Big in the City
Forth Valley Orienteers staged a memorable Scottish Urban League event in Dunblane which attracted more than 150 competitors to the 4th Stirling City Race in the cathedral city, and there were more than 20 local athletes on class podiums, right across the event.
It was almost the FVO Flying Circus in the junior classes, with three class wins and nine of the 12 podium finishes ending up in local hands. In the Junior Men's class, Fraser Cheyne finished strongly to take the win in 22.52, and Lucas Baikie was 3rd (24.45). There were five FVO girls in Junior Women, and Hanna Brindley was best placed, 2nd in 28.17, with Eilidh Connor 3rd (31.02).
Young Junior Men saw an all-FVO podium, as Leo Lockyer (15.39) overcame older brother Cammy (17.19) for the win, and Luc Darvill, who seemed to have the win secured before a four minute drop close to the end pushed him back into 3rd (17.52). On the other side of the coin, Esme Finch picked up yet another Young Junior Women's top spot, this time in 12.16, but she was pushed hard by Sophie Edward, who was 2nd, 32 seconds back.
In the senior classes, Alison Cunningham's two year unbeaten streak in Women's SuperVet is at an end, as she was 2nd on the day (29.41), but the podium was all FVO again, with local heroine Hazel Dean top in 29.03,and Louise Longhurst 3rd in 32.10.
There was another local winner in Men's SuperVet, as Rupert Parkinson made full use of street know-how to take the victory in 29.19, while Rory Slater was 3rd in Mens Open (52.14) and Laura Brown celebrated her return to the GB Development squad with a win in Women's Open in 45.43, racing in the colours of Stirling University.
Will Hensman suffered a rare SOUL reversal, as he was 2nd to INVOC's Laurence Cload in Men's Vet (37.52) and Roger Goddard was 3rd in the class, while in Women's Vet, league champion Rachel Kirkland had the win in 32.47, with Natasha Conway 3rd (40.37).
In the HyperVet classes, Geoffrey Hensman topped the men's division in 26.34, and Liz Godfree was 2nd on the women's course (32.59). The tale wasn't quite over, as both Brad Connor (course 4 - 25.49) and STUOC's Holly Stodgell (course 5 - 20.36) topped their course, although both were out of class for league purposes.
The previous day, there was a chance for orienteering locally at someone else's event as Stirling University put on a show at Polmaise, where there were six race classes on offer, and FVO athletes were on the podium in five of them.
Alasdair McLeod made full use of local knowledge, as he was 3rd (71.09) on the Brown course, on his regular training patch. Rob Truswell looked to have a win on Blue in his pocket, with a time of 91.15, but Ross McLennan came in late, in 78.46 for the win, and Rob was pushed back into 3rd by another late finisher.
Hannah Inman took an early opportunity to progress to Light Green, and finished where she's pretty much been all year on Orange, top of the tree in 55.49, while Bryony McLeod was 2nd in 63.28.
Lachlan Carruthers raced home for the win on Orange, in 43.29, with Cammy Lockyer 3rd (56.25) and on Yellow, it's an FVO podium, as Aurora Lockyer headed the pack in 22.40, from Glenda Carruthers (24.34) with Emma Cheyne 3rd in 29.48.