Bulletin 1 released for AUS MTBO Champs
- Last Updated: Thursday, 05 March 2020 18:16
Our busy Newcastle club are hosting the 2020 Australian mountain bike orienteering championships and have just released Bulletin 1.
It's the biggest ever national MTBO carnival with four championship events, a prologue using the MapRun app, and a family teams ride on the Saturday lunchtime.
NSW won back the OA MTBO Plaque in Victoria last year and will be keen to retain it on home turf.
The event centre is based at Kurri in the Hunter Valley. The carnival dates are September 17-20.
Meanwhile, the last event in Newcastle's summer BOSS series is on Sunday March 15 at Stanford Merthyr. Start window is 8-9.15am. A promo video is here.
Thanks Alastair...
- Last Updated: Tuesday, 03 March 2020 11:23
Alastair George has just finished his three-month stint as our first Australian coach-in-residence.
Alastair follows Grace (Scotland), Tuve (Sweden), Konsta (Finland) and Atte (Finland) in this ground-breaking and transformative opportunity for young elite orienteers to pass on their knowledge to our members - and expand their own horizons in mapping and coaching beginners and school students.
You can read Alastair's summary of his time here.
ONSW is always on the lookout for new coaches-in-residence - be they from overseas, interstate or a local. Check out the CIR website for more information.
A good starting point is to get involved with coaching locally at club, junior or school programs. Enrol for a Level 0 coaching workshop and become accredited.
Talk to your local club about course-setting opportunities, and learn Purple Pen skills, and how to make map changes.
Thanks Alastair and good luck with uni in 2020!
GO, NC runners take the cake at O'Shea
- Last Updated: Monday, 02 March 2020 13:46
Gwandalan on the southern shores of Lake Macquarie hosted the annual O'Shea weekend in brilliant sunshine.
Central Coast's Mark Schaefer and Newcastle's Steven Roberts won the Long Pairs, finishing two minutes and 42 seconds ahead of Newcastle couple Jenny and Damien Enderby.
Garingal couple Andrew Smith and Toni Bachvarova were the same margin away in third place.
Stablemates Aniko Fozo-Kertesz and Peter Fozo took out the Short Pairs by two minutes from Malcolm Roberts and Carolyn Matthews (NC).
The Enderby daughters Mikayla and Erika were third.
It was lovely to have Frank and Ethel Anderson, founders of the O'Shea 2-Days in 1983, on hand to present the yummy cake prizes.
The O'Shea comprises a two-person relay (total time counts), then a night run (better of the two times counts) and a Sunday morning team score course (time that the slower team-mate gets to the finish counts).
Final results can be found here. Thanks to Central Coast for a huge effort. The planned date for the O'Shea in 2021 is Feb 28-29.
Central Coast will also be staging three bush events over winter: on May 3, June 21 and July 5.
Massey, Williams win Newcastle street series
- Last Updated: Thursday, 27 February 2020 10:44
Alex Massey and Claire Williams have been crowned men's and women's champions after another successful Newcastle street summer series.
Australian MTBO rep Tim Doman was second in the men's while Nicole Haigh was runner-up in the women's.
The best 10 of 17 possible scores counted. Results can be found here.
And, in a category that surely ranks among the greatest - and most inclusive - in any sport, Damon van der Maat won the pram walking section.
What a great way to encourage parents of little ones to get out there and take in some exercise!
Katherine Dynon and Lisa Freeburn won the teams category and Deanne Shaw took out the walkers category.
The series attracted more than 250 different participants. Thank you to all the setters, organisers and vetters.
Newcastle now move into Park series mode, with a long and a short line course on offer on Wednesdays in March. Details are here.
