Latest ONSW News

The annual world championships are underway in Latvia, where New Zealander Tim Robertson came within a second of winning Saturday's opening Sprint event.

Robertson, who won the Sprint at the World Uni Champs last month, covered the 4.3km in an incredible 14:07 (that's a km rate of 3m17s) to stun the European elites who took out 11 of the 12 podium places.

The Sprint Finals offered all kinds of obstacles – sudden showers accompanied by thunder, speed-reducing crowds of tourists, slippery cobblestone, narrow passages and yards that made route choices tricky.

Natasha Key was the only Australian to make the final - at age 46! - but mispunched.

You can follow all the action via the event website and through the OA Facebook page. Sunday is the Sprint relay, with the first leg runners off just before midnight AEST.  

Meanwhile, the MTBO world champs start in Austria on Tuesday, with the new Mass Start event the first of 5 competitions over 6 days.

Newcastle's Glen Charlton is hoping for a better experience than last year when he suffered multiple mechanical failures.

You can follow all the action via the event website and through the AUS MTBO Facebook page.

The really good news about Hill End (remember the awesome mining terrain at the Australian champs last year?) is that we're going back in March 2019 for a round of the National League!

The bad news is that until then we have to stay away from the mapped areas, as they are under embargo to prevent participants gaining an unfair advantage.

The embargo covers the forest within 3.5km of the Royal Hotel in Hill End, and for approximately 7km north of Hill End township towards Mudgee. The area mapped for orienteering covers 23 sq km of forest.

However, you may visit the township, including the Visitors Centre, Café, Royal Hotel, Northeys Store, Hill End Lodge and the National Parks Camping Grounds, plus the famous 'Golden Gully' walk.

Permission for access into embargoed terrain shall be obtained from the organiser if needed.

The NOL round on March 30-31 will have a Relay and a Long Distance;  for non-elites there is a Middle on the Saturday and the Long on Sunday.  This is our first State League bush weekend for 2019.

Temperatures hit 24C as Garingal turned on a gorgeous morning for the third and last of our NSW championships for 2018 - the Sprints at UNSW.

The flat Kensington campus really let the quicker folk go out hard and fast, and there were some scorching times: Rob Bennett (Newcastle, M21A) went just under 4 minutes per km, while Duncan Currie (GO) was just above that rate in winning M16A on the same 4km Hard 1 course.

We noted these particularly meritorious wins: Tshinta Hopper (Bennelong Northside, W20A), Samantha Howe (NC, W35A), Melanie Christie (Uringa, W45A), Serje Robidoux (UR, M35AS) and Glenn Burgess (NC, M55A).

A big thanks to setter Jamie Kennedy, controller Carol Jacobson and organiser Graham Field who had to contend with last-minute out-of-bounds areas popping up on an ever-changing campus - they were up past midnight Saturday with the red texta.

Thanks to Garingal for a great morning - updated OY scores will be on the State League page later this week. All participants are asked to fill out the very brief Course Setter survey.

And a reminder that our next SL weekend is near Orange on August 18-19. Entries close on August 10.

Crestwood brought a huge contingent and took home the trophy for champion primary school at the annual Sydney West titles at Fred Caterson Reserve on Wednesday.

This was the rescheduled second day of a two-day event, having been washed out in June. Samuel Gilbert PS took out the first day in June, but Crestwood had a higher points total and thus regained the trophy they won in 2016. 

Glorious temps in the low 20s meant a perfect day for the 301 excited students who enjoyed a map walk, age race and three-person relay.

Many thanks to ONSW organiser Barbara Hill, her team of helpers, teacher organiser Johl Storey, Hills Council and the photographer from the local paper who came along to cover the event (pictured).  

A reminder that entry is open to the NSW schools champs, also to be held in the Hills District this year, on September 1-2. Schools have no role in this event, so students (ie parents) are responsible for entering.

Our last regional schools champs are Sydney North, at St Ives Showground on Monday August 13.