British Middle Distance Championships 2025West Sussex, 15 March
Credit: David Robertson
The British Middle Distance Championships this year were in the deep south - just 6 ESOC competitors made the journey.
The British Middle Distance Championships took place at Holmbush & Buchan Country Park, just west of Crawley. It’s a wooded area over three small river valleys, with marshes in the valley bottoms. Holmbush is private woodland with rhododendrons, giving slower running and less visibility, while Buchan Country Park is largely open woodland, though there are areas of bramble.
ESOC results:
- M16 (39 competitors) – Calum Robertson 33rd
- M80 (14) – Brian Yates 14th
- W18 (25) – Megan Brown 6th
- W55 (30) – Judy Bell 19th
- W70 (15) – Janice Nisbet 5th
David Robertson (M60) unfortunately was injured and retired, and Calum was also injured.
David commented: “It was bright but a chilly wind. A 6 foot fence appeared at the start on Friday apparently which was interesting. Some starts went to the kite then doubled back almost 180.”
Full results and other details, including a selection of photos, are available on the British Middle Distance Championships page of the Mole Valley Orienteers website.
On the morning of Sunday 16 March, there was a Sprint event for M/W16-20, at Broadfield, in Crawley, a complex housing estate with grassy areas and pockets of vegetation. This was a selection race for the European Youth Orienteering Championships, Junior World Orienteering Championships and Junior European Cup, so it was a very competitive field. Megan Brown came 21st (out of 51).
Full results, along with comments and other details, can be found on the Broadfield Junior sprint selection race page of the Southdowns Orienteers website.
In the afternoon on Sunday 16 March, there was a National event at Worth Lodge, just east of Crawley. This is a working coniferous forest with many extraction lanes and rootstocks. Janice and Brian stayed on for this event. On the Short Green course, Janice came 2nd, and Brian came 33rd (out of 40).
Full results, plus event officials’ comments and Routegadget, are available on the Worthlodge Forest UKOL page of the Southdowns Orienteers website.
The British Middle and the National event were the 5th and 6th events in the 2025 UK Orienteering League. There are more details about the UKOL, including the league tables, on the UK Orienteering League page of the British Orienteering website. With the scores from these events included, ESOC is now lying 28th in the club league. The score for each club is calculated automatically from the 15 best club members' scores (across various age class groups) - so the club members whose scores are included may change as the year goes on and more events are included.
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