LONG DISTANCE NIGHT EVENT ATTRACTS MANY ENTRANTS

Alan Segar completed the 20 mile night orienteering race around Stratford upon Avon in 3 hours 55minutes well ahead of duo Gary Attewell and Glyn Sawford’s 4 hours 11mins. Next were Gresham Arnold, David Carr, Stuart Rose and Anne Wade who completed the course in 4 hours 27mins. Celebrating the 40th anniversary of the event organiser Bob Brandon said most runners completed the course on the windy night under a mostly starry sky but some late finishers got a little wet. A well received breakfast was served up at the finish by club members Hilary Simpson and Kath Wright.

The West Midlands league race based at Beaudesert Scout Camp, Cannock Chase produced some great results across very tough and variable wooded terrain on well planned courses including a 1st for Iain Boothroyd M40 on the 5.77k Blue course in 49.04mins and also a 1st for Stephen Elkington M14 on the Light Green 3.2k course in 39.42mins. Roger Hailey M70 came 2nd on the Light Green course in 52.32mins and so did Sam Hart M12 on the Yellow 2.93k course in 27.54mins. Ella-Rose McCartney W12 came 3rd on the Orange 2.85k course in 36.49mins. Octavian Droobers are currently leading the table well ahead of Harlequins in the league and these good results should see them top of the table going into the last league event at Bewdley, Worcestershire on the 11 December.

At the South Yorkshire Burbage Moor regional and Interland selection race Riina Kuuselo W21 came 1st on the 7.5k Short Brown course in 68.29mins, Mike Hampton M65 4th on the short Blue 5.3k course, Heather Rogers W14 4th on the Light Green 3.9k course and Sheila Carey W65 5th on the Short Green 3.6k course.

Dave Thacker organised the local event on Saturday at Itchington Holt, near Harbury. He planned 3 courses through the beautiful unspoilt private woods and first timer David Mitchell M50 was 1st in 11.40mins, new member Oliver Smith M12 was 2nd and Visra Moorthy M12 KHVIII School 3rd in 16mins on the Yellow 2k course. Alfie Bullus M12 easily won the Orange 3k course in 25.19mins ahead of John Bowman M65 in 29.37mins and on the Green 4k course Chris McCartney M40 29.41mins won beating David Williams M45 Harlequins Club 31.13mins and Thomas Honniball M21 32.48mins.

The club wishes the junior team every success when they compete at the national interclub finals this weekend in North Lincolnshire, near Grimsby.

29th November 2011