Sydney CBD lunchtime series starts with a blast
- Last Updated: Wednesday, 07 August 2019 11:45
Around 80 participants enjoyed a gloriously sunny day at Pyrmont Bay Park as our Sydney CBD lunchtime series welcomed loads of newcomers to urban orienteering.
We had runners from 14 companies and five ONSW clubs take in superb views of the city and harbour. These events are aimed at beginners and we had some rookies clear the 20-control score course in less than the 30 minutes allowed.
Best of these was Richard Banks, who perhaps appropriately works for the RBA, who finished in just over 20 minutes.
The fastest person was young Scotsman Finlay Todd who sped around in 15 minutes. Finlay is out here on a year's uni exchange and ran for Great Britain at JWOC in Denmark last month - with our recent scholar Grace Molloy who starred with a gold medal and two bronze.
Thanks to our helpers: Liz Bulman (pictured), Andrew Wisniewski, Johnny Petersen on SI, Saacha Donaldson and Paula Shingler.
Next week: same spot, different course. Tell your friends who work in the city to come along. See the flyer for details. Barangaroo is full, but weeks 2 and 4 we have plenty of spots free. Pre-entry is preferred (members via Eventor, non-members via email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).
Newcastle debuts State League maps
- Last Updated: Monday, 05 August 2019 15:15
Our Newcastle club has a treasure trove of great bush maps and at the weekend added two more as the State League came to the Hunter.
Redgum Ridges (at Freemans Waterhole) on Saturday for the Middle distance had the usual myriad of tiny watercourses that are so prevalent on Newcastle maps, while Stockrington West (also near the M1) on Sunday for the Long featured a lot more green - often big clumps of Gymea lilies.
Colin Bailey ran the Hunter schools champs for many years and gave his rivals a lesson in M55AS with two impressive victories in his first SL outings for 2019.
Clubmate Katherine Dynnon took out W35AS on both days, while Joy Guy won W55AS on Sunday, and we noted rookie Ginaya Dunn - who has come across from MTBO - winning W Open B on both days on her SL debut.
All participants are asked to fill in the very brief Course Setter of the Year surveys for each day.
All results are linked on our SL web page. A big thank you to Newcastle for another lovely weekend.
And a reminder that entries are also open for our next two State League weekends - the ACT champs on August 31-September 1, and the NSW schools champs in the Southern Highlands on September 7-8.
Doman doin' it tough at MTBO world champs
- Last Updated: Wednesday, 31 July 2019 11:18
Tim Doman has had a rough introduction to elite mountain bike orienteering with mispunches in his opening two events at the world championships in Denmark.
Our Newcastle rookie - who only took up MTBO last summer - was faring creditably on his international debut in Sunday's Sprint but made a massive noodle en route to #19, ended up at #21 and was then bamboozled. He backtracked to #20, returned to #21 but forgot to go to #19.
The race was in a very complex map of the old city of Viborg. They closed the whole city for this event which offered up cobblestones, alleys, stairs, archways, stone walls and more.
Kiwi and training partner Tim Robertson cost himself a likely medal with a mispunch early in his race to add to the woes of the Oceania touring party.
In Tuesday's intricate Middle race (31 controls), Doman went to nearby #4 a second time instead of #26. We've all been there at some stage!
To his credit, Tim has shown in Denmark that for such a newbie he's by no means outclassed against vastly more experienced rivals.
WA veteran Ricky Thackray loved the Middle: "It was one of the most navigationally challenging Middle distance races I've done.
"There was an extremely dense network of single track throughout the course with the southern part of the map being a mountain bike park before we crossed a paddock into the northern section, also laced with twisty single track although not sanctioned so not as clear as the earlier section.
"Riders on the M21 course were thrown straight into the deep end with a long leg to the first control with several route choice options."
You can follow the action on the event website here and via the Australian team Facebook page here. Wednesday evening AEST is the Long Distance race.
KNOX boys tearing up MetrO League
- Last Updated: Tuesday, 30 July 2019 22:35
The boys from Knox Grammar School are looking firm favourites to take out two Sydney Metro League titles after another dominant day at Galston on Sunday.
KNOX remain unbeaten in Divisions 3 and 5, and with a double header in the last round at Wianamatta seem assured of making the finals at least.
The more open venues for the first three rounds allowed the fast KNOX lads to really record some very quick times, and there were naturally questions as to how they would handle the technical challenges coming into the pointy end of the competition.
Galston answered that emphatically: in Division 3 Heath Wallace was eight minutes faster than his nearest rival (team-mate Jake Evans) and in Division 5 the first three placings went to KNOX runners - with Henry Shortis six minutes ahead of the field.
The terrain was mix of rock and bush of varying thickness and steepness, allowing for a good range of courses.
Big Foot have reclaimed the ascendancy in Division after an uncharacteristically sluggish start, while the Garingal Frill Necks are unbeaten in Divison 2, and Big Foot look way too strong in Division 4.
Bennelong Northside and SHOO-IKO have three teams still in the mix and WHO one.
All the results and tables are updated are on the ML web page.
Thanks to setter John Brayan, controller Carol Jacobson, organiser Ross Duker and the Garingal club.
Our next round is on Sunday August 18 at Wianamatta, with the NSW junior squad running the show.
