Club News by Karin Kirk news@octavian-droobers.org
ENGLAND REGAIN INTERLAND TROPHY
Three Octavian Droobers joined 41 junior and senior England team members in the annual Interland Trophy, a 5 way European competition, held this year in the Herbeumont Forest in the Ardennes, southern Belgium. England were pleased to regain the trophy, winning the overall match and the Junior Cup. Liz Phillips won an individual bronze medal coming 3rd on her W50 4.5km course with 250 metres of climb, taking 58.15mins to find controls sited on features including hard to locate charcoal burning platforms in the runnable woods. Also, enjoying the event in glorious sunshine was Nathan Lawson 4th in 74.04mins running on the M20 9.5km course with a massive 470 metres of climb and Anne Straube came 7th on the W40 6km course with 310 metres of climb taking 79.43mins.
Nearer to home there were several events around the midlands to attract club members. Shrewsbury Town Urban Race, part of the West Midlands Urban League was popular with club members. The parks, gardens, medieval town buildings, streets and the riverside provided a great setting in the sunshine and competitors had to make some interesting decisions on route choices to find controls. Chris McCartney M45 was the top runner on the 6.9km course taking 43.23mins. Sheila Carey W70 won the 3.9km course in 37.56mins just ahead of husband Peter Carey M70 38.01mins. Hilary May W65 was 7th on 2.6km course in 46.49mins.
Leicestershire Orienteering Club staged an event at Irchester Country Park in Northamptonshire and Will Gardner M21 had a fast run to take first place on the longest course, Brown 7.1km, finding 23 controls in only 42.49mins, brother Robert Gardner M21 was 4th in 59.15mins and father Richard Gardner M60 was 9th in 77.25mins. Richard Steel M50 was 4th on the 5.1km course in 56.25mins and Stan Alexander M65 8th in 58.54mins. On the Green 3.6km course Bruce Bryant M60 was 2nd in 34.56min. John Bowman was 7th on the Short Green 3km course in 49.45mins and Thelma Spalton W65 8th in 54.57mins. Junior Cameron Williams-Stein M14 was 1st on the 2.5km Light Green course with a great time of 23.41mins.
4th April 2017
WARWICKSHIRE ORIENTEERING WEEKEND RESULTS (WOW)
Octavian Droobers held a most successful national double event and many club members excelled with some great orienteering results. With competitors coming from all over the UK and overseas it was a memorable and fortunately a sunny occasion for the club and all the club helpers. Many compliments have been received by the organisers.
Putting Rugby on the Map
There were 500 entrants, of all ages, competing on 7 different courses, at the UK National League Urban race around the streets and parks of Rugby, organised by Phil Kirk. The arena, with the start and finish, was at Rugby Athletics Track. The club wishes to thank all the organisation around the town for allowing access to private and public grounds.
Winner of the M12 junior 2.1km course was Joel Taylor, ex Rugby resident, from Thames Valley Club who took 13.01mins ahead of OD junior Lewis Oxtoby 16.23mins, Finley Flippance was 4th and Adam Landels 7th. Josie Smart was 4th in 17.10mins and Tilly Flippance 6th in the W12 junior class on the same course. On the 3.5km W16 and M16 course Pippa Smart was top OD girl 4th in 30.10mins and Jacob Oxtoby 8th was top OD boy in 26.17mins.
On the Mens Open Course of 7.1km with 32 controls to find, Will Gardner M21 was 4th in 39.34mins, Alfie Bullus took 52.50mins 2nd M18 coming 19th overall. Harriet Lawson was 3rd in the Womens Open on Course 2 taking 52.49mins, Frances Briscoe W21 6th and Nadine Wright W21 7th, Martin Ward M50 won the 6.4km Course 2 for M40 class in 40.27mins, Chris McCartney M45 was 7th and Alistair Landels M45 8th. On the W40 class 5km course, Liz Phillips W50 was 3rd in 46.56mins just behind winner Alice Bedwell from Bristol 46.10mins. Sheila Carey W70 was 4th in the W65 class in 35.14mins on the 3km course.
Winner of the Newcomers class, 3km course, was Mark Pawsey MP for Rugby, M60, who took 38 mins to find the 16 controls. He said “I enjoyed joining in, and thanks to the club for showing me how to orienteer, it gave running a purpose.” The club was pleased to welcome The Mayor of Rugby, Councillor Sally Bragg, who met club members and officials, went onto the course and watched competitors come into the finish.
Midland Championships and UK National League, Atherstone
Organiser Bob Brandon was very pleased with the entry levels and the success of the event at Bentley Woods, near Atherstone, thanking the owners for access to the beautiful private Merevale Estate. Over 800 competitors experienced some great orienteering on 18 technical courses in glorious sunshine. Several OD club members became Midland Champions and were presented with trophies: Oliver Lunn was crowned M16 champion coming 1st on his 8.3km course in 56.25min just ahead of Felix Lunn 57.20mins. Nathan Lawson is the M20 champion taking 39.05mins on the 6.4km Elite course and on the same course Will Gardner is the new M21 midlands champion taking 35.39mins, Duncan Birtwistle was 3rd and Matthew Elkington 4th. Alistair Landels is M45 champion taking 70.41mins on the 9.9km course.
Tilly Flippance won the junior W10 championship taking 18.59mins on the 1.6km course, Kirsten Strain is W21 champion taking 39.10mins on the Elite 4.8km course with Nadine Wright 2nd, Lesley Ross is W50 champion taking 61.35mins on the 6.8km course and Hilary Simpson is the W75 champion taking 74.49mins on the 4.2km course. There were several other 2nd and 3rd places, a great result for the club.
28th March 2017