Poland Back as Equal Leader in Twilight Series

Sunday, 20 December 2009

Oliver Poland has displaced Shannon Jones as co-leader with Trevor Jacobs in the Runners Shop Twilight Series after round 9 of the Series. The surprise of the round was the top run from Anthony Scott (pictured) with his 35 min 43 sec for the 5.6 km Orange 1 course to score the maximum 125 points. Next best was Jacobs with 124 points, Poland on 123, Darryl Erbacher 122, and Rob Walter 121. Pauli Piiroinen was best on the Orange 2 scoring 120 points for his 46 min 30 sec for the 4.4 km course. Early co-leader, Jones, had an off day scoring 114 points for her time of 44 min 20 sec.

Jacobs and Poland sit at the top of the table with 497 points from their best four runs from nine events (round 7 omitted). Jones is one behind on 496, Walter is fourth on 491 and Piiroinen remains in fifth place on 490.

The Series will now have a four week break before it resumes at Australian National University on 13 January 2010, then Aranda Hill on 20 January and University of Canberra on 27 January. The University venues will favour the speedsters, but navigation can still be tricky and by the end January, with the best six scores to count, the likely winner might become clearer.

The Round 9 results are here.

The progress points table is here.

Jacobs Joins Jones at Top of Table After Farrer Ridge

Saturday, 12 December 2009

Jacobs Joins Jones at Top of Table After Farrer Ridge
Trevor Jacobs (pictured) has joined Shannon Jones at the top of the table after the eighth round of the Runners Shop Twilight Series at Farrer Ridge. Both have 496 points from their best four scores, after the results of round 7 were excluded.  Jacobs scored a maximum of 125 points with a time of 31 min 35 sec for the 4.6 km Orange 1 course, Rob Walter was next best with 124 points for his 24 min 17 sec, the best time for the course on the day, and Jones was third with 123 points for a time of 28 min 52 sec, to be one of only four competitors to break 30 minutes for the course.

Last week’s co-leader with Jones, Oliver Poland, who did not start at Farrer Ridge, fell a point behind Jones to stay on 495, with Walter now a close fourth on 491 points.

Pauli Piiroinen continued to score high points, picking up 122 points for his 32 min 41 sec on the 3.5 km Orange 2 course. Sandra Oliver, with a time of 27 min 32 sec was the fastest woman on the course and was rewarded with 95 points.
The Hyslop siblings had another private family competition on the Blue course, with the honours this week going to Rebecca, finishing just over a minute ahead of Thomas.

Round 9, the last event for 2009, will be staged on the north-western slopes of Mt Ainslie, starting from Kellaway St, Hackett.

Results can be found here.

The progress points are here.

Photo by John Harding

OACT Responds to NPA

Wednesday, 25 November 2009

• Orienteering is an environmentally managed sport that allows people of all ages to enjoy the National Park in a manner consistent with the principles of the park management. In particular, orienteers enjoy visiting areas of natural beauty and are firmly committed to conservation of these areas.
• The dispersed nature of orienteering (competitors start at different times and take different routes between key checkpoints) means that the impacts upon vegetation in any one location are very small. Previous environmental monitoring carried out by OACT in Namadgi National Park following large events confirms minimal impact.
• Permission for this event has been granted on the condition that rigorous environmental monitoring will be carried out pre-, during and post-event. This monitoring will be independently verified and OACT has offered NPA the opportunity to oversee the study.
• Large orienteering events like this are held only occasionally in the park (approximately every 3 years on average), but play a great role in promoting Namadgi to visitors from outside the ACT, bringing visitors to ACT, improving health and educating people with regards to the natural environment.
• Similar large events have been held in previous years (specifically 1994 and 2000) with no observable effect on the environment or other park users.

Twilight at Taylor, Wednesday 11 November

Wednesday, 18 November 2009

Parawangans were out in force on Wednesday afternoon – helping out at the first of 3 club run events before Christmas. Rohan made use of the flatter parts of the map, with blue (very easy) and green (easy) competitors enjoying their journeys up and down creeks. Orange (moderate) competitors were challenged by their creeks, the importance of reading your control descriptions evident. Competitors enjoyed a cool icy stick on completion of their course, with the younger Hyslops having more than their fair share.

Rob Walter had a great run (33:57) on the Orange 1 course, well ahead of nearest competitors Morten Pedersen (38:12) and Derryn McGarva (38:13). Belinda Allison continued to show her form (34:48) looking good in her fast new top with Andrew Cumming Thom finishing a minute behind. The Green course was hotly contested with Canberra Grammar junior, Bradley Bolton (25:59) taking the honours. Graham Ford (15:52) needed to arrive earlier to give him time to tackle a harder course.

It was great to see so many families and friends out enjoying the hot November afternoon.

Story by Anna Hyslop

Photos by John Harding

Photo: Greg and Ciaran Lane register.

Photo: Jill, Anna and Rohan enjoying a joke.

ORIENTEERING AT CAMPBELL PRIMARY SCHOOL FETE 14 NOVEMBER

Monday, 16 November 2009

A small but enthusiastic group of children and their parents challenged themselves on an Orienteering activity at Saturday’s Campbell Primary School Fete.

The fete provided an opportunity both to assist in fund raising efforts for the local school while concurrently giving the children a healthy activity choice. The orienteering courses were set on a 1:2500 scale map, making it relevant to local kids while testing both their running and their map reading skills around the local schools and interconnecting ovals.

At least four Blue Sparks families travelled across town to take part in the event and to enjoy the fete activities. Blue Sparks will be making efforts to contribute this way at other school fete events as the opportunity arises.

Special thanks to Blue Sparks/Blue Lightning members Oliver Mill and Oliver Poland for their efforts in setting up courses and for shadowing a number of the newcomers to the sport.

Results can be found here.

Story and Photo by Toni Brown.

Campbell Park - Twilight event 3

Thursday, 5 November 2009

A near record 201 participants turned out on a warmish spring afternoon to race around the pits and termite mounds of Campbell Park.  A feature of this weeks event were 2 electronic punches on a common leg of the 2 longer courses. Prizes were offered for the fastest junior, open and masters man and woman. The leg, 8 to 9 on the Orange 1 course, or 6 to 7 on the Orange 2 course. It offered a left or right route choice around an enclosed area. Orienteers had to make a choice of - left 350m, right 325m following the fence, or a little wider right, 360/370m, using a track. Which way did you go?

Shannon Jones (Womens Open) was fastest on the day, running the leg in 1 min 37secs. Other winners were, Mens Open, Oscar Wood, 1.45, MJunior, Richard Hyslop, also 1.45, MMasters, Jono Lineen, 1.52, WJunior, Shea-Cara Hammond, 2.28, and WMasters, Anna Hyslop, 2.14. Those winners can collect their prize at next weeks event.

Pictured is Catherine Murphy, fast and focused on her way into the finish of the 5.2km orange 1 course.

Photo by John Harding

 Results are here.

Twilight #2 at Stromlo

Thursday, 29 October 2009

Despite Handwriting and Registration Card Inspectors being on duty at Stromlo Forest Park on Wednesday October 28^th, all competitors were allowed to start. Some were initially sent back to the end of the line, to correctly complete registration stubs but this failed to deter their spirits.

The attached photo shows the luxurious facilities provided at great expense by the organisers including a roof, toilets and hot and cold running showers.  Even the Scandinavians would have been satisfied!

A close examination of all control cards after the event has shown some details missing from several. These include not only Name, Class and SI Number (which I believe even the Geneva convention allows you to divulge) but also correct punching, notably the last control in the new playground. All competitors have been granted amnesty this time, but I am sure the “Punch Police” will be out in force over the next few weeks.

Most people seemed to enjoy their day out in an area visited by only a few earlier this year during the Stromlo Running Festival. Some should have been forewarned and taken the “soft” route around the tracks to reach controls on the other side of the infamous Holden’s Creek. Others were left a little out of breath on the 4X track. The “Grannys” were in no way advantaged by an excursion to the Stromlo single track the previous morning, having been warned that it was an embargoed area.

The highlight of the event must surely be the intra family rivalry of the Allison’s, with Belinda coming out on top, with a narrow win over sister Jo. It is possible that this is the first time in 17 years that this has occurred!!

Story Ann Scown

Photo John Harding

Results can be found here

Blue and Butterflies at The Pinnacle

Thursday, 22 October 2009

Abominable O-men kicked off the 2009/10 Twilight series at The Pinnacle with beautiful spring weather and a large number of entries.

The introduction of a blue course to the series proved very popular with a large group of Canberra Grammar junior boys and plenty of other newcomers to Orienteering.

Despite the course planners best efforts to avoid the unusually wet marsh near the green course a few competitors commented on having to go through the mud.

Two butterfly loops on the orange courses provided variety for competitors who have used this area many times . Even Shannon Jones, Australian World Championship team member was challenged by this variation.

Special thanks to David Hogg (and dog) for foregoing his run and helping to bring in controls.

Results can be found here.

Story by Mary McDonald.

Photo by John Harding.