British Night Champs
This year's British Night Championship was held on Saturday 7th February in Hertfordshire with a few ESOC members travelling to take part in the night and day events.
Only 4 ESOC members travelled south for this year’s British Night Championship hosted by Hertfordshire Orienteering Club at Egypt Woods, with Jennings and Hangings Woods. There was also a national level event the following day. The area was relatively small, with competitors warned that they may visit the same area if entering both events, although with the caveat that everything looks different at night!
David Gow reports:
The British Night Championships felt like a bold decision before we’d even left the house. Neither of us had done that many night events, but we decided to take the risk and head down anyway. Alexis was running W18L and I was in M45S. No pressure.
There were roughly 400 - 500 competitors, so it felt like a proper occasion and the organisation was excellent. The terrain, however, had other ideas. It was seriously muddy. We’d even been warned that cars might get stuck in the car park. Sure enough, a couple of tractors were on standby like a rural rescue squad!
My race started strangely well, which should have been the first warning sign. It felt like running through a scene from Stranger Things. Dark woods, mist, strange shadows. I made it cleanly through eight controls before the wheels came off, both metaphorically and, given the mud, almost literally. Alexis didn’t have the best start but finished strongly, which was far more sensible.
The next day was a normal event, the Ace of Herts, in the same area. Alexis was back on form. I, on the other hand, decided to try an experimental new discipline. Mud swimming. Not yet recognised by British Orienteering, but I’m quietly confident I’m now a national contender.
British Night Champs
- M45S (4) - David Gow 4th
- W70L (6) - Janice Nisbet 3rd
- M80 (7) - Brian Yates 5th
Ace of Herts
- Blue (121) - Alexis Gow 76th, David Gow 115th
- Short Green (54) - Janice Nisbet 9th
- Very Short Green (26) - Brian Yates 16th
Other entries categorised under: Event Reports