Sprint League Co-Ordinator's Comments

Thanks to Derek for planning 2 great courses. I heard lots of complementary remarks about the junior courses, and I really enjoyed my own run on the sprint course. The course was planned at just the right technical difficulty, allowing our developing juniors to really stretch themselves and giving adult newcomers a challenge without making it too difficult. Some of the longer legs managed to sort out the so-called experts, with a variety of routes (some intentional, some not so intentional) taken by a variety of runners. Even the first leg tripped some people up - Eddie got 30 seconds ahead of me there, and there was no coming back!

Well done to young Andrew and Johnstone who are improving all the time, and enjoying some good battles against each other. Johnstone Snr still hasn't quite got the measure of "Wee J" and once again got beaten by seconds! It's little 'in house' battles like this that makes orienteering such a great family sport, and it won't be long before some of our newer and younger juniors are battling it out in a similar way with mum or dad. Also well done to Kathryn, who did such an excellent time on the junior course on her own at just 9 years of age!

It was slightly disappointing that there weren't more junior runners at the event. We'd given the details to the schools who took part in the very successful schools festival at Gordonstoun last Friday, but given that it was a bank holiday Saturday, maybe that's understandable. I think we'll run this event again later in the year using the maps we had left over. This will give those who were here a chance to try to beat their time from Saturday, and let those who were away see what they missed. 

It doesn't look as if there will be many at the training morning on the 16th, but it will still go ahead as planned. The course will be great practice for our adult beginners, and it will be a chance for juniors to see what a championship-level under-13s A course is like. Meet at 9.50 am at Wellhill car Park, Culbin and I'll see you there. Also don't forget our next event is on 30th May at Nairn East Beach. This is a great little area at the far end of Culbin, and is planned by one of our most gifted orienteers, Steve Smirthwaite, who also made the map. An event not to be missed, but sadly I'm working, so it's a chance for you all to catch me up in the league! But before that it's the Scottish Championships. Remember that you can enter this event even as a beginner, and with it being right next to the Highland Wildlife Park near Kincraig it will make a great family day out.

Mike Rodgers