British Sprint and Middle Distance Championships 2015Aldershot Garrison/Naphill and Park Wood, 9/10 May
These major events were in the south of England - just a few ESOC members made the long journey, winning medals in both events.
The British Sprint Championships event on Saturday 9 May was at Aldershot Garrison, in Hampshire, with the event centre in the garrison sports centre. The area has a mixture of new and old buildings, some of which are very similar to one another, set in varied parkland with many young trees, hedges, planted areas and structures such as bicycle sheds and fire escapes. It was mainly flat, with one steep hill in the finals.
The heats and finals were in different parts of the garrison, offering different styles of sprint orienteering. In the heats, there were 2-part maps, turning over partway through. EMIT touch-free punching was used, and there was good commentary. The weather was fine and warm, mostly sunny, with a very light shower between the races.
There were parallel heats in most classes. For the classes with ESOC competitors, the total number of competitors, number of heats and number qualifying from each heat were as follows:
Men’s Open – 77 (2 heats, top 9 from each heat qualified for the A final)
M40 – 23 (3 heats, top 5)
M45 – 62 (3 heats, top 6)
M65 – 38 (3 heats, top 6)
M70 – 21 (3 heats, top 4)
Women’s Open – 59 (3 heats, top 6)
W45 – 38 (3 heats, top 6)
W70 – 10 (single heat, top 6)
Results were often very close, and a few seconds lost could mean a lower final, or a result several places further down. ESOC had 3 podium places, with a gold medal for Eleanor Pyrah in W70, and bronze medals for Ray Ward in M40 and Helen Bridle in Women’s Open. Congratulations to all!
Other ESOC results from the final were:
Men’s Open B – Andrew Lindsay 2nd
M45 B – Terry Johnstone 2nd
M65 A – Roger Scrutton 8th=
W45 A – Helena Nolan 8th
W70 A – Eleanor Pyrah 1st
There seemed to be more mispunches than usual. Claire Ward came 2nd in her heat but unfortunately mispunched in the Women’s Open A Final. Likewise, Ian Pyrah came 2nd in his heat and mispunched in the M70 A Final.
Full results, including Routegadget, are available here, and further details about the event are on the British Sprint Championships 2015 website.
The British Middle Distance Championships event was at Naphill & Park Wood, in the Chilterns near High Wycombe, on Sunday 10 May. The area was spread over three chalk spurs with deciduous woodland, and many holly and rhododendron bushes. There was an intricate network of paths in the early part of most courses, which then snaked through the woodland to a downhill finish in the assembly area, a grassy field. EMIT touch-free punching was used for this event too. The weather was warm and sunny, and there was a good atmosphere in the assembly field, with commentary throughout.
The best ESOC results came from Eleanor Pyrah, who won gold in W70, and Helen Bridle, silver in W21 – congratulations again!
Other ESOC results were as follows:
M21 (46 Competitors) – Andrew Lindsay 11th
M40 (26) – Ray Ward 7th
M65 (57) – Roger Scrutton 11th
W45 (51) – Helena Nolan 14th
Commiserations to Claire Ward (W21), Terry Johnstone (M45) and Ian Pyrah (M70), who mispunched. There were a lot of mispunches and retirals on many courses.
Full results, including Routegadget, are available here, and further details about the event are on the British Middle Championships 2015 website.
These events were the 9th and 10th in the 2015 UK Orienteering League.
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