Orienteering

Last updated 09:57, Thursday, 01 May 2008

THE British Championships were held in Culbin Forest on the Moray coast, in warm sunshine. The superbly technical forested sand dune area provided a top class challenge for Britain’s best orienteers.

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Silver: Junior relay team, from left to right, Graham Hemingway, Lewis Taylor, Michael Noblett

Five West Cumberland Orienteers club members made the podium. Michael Billinghurst, Mike Pearson and Tony Duncan all had to settle for silver after an agonising wait for late starters to complete the course, while holding the gold medal position for most of the race. Excellent bronze medals were won by Charlotte Watson and Roger Thomas.

Mhairi Mackenzie, running the women’s premier elite course, took an impressive seventh place in a tough race, 9.5km with 220m climb.

Michael Noblett, running M20 elite, also had an impressive sixth place after his 11.3km with 270m of climb.

The relay competition also gave the club two podium positions. The W14 team of Katrina Hemingway, Rosie Watson and Hannah Skinner had a great race to take silver, as did the juniors, Michael Noblett, Graham Hemingway and Lewis Taylor on the Men’s Short Open.

The regional event at the weekend was held on Bigland Estate near Newby Bridge, providing some of the best terrain in Britain.

Seven classy wins were recorded by Alistair Thomas, John Slater, Michael Billinghurst, Roger Thomas, Roger Jackson, Joyce Hemingway and Vera Parkins.

With the early morning rain melting away the racing conditions were perfect, allowing the competitors to enjoy the highly technical terrain and the navigational challenges presented by the planner.

M10B: 6, Alistair Thomas 14.44; W10A: 7, Kate Skinner 35.17; W12A: 4, Katrina Hemingway 30.07; W14A: 8, Rosie Watson 42.48; W16A: 3, Charlotte Watson 42.31; W18L: 15, Jessica Bibby 73.54; W21E: 7, Mhairi Mackenzie 70.13; W40L: 4, Susan Skinner 69.31; W45L: 11, Margaret Mackenzie 72.40; 23, Kim Leslie 87.46; W45S: 6, Joyce Hemingway 62.00; W50L: 23, Penny Bibby 85,46; M16A: 15, Lewis Taylor 66.32; 26, Graham Hemingway 72.42; M20E: 6, Michael Noblett 78.11; M45L: 2, Michael Billinghurst 66.53; 39, Graham Watson 118.18; 45, Howard Leslie 99.07; M45S: 3, Roger Thomas 62.52; M50L: 76, Andy Warner 110.50; M55L: 19, Dick Warner 85.54; M60L: 2, Mike Pearson 63.14; M65L: 2, Tony Duncan 57.37M35L: 1, John Slater 90.16; M40L: 1, Michael Billinghurst 68.58; 5, Alan Irving 86.13; 13, Andrew Bradley 99.10; M45S: 1, Roger Thomas 56.02; M50L: 9, Tony Brand-Barker 92.42; 11, Chris Emerson 96.11; 14, David Downes 98.39; M55L: 14, Bob Barnby 94.41; 29, Colin Southall 159.25; M60L: 1, Roger Jackson 67.59; 14, Malcolm Ruckledge 92.31; M65L: 5, Tony Duncan 69.34; W35S: 3, Lynne Thomas 89.44; W45L: 4, Margaret Mackenzie 62.19; 7, Kim Leslie 70.59; W45S: 1, Joyce Hemingway 55.24; W75: 1, Vera Parkins 70.20; JM1: 1, Alastair Thomas 18.09; JM3: 3, Paul Eaton 32.52; JM5M: 7, Ben Emerson 86.22; JM5L: 2, Chris Brand-Barker 77.30; JW4: 7, Katrina Hemingway 52.52; WHITE: 12, Heather Eaton 36.37