QO compete at British Orienteering Long and Relay Championships

On March 25th, 17 members from the Quantock Orienteering (QO) club participated in the British Orienteering Championship at Cold Ash near Newbury. The mixed woodland terrain with sloping hills and path networks was a challenge, but everyone persevered.

There were some bumps in the road, with Bee (M10) struggling with the tricky path network and eventually retiring at control 3. However, Finley (M14) took on his first light green course and finished in 22nd with a bronze award. Hamish (M18) unfortunately lost his map after control 10 and had to retire.

But the QO club had many shining moments! Adam led the M21E group, finishing an impressive 21st (Gold standard), with Robin following close behind in 34th (Silver), Ollie in 40th (Bronze) and Luke in 47th. Phil (M45), nursing an injured ankle, finished 35th (Bronze). On M50, Richard finished in 19th place with Pete in 29th (both Silver). Jeff, despite suffering from lack of sleep, still managed to finish 34th (Bronze). Andy (M60), who had been celebrating the night before, finished 50th (Bronze), and Paul (M60) missed control 15.

But the star of the day was Steve (M70) who had the race of the club, finishing in the top 10 and earning a Championship award. Tony (M75) finished 29th (Silver). Shelia (W55) finished 17th (Silver) and Rosie (W65) finished 18th (Bronze).

Congratulations to all the members of the QO club who participated. It was a challenging event, but you all rose to the occasion and showed what you were made of.

After an evening of preparation, spent by some in Brewdog, it was the British Relay Championships at Hambleden, the perfect terrain for the event. The Classic Chiltern woodland with undulating slopes covered in mature beech or mixed deciduous and conifer trees provided an excellent backdrop for the competition. The brashings and undergrowth were limited, resulting in fast race times.

In the men's premier category, QoVadis consisting of Robin Fieldhouse, Oliver Rant, and Adam Fieldhouse achieved a fantastic result by finishing just outside the top 10 against some of the best orienteers in the country.

The 3AmiQOs team, comprising Phil Sorrell, Jeff Pakes, and Peter Shirvington, came in a respectable 8th place in the M40 category despite running up. Special thanks to Richard for covering as a reserve in case Phil's ankle did not hold up during the race the day before.

In the Mixed Ad Hoc category, the StatusQO team, consisting of Andy Rimes, Steve Robertson, and Hamish Braine-Clarke, put up a good fight against tough competition and came in 19th. Andy had a fresh head, and a great last leg from Hamish helped the team achieve this impressive result.

Last but not least, the QOTa team, comprising Rosie Wych, Sheila Braine, and Ailani Braine-Clarke, despite a mix-up with Sheila running Ailani's short course, leaving Ailani the longer and more technical course, put in a good performance to finish 32nd.

A big thank you to Pete for organising the teams and Bee for expertly coordinating everyone on the day.

Full results, links to maps and discussion on the QO chat site: Long Distance Championships | Relay Championships