FOREST OF DEAN
Always a challenge and the Forest of Dean weekend of orienteering did not disappoint. The extremely wet boggy conditions throughout the beautiful woods proved tricky when navigating across steep sided streams. On Saturday club members competed at the North Gloucester Orienteering Club organised middle distance event at Mallards Pike. This was part of the Southern Championship weekend and with courses to suit all levels of age and ability. On the longest Black course Duncan Birtwistle M21 was 4th in 39.22mins, Chris McCartney M50 was 10th in 43.55mins on the Brown course, Trevor Simpson M80 8th on the Short Green in 49.56mins and Max Straube-Roth M10 was 8th on the Orange course in 39.25mins.
Hundreds of orienteers competed on Sunday at the Southern Championships event at Churchill Inclosure and Cannop Ponds in the Forest of Dean. Bristol Orienteering Club organised this national event.and OD were successful in many of the age classes. Congratulations to the 4 winners of their age classes from the club: Sheila Carey won the W70 4.375km course in 53.55mins, husband Peter Carey won the M75 4.925km course in 63.20mins, Anne Straube won the W40 6.15km course in 59.36mins and Lesley Ross won the W50 5.5km course in 54.30mins.
Duncan Birtwistle had another great run coming in 2nd on the M21 Elite 13.95km course with 535 metres of climb in 93.57mins. Chris McCartney 3rd on the M50 8.325km course in 76.18mins, Barry Elkington 6th on the M60 7.1km course in 60.05mins, Keith Willdig 6th on the M70 5.25km course taking 56.32mins and Trevor Simpson 2nd on the M80 3.5km course in 55.28mins. Nadine Wright 3rd in 80.49mins on the 7.4km W21 course, Margaret Willdig 2nd on the W65 4.375km course in 61.51mins, Sue Hallett 5th on the W70 4.375course in 85.23mins and Hilary Simpson 3rd on the W80 2.9km course in 70.03mins. Max Straube-Roth M10 6th on the M12A 3.35km course in 42.47mins. On the short courses Daniel Roth won the M45 5.5km course in 67.45mins.
3rd December 2019