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