention of a pre-plotted map – this simply means that checkpoints are already printed on the map for you.

So, if you need to brush up on your plotting skills (or learn completely from scratch) here’s how to plot UTM points for adventure races

5 steps to plot UTM points for adventure races

First things first, you’ll need a UTM Plotter. Most ARs require a 1:24,000 scale plotter (this is the scale you’ll be using for most maps that need plotting). There’re two styles, Slot and Corner. Both work well, it’s just personal preference; some find the slot style a little quicker.

With plotter in hand, you’re going to receive your race map(s). These maps will have a UTM grid overlaid on them with each square equaling 1 kilometer. Along the edges, you’ll see the actual UTM coordinates for each easting line (the lines running up & down along the Y axis) and each northing line (the lines running left to right along the X axis). So, here are examples of both the Race Map and UTM Coordinates you’ll receive. Let’s try plotting the Start/Finish to a 24 hour race we hosted in Kentucky.