London City Race 2025 Results
RouteGadget – draw your route!
Planner Comments
I trust you enjoyed the courses I set this year. The basic aim was to avoid similar legs to our event here two years ago and yet get a range of long and short legs designed which created route choice challenges or time penalties for not closely reading the map. This was less easy to achieve in the southern part of the area visited by courses 1-3. I adjusted the lengths of some courses to try and get closer to targets this year – overall, the leading times were close to our anticipated wining times.
The larger challenge we had this year was not being able to secure permissions with sufficient confidence for the original area we chose north of the River Thames, which included 40% extra new areas not used before. Consequently, seven weeks ago we changed to Rotherhithe where we knew we would obtain very fast permissions. This left me with seven weeks to resurvey the area and plan courses whilst also giving our controller, Helen Marsden sufficient time to carry out her role – a lot harder to achieve in an urban environment.
We did experience a locked gate on Course 4 between controls 14 and 15 – apologies for this as it affected a few people. This gate had always been open or, if shut, it was unlocked any time I checked it. Looking at the results for that leg, we did not believe this warranted voiding the leg.
As with any urban event, we had to carry out a lot of checks on ownership of roads and estates to ensure we did not impinge on any private areas as we want to ensure we are always welcome to return.
This effort has paid off as we received no comments or complaints from the public this year, so I would like to thank you all for being considerate to the local residents.
Gordon Parker, SLOW
Controller Comments
The London City Race is always my favourite event of the year: there is something unique about running round our wonderful capital city, with its amazing landmarks, variety of residential areas and pockets of parks and woodlands, that make the event such an experience. It even inspires interest from work colleagues and non-orienteering friends alike. It was therefore an absolute pleasure to control the LCR this year. Gordon, Andrew, Alan, Don and the rest of the SLOW team were outstanding, which meant there was very little for me to do beyond casting a second pair of eyes over everything and checking no “i”s had been left undotted or “t”s uncrossed. No mean feat at the best of times, let alone after relocating the event with just 7 weeks to go!
From the comments I heard at the finish on the day, I’d say Gordon’s courses provided that exact mix of enjoyment and challenge folks were expecting – well done all.
Helen Marsden, Happy Herts
Thank Yous
We would like to thank Southwark Council for giving us very rapid permission to use the area and to Decathlon for hosting us and providing us the Ed Catmur Memorial prizes. Thank you, to our controller, Helen Marsden, for the time pressure we created in the late change of venue.
And of course, most importantly, thank you to all the members of SLOW without whom this event could not have happened.
London City Race – 2026
We are already working on two options for the 2026 London City Race on 19 September 2026, both of which involve some new unmapped areas of London. We look forward to seeing you next year.
Hertfordshire Urban Orienteering Weekend
If you enjoyed this weekend, there is a double bill urban orienteering event on 25 October in Hertford and 26 October in St Albans hosted by West Anglian Orienteers and Hertfordshire Orienteering Club. Entries are now available at SiEntries
