SLOW member Ed Catmur finished in an impressive second place in this year’s Aonach Mor Uphill Race, leading for much of the way and finishing in 27:21. The race, organised on New Year’s Day every year by Lochaber AC, is 4km long with a 600m climb to the gondola summit station. There were 90 runners, braving thick snow and icy conditions at this year’s race. Results.

Ed was running in the race as part of JOK’s annual winter trip to the Highlands. He finished the week by running up and down Ben Nevis, Britain’s highest mountain, in 2:23:01.

The final results tables of the 2009 South East Galoppen series of events have now been published by the South East Orienteering Association (SEOA), a copy of the results can be downloaded (PDF), with a list of the qualifying events.

Awards for 2009

Three SLOW runners finish in certificate positions for the year:

• Congratulations to Simon Evans for being the leading M21 on the Black courses. Simon ran four events in the 2009 series, scoring 369 out of a maximum of 500 points and finishing 6th overall in the course.
• Congratulations also to Teresa Turner, who finished second woman in the Green courses and was the leading W60, running 5 races and scoring 480/500; and to Charlie Turner who finished third man on the Blue courses, and second M55, running 6 races of the 9 in the 2009 series, and scoring 492/500 with his best five race results.

2010 Series

The 2010 series starts with the DFOK race in Chelwood Vachery on 3 January, followed by the MV race at Sheepleas & Effingham Woods on 17 January. Both races are SLOW hot picks!

Next year’s series continues with GO Verdley Wood & North Heath on 7 February, HH Ashridge on 28 February and SO Anmering on 23 May, there will be further races to be announced in the 2010 season, and details may change.

Thanks to Ed Cox for coordinating and scoring the series.

Congratulations to SLOW’s Anne Straube, who won W21 (Women’s Open) at the Southern Night Championships on Saturday evening, then on Sunday won the Open class at the British Trail Orienteering Championships in Warrington.

Southern Night Women’s Open Champion and British Trail Open Champion in one weekend!

HM the Queen and Sarah Baird.

”So you’re an orienteer. Isn’t that quite hard work?” So spoke the Queen as I was presented to her dressed in full O-kit, including gaiters, compass and dibber.

I live at Goodenough College, a residential hall for postgrads based near Russell Square. Last November, it was our 75th anniversary, and the Queen, who is our patron and a fairly frequent visitor, was coming as part of the celebrations to unveil a sundial and be introduced to members. My partner Carl and I had started a small orienteering club at the College a few months before, and I had been selected to be part of the ‘sports section’ which would be introduced to the Queen, along with Tae Kwon Do, sailing, horse riding and football, sports that were considered to be able to provide visually stimulating displays.

Hence I found myself writing to various members of SLOW with the rather bizarre question: “I’m meeting the Queen, does anyone have any O gear I could borrow?” The response was swift and generous. I was soon in possession of many maps, including those of Royal Parks, posters advertising orienteering and not only a control stake and flag, but also a SI box and dibber – all set up to flash impressively. (In the event I did not use this function, since I was warned that anything done quickly or unexpectedly, such as flashes and beeps, might cause me to become quickly covered with burly bodyguards!) I am happy to say that as a result our display was by far the most interesting to look at, and in fact I had many College members come up to me to inquire what all the bits and pieces were for.

Eventually, having been well schooled in important points such as which foot to put behind when you curtsey and that Ma’am rhymes with jam, all was ready. A slightly apprehensive silence fell as we were told she had arrived. We waited for her to walk through the lines of spectators in the courtyard, and then suddenly she was at the door, accompanied by bodyguards, pressmen and her lady in waiting. She was introduced to each of us in turn, and had a quick word and a smile for each. The families with young children were first: one little girl looked at her quizzically, then turned to her mother and asked: “Where’s the Queen?” An embarrassed whisper: “This is the Queen”. And in reply: “Then where’s her crown?”

Eventually and inevitably it was my turn. The experience would have been slightly surreal anyway, but was made more so by the fact that I was not wearing exactly what one expects to wear on this occasion! The moment was a very special one, though quickly over. While I am not sure I managed to convince her to take up orienteering herself, I hope I have given her a positive impression of our sport, at least more positive than she might have felt had she remembered the scaring of the horse in Windsor Great Park which led to the disuse of that map.

Thank you so much to everyone in the club who pulled through and helped me by providing equipment for the display. Hopefully it won’t be so long before she meets another orienteer!