Triple Cumbernauld weekend31 October/1 November 2015
This triple-event weekend was organised by STAG, with help from Glasgow and Strathclyde students, and featured the final two events in the 2015 Scottish Orienteering Urban League, plus a Middle Distance event in somewhat wilder terrain. Plenty of ESOC members competed at one or more of the events.
STAG’s varied weekend of orienteering was based at Cumbernauld Academy, on the eastern side of the town. The first event was SOUL 8, on Saturday morning. This was a Sprint, in the complicated residential developments of Kildrum, with many similar pathways, steps and open areas amongst the various building designs.
The weather was very wet at first, and it gradually cleared up to give a sunny afternoon. Grassy areas were still very damp though, and most returned with wet feet.
ESOC members in the top half of the results for their course were:
M Open (22 competitors) – Andrew Lindsay 7th, Craig Nolan 9th
M SuperVet (11) – Martin Caldwell 2nd, Crawford Lindsay 6th
M UltraVet (8) – Alastair Lessells 3rd, Roger Scrutton 4th
W Open (10) – Helen Bridle 2nd, Bex Harding 3rd, Rona Lindsay 4th
W Vet (9) – Alison Cunningham 2nd
W SuperVet (10) – Sally Lindsay 5th
W UltraVet (6) – Eleanor Pyrah 3rd
W Junior (2) – Rachel Brown 1st
W Young Junior (6) – Megan Brown 3rd
On Saturday afternoon, there was a Middle Distance event in Glencryan Local Nature Reserve, which is the NW corner of Palacerigg Country Park, scene of previous events. The start was reached via an underpass not far from the school. Most competitors described their course as “hard work” – the terrain was quite rough, with lots of vegetation everywhere, including thorn bushes, brambles and long thick grass. The weather was warm and sunny, though it was wet underfoot.
ESOC members in the top half of the results were:
Black (31 competitors) – Walter Clark 14th
Green (36) – Alison Cunningham 2nd, Ben Brown 6th, Margaret Dalgleish 10th, Roger Scrutton 14th, Martin Caldwell 15th
Light Green (4) – Rachel Brown 1st
Yellow (4) – Megan Brown 1st
The third event of the weekend, SOUL 9, took place on Sunday morning. This was a standard Urban event, with the same start as the previous day. Courses headed SW to Carbrain before returning to Kildrum via a choice of bridges over a major road. The longest courses also visited Braehead estate, further north. Again there were many and varied pathways amongst pockets of different styles of housing, with quick decision-making called for, especially where there were dead ends. The weather was fine and very pleasant.
ESOC members in the top half of the results for their course were:
M Open (14 competitors) – Andrew Lindsay 5th, Craig Nolan 6th
M Vet (21) – Mark Wood 7th
M SuperVet (13) – Martin Caldwell 5th, Crawford Lindsay 7th
M UltraVet (12) – Roger Scrutton 3rd, Ian Pyrah 4th, Dave Kershaw 5th, Alastair Lessells 6th
M Junior (5) – Ben Brown 2nd
M Young Junior (5) – Calum Robertson 2nd
W Open (6) – Helen Bridle 2nd
W Vet (13) – Helena Nolan 3rd, Judy Bell 5th
W UltraVet (6) – Eleanor Pyrah 3rd
W Junior (4) – Rachel Brown 2nd
W Young Junior (6) – Megan Brown 1st, Maja Robertson 2nd
Details of all the events in the 2015 Scottish Orienteering Urban League, and the final league tables, are available here.
Sunday’s event was also the final event in the 2015 UK Urban League. League tables and other details about this league are on the UK Urban League website.
Full results for all the above events, including Routegadget, and links to further details, are available here.
Some photos are available in ESOC's Google Album Archive:
Middle Distance race
SOUL 9
Other entries categorised under: Event Reports