Thirty two SELOC members and guests had a blast around Alexandra Park, Oldham, in the SELOC Christmas event.   The two-part score saw runners coming into the map distribution point during part A, asking for up to 5 part B sectional maps for the bonus 'quiz-O' controls, all within this small and very well-kept Victorian urban park.

Prize-winners from the on-the-day results were:

   1st               Ed Mellor

   2nd              John Britton

   3rd               Mark Seddon

   1st female    Emily Britton

   1st Junior     Josh Sammon

Click here for full results and comments.

Thirty two SELOC members and guests had a blast around Alexandra Park, Oldham, in the SELOC Christmas event.   The two-part score saw runners coming into the map distribution point during part A, asking for up to 5 part B sectional maps for the bonus 'quiz-O' controls, all within this small and very well-kept Victorian urban park.

Prize-winners from the on-the-day results were:

   1st               Ed Mellor

   2nd              John Britton

   3rd               Mark Seddon

   1st female    Emily Britton

   1st Junior     Josh Sammon

Click here for full results and comments.

The results for todays Leverhulme Park event are now available for you to see. Also Routegadget is now available to take your routes.

Planner/Organisers post-event comments:

Thank you to everyone who turned up. It was a terrific day, very cold initially but in the sunny patches quite warm once you were moving.

Excitingly, we saw some new faces as well as some of the regulars. Without so many competitors to enjoy the event all my work would have been significantly less worthwhile. Thanks to Mark Seddon and Lisa for their important contributions to course planning and helping on the day - there may not have been so many satisfied customers if my original plans had got through to the printers - multiple steep hill ascents and river crossings, where no bridge existed!

Arguably the fiercest contest of the day was between the SELOC juniors who were 2nd, 3rd and 4th on the Orange course with Ross just piping Joel and Therese (who unfortunately had a stumble which significantly delayed her). Congratulations also to Robert Seddon who made quick work of winning the Yellow course.

Special mention has to go to two athletes who have been around the local road and fell running scene respectively for many years but who both made their orienteering debuts yesterday - Paul Freary (Belgrave Harriers) and Graham Schofield (Horwich Harriers). Paul Freary showed his potential for orienteering by first taking on the Light Green, before recording a stunning victory on the Orange, although many of the controls visited overlapped with those previously visited. However, I think most people will agree 16.03 for the 2.8km course is pretty good going! Incidentally, Paul owns Foot Traffic the Specialist running shop in Astley Bridge and I would recommend anyone visiting the shop makes reference to their interest in orienteering and SELOC to receive the best deals!

From my point of view everything went

Having only done one Regional event I have had my sights on the Town & Country weekend for a month or so. I enjoy the bigger events with the longer courses and a good challenge! Along with this I have only had 1 qualifying entry on the BOF rankings so I’m also keen to get 6 Regional/National events under my belt to get a ranking!

Saturday – Macclesfield Forest
Held in the North part of the forest the course was challenging as I foolishly turned up with shorts on (It was hot!).

Thanks to all for a great day. The updated map seems to have been well received. Photos curtosy of Anthony Barker Here

Results are now available here

**ROUTEGADGET**

Lead Planners report

I took on the task of planning this event anticipating only a small amount of map updating. However as soon as I got on the area in April 2011 it was obvious to me that we should ask United Utilities to use the previously "out of bounds" wooded areas for the first time. I did not expect it to take me long so I volunteered to revise the map. How wrong could I have been as the mapping took a huge amount of time and effort.

Many of you commented on the tussocks and falling flat on your face so you can imagine how many times it happened to me over the Spring and Summer whilst doing the surveying. On the positive side I think the new parts that we opened up provide an improved orienteering area which will continue to develop over the next few decades. The map and the courses seemed to gain your approval which makes it worthwhile putting in all that effort.

In fact if we hadn't opened up the wooded areas then we may not have been able to hold an event as United Utilities were planning to restrict access to large parts of the moor for conservation works.

My thanks go to Pete Kidd, my co-planner, Andy Quickfall for his patient controlling and the organiser Caroline Barcham booked some stunning weather to help you on your way.

Stephen Richards

Thanks to all for a great day. The updated map seems to have been well received. Photos curtosy of Anthony Barker Here

Results are now available here

**ROUTEGADGET**

Lead Planners report

I took on the task of planning this event anticipating only a small amount of map updating. However as soon as I got on the area in April 2011 it was obvious to me that we should ask United Utilities to use the previously "out of bounds" wooded areas for the first time. I did not expect it to take me long so I volunteered to revise the map. How wrong could I have been as the mapping took a huge amount of time and effort.

Many of you commented on the tussocks and falling flat on your face so you can imagine how many times it happened to me over the Spring and Summer whilst doing the surveying. On the positive side I think the new parts that we opened up provide an improved orienteering area which will continue to develop over the next few decades. The map and the courses seemed to gain your approval which makes it worthwhile putting in all that effort.

In fact if we hadn't opened up the wooded areas then we may not have been able to hold an event as United Utilities were planning to restrict access to large parts of the moor for conservation works.

My thanks go to Pete Kidd, my co-planner, Andy Quickfall for his patient controlling and the organiser Caroline Barcham booked some stunning weather to help you on your way.

Stephen Richards

Results now available!! - Routegadget (For instructions on how to use Routegadget - Click here

Yvette Baker Trophy Round 1 Results

Organisers Comments

A lucky day to hold an event I believe and despite a few minor hiccups it was a great day helped in no small part by the weather. (you didn’t see the field the previous weekend!).

Firstly a big, big thank you to all the helpers from SELOC who gave up their time on Sunday. The start team who spent most of their day in the wind even though I promised them shelter in the woods. The EOD / registration team who had to abandon the attempt to put up the tent because of the wind and instead spent the whole day in a cattle truck! The car parking team who organised themselves so successfully to get all the cars both in and out without my help. The road crossing team who ensured all competitors made their way safely across the road. The finish team who spent all day at the finish (quite a wait for the final competitors) – I hope they found a sheltered spot! The junior drinks team who ensured that all competitors were offered a drink – sometimes before they even knew they wanted one! The IT team who have made the whole day much less stressful for me and finally my biggest thanks go to Tony Davies – the planner. He has sweated over a hot OCAD file for many weeks and delivered some fantastic courses.

SELOC would also like to say a big thank you to the competitor who ‘found’ the 4 lost control boxes while out on his course and was able to direct us back to collect them. I’m sorry I don’t know your name but the treasurer is most grateful to you. (He was having palpitations about the cost of replacing them!)