Club News by Karin Kirk news@octavian-droobers.org
RESULTS ROUND UP
The Wednesday evening event at Hay Wood, Baddesley Clinton, was very well attended by over 75 runners, despite the heavy showers, and organisers Tony and Jane Feltbower staged four challenging courses utilising the best of the very runnable areas of the wood.
On the Yellow 2k Course the juniors did well with Joe Thornton coming in 1st in 15.23mins, followed by Yuhang Xie in 15.30mins and Oliver Lunn in 18.52mins. Joel Kingman won the Orange 3k Course in 29.48mins, John Wright was 2nd in 40.35mins and Daniel King 3rd in 43.07mins. Sheila Carey took 42.24mins on the Light Green 4.3k course beating husband Pete Carey into 2nd place in 45.46mins, Barry McGowan from Harlequins was 3rd in 48.43mins. Eighteen runners completed the long Blue 5.9k course, Warwick University student Chris MacKenzie came in 1st in 42.50mins, ahead of Chris McCartney 43.18mins and John Embrey from Harlequins 45.44mins.
This event was used by several juniors as training for the West Midlands Schools Orienteering Championships which took place on Saturday at Coombe Country Park. Congratulations to Kenilworth School and Sixth Form who came first winning the Secondary Schools category and to King Henry VIII School who finished in second place.
On Sunday club members achieved great results at two midland events. Mike Hampton, from Rugby, came first competing at the Chesterfield Urban event on the 3.7k course successfully negotiating through the streets with a finishing time of 26.45mins. On the same course Bruce Bryant was placed 4th taking 32.37mins and Pete Carey 5th 32.51mins.
Walsall Arboretum was the other destination and on the long Blue course only 3 seconds separated Droober members: Harrison McCartney came 1st in 37.31mins, Matt Elkington 2nd 37.32mins and Chris McCartney 3rd 37.34mins. Stephen Elkington had a good run on the Green course and came 1st in 34.43mins as did Hilary Simpson on the Light Green course taking 42.48mins. Also on the Light Green course Jane Stew came 3rd in 54.25mins. Jane Feltbower was 2nd on the Orange course and Frank Smith 3rd.
It was pleasing to see so many new orienteers participating on Sunday at the Countryside Day at Daventry Country Park which was organised by club members - the rain showers did not seem to put them off.
14th May 2013
CHAMPION WEEKEND
In the Surrey Hills surrounding Peaslake, Octavian Droobers club members competed at the annual British Orienteering Championships. Seventy five entrants travelled down to join the 2300 competitors and the club celebrated winning several podium places.
On Saturday at the Individual Championships event Andy Simpson became British Champion in the M40L class and was presented with a gold medal after taking 72.21mins, averaging 6.6minutes per kilometre over the 10.9k course with 430 metres of climb, on the steep hills and forested areas of Winterfold and Pitch Hill.
Julie Emmerson was awarded a silver medal coming 2nd on the 7.9k W18 Elite course in 62.44mins and Toni O’Donovan, took bronze, coming 3rd on the W35 Long 7.6k course in 72.37mins. Hamish Rogers was 1st on the M18L course, Bruce Bryant 3rd on the short M55 course, Thelma Spalton 3rd W65 short course, Diana Hailey 2nd on the W70 short course.
On Sunday OD members took part in the British Orienteering Championship Relay held at Holmbury, Peaslake, on the wooded, well contoured competition area. Three club teams earned places on the podium: the ‘ODity’ W60 team of Sheila Carey, Karin Kirk and Sue Bicknell came 2nd and were presented with silver as did the ‘Odds on’ M18 team of Matthew Elkington, Nathan Lawson and Hamish Rogers and in 3rd place were ‘OD Socks’ W18 team of Harriet Lawson, Aimee Morse and Julie Emmerson. Will Gardner came 2nd running for his Sheffield University ‘Men of Steel’ team in the Men’s Premier class. Fourth places were achieved by ‘Odyssey’ team of Toni O’Donovan, Anne Straube and Sophie Kirk in the Women’s Premier class and also by the ‘ODs in Favour’ team of Andrew Simpson, Chris McCartney and David Lawson in the M40 class.
At the Trail Orienteering Championships course Anne Straube W35 came 3rd. The event allows disabled and able bodied entrants to compete on equal terms and involves map reading and terrain interpretations.
On Monday at the Dorking Urban Race on Monday, top scorers were Sheila Carey W65 2nd running round the Ultra Veteran Women 3.06k course in 29.44mins, Andy Simpson 6th on the 7.5k Men Open course in 43.17mins also in 6th place was Sophie Kirk on the 6.39k Women Open course in 48.35mins.
Andy Simpson M40 wins the British Orienteering Championships 2013
OD W60 team 2nd in British Orienteering Relay Championships 2013
Photos courtesy of Robert Lines
7th May 2013