OK Nuts Trophy 2014 Results

These are the final results* from the 2014 OK Nuts, held on Wisley and Ockham Common on 30 November 2014.

* Official results in the first bullet and with British Orienteering only

Trophy winners

For the OK Nuts Trophy itself there was a very close race between Ludovic Maillard and Geoff Ellis, but Laurence Ball came in four minutes ahead. Ralph Street was non-competitive because he put out controls. Sarah Rollins retains the Heather Monro trophy, coming in a bit more than a minute ahead of Abi Weeds, and two and half minutes behind the winner of the Half Blood course, the Junior Trophy winner Tim Morgan.

Trophy Winner Club
OK Nuts Laurence Ball NOR
Heather Monro Sarah Rollins (W35) BAOC
Junior Tim Morgan (M18) SOC

Class winners

OK Nuts commemorative coasters will reach the following in the next week or so. Where someone won their own class and also a higher one, we have left them winning their own one and given the higher class to the next eligible runner.

Class Winner Club
W21 Abi Weeds SLOW
M21 Laurence Ball NOR
W20 no runners
M20 no runners
W10 Sarah Darley GO
W12 Celia Thompson (W10) SN
W14 Aimee Darley (W12) GO
W16 no runners
W18 no runners
M10 Vincent Townley SN
M12 Matthew Hicks
M14 Stanley Heap SO
M16 Angus Harrington (M14) HH
M18 Tim Morgan SOC
W35 Sarah Rollins BAOC
W40 Alison Harding HH
W45 Melanie Slade SN
W50 Jane Morgan SOC
W55 Linda Pakuls GO
W60 Christine Kiddier GO
W65 Jenny Collyer SO
W70 Bridget Hooper SO
W75 Anne Power LOK
W80 Mary Fogo SO
M35 Geoff Ellis RAFO
M40 Alan Velecky (M45) SOC
M45 David Rollins BAOC
M50 Neil Crickmore SO
M55 James Crawford GO
M60 Alun Jones TVOC
M65 Martin WIlson BKO
M70 Tony Ludford BADO
M75 Jeremy Oldershaw SAX
M80 Chris Baker DFOK
M85 Bernard Potter TVOC

Co-organiser’s comments

Thanks to Southern Navigators for the loan of the area. We were pleased with how things went; Wisley and Ockham Commons fully living up to expectations for providing tough and runnable courses. I enjoyed a lot of positive comments in the time I was at the finish, on the pretext of being there to judge the line for the mass start races. The comments seemed particularly enthusiastic from exhilarated loop race runners who had been raced hard by others. That is after they had got their breath back, wiped the recent splashes away, shaken hands, and in one case collapsed into each other’s arms.

If you enjoyed your run prime credit is due to the planner Simon Moss, and our controller Mike Murray. They both spent many days on the Commons selecting and checking the large number of control sites used. Meanwhile the water level gradually changed from summer to winter levels. “That path” could be comfortably walked in ordinary footwear two months ago, and I am pleased so many enjoyed their adventure along it.

There have been many compliments about the planning. Simon did do a fantastic job in my view. The sport is fortunate that the financial world isn’t keeping him busy enough at the moment. He coped with the need for gaffling, and my desire for the single mass-start, one direction approach to the finish, and particular course lengths. You can see from the map the obvious constraints of the road bridges and the best parts being distant from the start/finish. You experienced the considerable issues of the water and the self-seeding trees whilst you were out there. And then there were the Dartford warblers, a rare bird recently returned to the heathland. I think he did you proud.

Thanks to my clubmates for all their hard work and help on the day, led by my co-organiser Mel Hilton. Two who don’t often get the mentions they deserve and were key to this event are Vince Roper and Chris Fry. Vince (City Race organiser this year) consistently deploys his expertise, experience and resources to the success of SLOW events. Chris manages the equipment and did the pre-event SI work.

I would also like to say thanks to the young team who worked hard to convert the mass start pen to the map exchange, and then staffed the map drop, water point and second map pick up. Tommy Rollins of BAOC and Claudia and Toby Mahr of SLOW, you were great.

The Christmas Tree draw was won by Pete Couldery of Guildford Orienteers.

Paul Street, co-organiser