JK2022 Report

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Every Easter for the last 50 years, except not in 2001 (Foot & Mouth), 2020 or 2021 (COVID), British Orienteering has had a big festival of orienteering called the “JK”. It moves round the regional associations. This year the small Welsh Association did a terrific job of hosting in South Wales. The weather was ideal.

On Good Friday there were sprint races at Swansea University. On Holy Saturday there were middle distance races at Clydach Terrace. On Easter Sunday there were long distance races at Pwll Du. And on Easter Monday there were relays at the Caerwent Military Training Area.

Relays

JK Relays Arena 2022
Barbara’s teammates Diane and Cecilia cheer their “anchor leg” to 17th place in the Women’s Short Relay photo: Diane Hayward

Thanks to captain Pete for once again co-ordinating our teams.

The competition was in what was a munitions depot and is now a military training area. It was as much sprint relay as forest relay with open ground and so many buildings.

The arena was the field bottom right

The relays are always the highlight of the weekend as the club gather by the run-in to socialise and cheer in teammates. Caerwent was a fast area, runners were in sight well before the last control, the arena was a very large field with one of the longest run-ins ever, so everyone needed the cheering!

We didn’t have a team in the women’s top class. Our team in the men’s top class, the JK Trophy, Michael, Himmy and Jason, were a creditable 23rd. In fact all the results were creditable, especially after three previous days racing.

Our Veteran Mens’ team of Peter, Nikolay and Stefan were 26th in their relay. In the AdHoc class Alan teamed up with Mikolay and Kieran to make the podium, although he had to attend the presentation on his own – that’s the header picture.

And two teams did make the age-class podiums. Our Senior Women’s team, Clare, Carys and Sarah-Jane were third, as were our Ultra-Veteran team of Don, Sarah and Andy.

Sarah-Jane and Carys on the podium for the Senior Women’s Race, with two thirds of South Yorkshire and Southampton
Sarah-Jane on the course, photo: Rob Lines
Andy, Sarah and Don on the Ultra-Vets podium, with the teams from Octavian Droobers and Bristol
The JK Trophy was won for the first time by the Coventry club Octavian Droobers photo: Rob Lines
The Women’s Premier race was won for the first time by Swansea Bay OC photo: Rob Lines

Overall

Both forest races were on moorland that has been mined. Clydach Terrace was the terrain for the middle distance, and Pwll Du that for the long distance. The middle distance race emphasises technical map interpretation, the long route choice and endurance.

Part of the Clydach Terrace map with M50 course excerpt
Part of the Pwll Du map with a typical leg
The Individual Podium: L-R Grace Molloy, Will Gardner, Megan Carter-Davies, Sasha Chepelin, Alice Leake, Peter Taylor-Bray photo: On The Red Line (This year all athletes are members of the GB Performance Squad.)

The main individual competition is decided on combined running times for the two forest races. 21 SLOW runners recorded a position in the various age classes (and 8 more ran one or other of the races).

  • W16A, Cecilia: 38th
  • W21S, Jemima 21st
  • W35L Sarah-Jane 3rd
  • W40L Clare 13th
  • W45L Carys 11th
  • W50L Barbara 49th
  • W65L Diane 5th
  • W70L Sarah 1st
  • M18L Olin 8th
  • M21E Michael 38th, Jason 49th, Himmy 65th
  • M45L Anthony 38th
  • M55L Stefan 65th, Nikolay 69th, Keith 80th
  • M60L Andy 19th
  • M65L Paul 46th
  • M65S Alan 2nd
  • M70L Don 7th
  • M75L David 23rd
Sarah with the JK W70 Trophy. L-R: Axel Blomquist, Inara Gipsle, Eddie Harwood, Sarah, Christopher Calow, Christine Kiddier.

Sprint

There were notable results in the sprint (medal winners plus leading elite class result)

  • W35 Sarah-Jane 2nd
  • W40 Clare 3rd
  • W65 Diane 2nd
  • W70 Sarah 1st
  • M21E Michael 15th
  • M70 Don 3rd

The elite sprint races were won by Sasha Chepelin and Alice Leake.

M21E Sprint Winner Sasha Chepelin of Interlopers at the spectator control photo: On The Red Line
W21E Sprint Winner Alice Leake of Airienteers at the spectator control photo: On The Red Line
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