Another weekend, another Scottish Champs! This time (30th May) it was the Sprint Champs. The event was held at Cumbernauld between Glasgow and Stirling, a new town build largely in the 1950s and 60s; residential areas built in this era sems to produce some of the best urban orienteering with irregular building patterns, lots of paved paths, patches of grass and bushes and very quiet roads.
There were two sprint races, two hours apart with the results added together to produce final championship results. The first race was held in hot, humid weather in what was described as “classic” urban terrain. Just two hours later the weather was back to grey and drizzly. The terrain was billed as “unlike anything else we have seen in Scotland” – maybe slightly over-hyped, but it was definitely more challenging than race one, with curved paths making it hard to keep a sense of direction.
Results-wise, BL had a very strong presence in the Women’s Ultra Vet class taking 2nd, 3rd and 5th places (Stella, Carol and Christine respectively).
Results and Routegadget here
On Sunday there was a standard distance urban race in a different part of Cumbernauld, Courses were well planned offering a mixture of short legs with multiple direction changes and longer legs between the different housing estates where there was more route choice and a chance to run a bit faster. An unusual feature was the strange ring-shaped buildings – they turned out to be garages arranged in an inward facing circle Judging from appearances, they are perhaps now more used as somewhere to hang-out than for car parking.
Good BL results came from:
Carol 1st in Women’s Ultra Vet
Karen 2nd in Women’s Open
Results and Routegadget here
For those who enjoy urban orienteering, this is a good time of year; Berwick-on-Tweed and Eyemouth next weekend, a Sheffield double the one after and then the Brirish Sprint weekend at the end of June. And don’t forget BL’s own Brampton event on 19th July.
Border Liners Orienteering Club 