Nopesport

The countdown to the 2019 UK Elite Orienteering League is on, and it is set to be another cracker.

 

12 rounds over 5 weekends will reveal who are the best all-round orienteers in the country. Athletes will compete for points across all disciplines with races more evenly spread across the country than previous editions. All the selection races are included and clubs have accommodated the League by planning courses to suit elites’ requirements. There are categories for MW18s, 20s and Seniors.

 

Rd	Date	Event	Area	Club	Distance	Juniors	Seniors
1	Sat 9th March	Sheffield Urban	Ponderosa	SYO	Sprint	Sprint	Sprint
2	Sun 10th March	Northern Champs	Wharncliffe Woods	SYO	Long	Long	Long
3	Sat 23rd March	Selection Special	Lancaster University	BO	Sprint	Sprint
4	Sat 23rd March	Lakes Spring Weekend	Haverthwaite	LOC	Middle		MIddle
5	Sun 24th March	Red Rose Classic	Hampsfell & Eggerslack	SROC	Middle/Long	Middle	Long
6	Sat 13th April	Scottish Spring	Fife	MPA	Middle		Middle
7	Sat 13th April	Scottish Spring	Falkland	MPA	Sprint	Sprint	Sprint
8	Sun 14th April	Scottish Spring	Falkland Estate	MPA	Long	Long	Long
9	Fri 19th April	JK Festival	Aldershot Garrison	SCOA	Sprint	Sprint	Sprint
10	Sat 20th April	JK Festival	Windmill Hill	SCOA	Middle	Middle	Middle
11	Sun 21st April	JK Festival	Cold Ash	SCOA	Long	Long	Long
F	Sun 5th May	British Championships	Kilnsey & Arncliffe	YHOA	Long	Long	Long

 

Racing starts in Sheffield with a sprint at SYO’s Urban Race on Saturday 9th March. Wharncliffe Woods, a classic area of rock features and forested slopes, is the venue for the Northern Champs the next day, mapped and planned by Oli Johnson.

 

On Saturday 23rd March Juniors and Seniors are split for rounds 3 and 4. Juniors racing in a specially organised sprint selection race at Lancaster University. Seniors running a technical middle distance on Haverthwaite Heights, scene of past British Championships. All re-group at Hampsfell & Eggerslack Woods on the Sunday where Juniors step up to a middle and Seniors to a long.

 

Scottish Spring has become a regular fixture in the League due its reliability for high-class orienteering. This year it's the 13/14th April around Falkland with a middle (Senior counter only) and sprint on the Saturday followed by a Scottish Orienteering League long on the Sunday.

 

The JK Festival (19-21st April) is the penultimate weekend of the series where all three races count, starting with the sprint at Aldershot Barracks. Focus and map contact will be necessary to succeed in middle amongst the dense contours and paths of Windmill Hill. Cold Ash, used for JK 2013, hosts the long.

 

Arncliffe & Kilnsey’s open fell and contour detail will provide a fast finish to the League at the British Championships on 5th May.

 

Scoring: Best 6 scores from first 9 races for juniors, best 6 scores from first 10 races for seniors, the final British Champs race to count for all.  At least 1 and maximum 3 scores from any one discipline (sprint/middle/long) to count.

 

Got to ukeliteoleague.org.uk for race information, scoring rules and links to old maps. You can follow @ukeliteoleague on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to keep up-to-date as the season progresses.

 

Supporters and Sponsors

 

The UK Elite Orienteering League aims to be an attractive series for competitors by providing prize money and prizes. 53 different athletes have been supported via the prize fund over the last four seasons and have gone on to compete at World Championships, Junior World Championships and various levels of European competition.

 

If you are interested in supporting the league, either with a contribution to the cash prize fund, or with clothing, or equipment, please email ukeliteoleague@gmail.com or visit ukeliteoleague.org.uk/support where you can donate online. All contributions are greatly received. If you are a sponsor we can promise publicity through articles and social media, at the major races in the UK orienteering calendar, as well as being associated with the elite orienteering scene.

 

Duncan Birtwistle