Club News by Karin Kirk news@octavian-droobers.org
London City and Cirencester Urban Races
The eagerly awaited annual London City race part of the European City tour took place around Bermondsey, South Bank and by the Thames, taking in many London landmarks. The Saturday race also formed part of a triple events weekend with races on Friday around Rotherhithe in the evening and on Sunday around Bloomsbury Parks and Streets.
There were nearly 1000 entries, from all over Europe, and competitors of all ages enjoyed the many challenges, finding the best routes through streets, across bridges, and navigated around markets, tourists, football fans and sponsored walkers.
Duncan Birtwistle M21 was the winner of the Mens Open 4.2km Rotherhithe urban middle distance race taking 32.42mins. Bruce Bryant M60 was 5th on the 3.4kms Men’s Super Vet race in 30 mins and Liz Phillips W50 was also 5th in 34.44min on the Women’s Vet 3.4km course.
The London City Race on Saturday saw Sophie Kirk W21 earn 4th place in the Women’s Elite 7.22km course with a time of 54.45mins. Alfie Bullus M18 was also 4th on the Men under 21 class with a time of 54.31mins on the 7.44km course as was Nadine Wright W21 on the Women’s Open 4.38km course in 37.34mins.
Sophie Kirk W21 was 2nd in the Womens’ Elite 4.05km race taking 33.18mins at Sunday’s Bloomsbury event, Karin Kirk was 2nd W70 on the Women’s Ultra Vet 1.875km course in 21.51mins and Liz Phillips was 5th W50 on the Women’s Vet 3.325km course in 31.07mins.
The Cirencester Urban race was organised by North Wiltshire Orienteering Club. Sheila Carey W70 was 1st on the 3.7km course for W65 plus age class in 38.42mins. Club Chairman, Barry Elkington M60, had a good run and came 2nd on the 5km course for Super Vet Men 55 plus in 37.03mins. On the Ultra Vet Men M65 plus course Keith Willdig was 6th, Peter Carey 7th and Mike Hampton 10th. Margaret Willdig was 6th on the Super Vet Women W55 plus 4.2km course taking 41 mins.
18th Sept 2018
Recent Results Roundup
OD Juniors competed in the national interclub Peter Palmer Relays held in South Yorkshire at Tankersley Woods, near Sheffield. The popular 6 leg event with team members starting in the dark with head torches to later runners welcoming in the dawn saw the enthusiastic talented athletes take a great second place. The team was made up of Felix and Ollie Lunn, Ollie Flippance, Pippa Smart, and Isla Prince, Josie Smart and Florence Lunn running the yellow course leg together and Sam Leadley ran the final leg. An additional 4 leg relay event took place at daybreak and Nathan Chapple and Tabitha Lunn were both 1st on their legs, Lewis Oxtoby was 2nd and Jacob Oxtoby had a good run but missed a control, unfortunately, as they had an impressive lead.
Senior Home International results saw England triumph over Scotland, Ireland and Wales with 57 points, Scotland second with 45 after the individual and relay events. Running for England OD’s Will Gardner was 5th in the M21 Elite and Matthew Elkington 14th in the individual race run over 12.3km and Kirsten Strain was 14th running for Scotland. In the relays Matt Elkington’s team was 1st in the Mens A Relay and Will Gardner’s team 1st in the Mens B Relay race.
Several podium places were achieved by OD orienteers at both the British Sprint and Middle Championships at Bath University and in the Mendips, Somerset. Around Bath University Campus Barry Elkington M60, club chairman, was 3rd in the Mens M60 A Final, Florence Lunn was 2nd in the W14 A Final and Anne Straube was 2nd in the W40 A Final
There were two champions from Octavian Droobers Orienteering Club at the Middle Distance British Championships: Juliette Soulard W45 1st in 39.08mins on the 4.2km course for her age class and Lesley Ross W50 1st in 35.33mins on her 3.9km course. Other podium places were won by: Sheila Carey W70 2nd 27.11 on the 2.3km course, Florence Lunn W14 2nd in 31.01mins on the 3km course, Anne Straube W40 3rd in 41.16mins on the 4.6km course Alistair Landels M50 2nd in 33.52mins on the 4.8km course, Hilary Simpson W75 3rd in 41.07mins on the 2.3km course and Duncan Birtwistle M21 2nd in 33.42 on the 6.1km course.
11th Sept 2018
British Sprint Champs.