Life is a Rollercoaster
Forth Valley Orienteers weren't daunted by the prospect of back to back Scottish Orienteering League races on consecutive weekends, as a large squad was at the ESOC event in the Borders, and they were rewarded with 16 podium places, including three colour-class wins.
Land access issues now means the major race season is being compressed into a smaller portion of the calendar, and Peebles was this week's venue, for racing on the southern Pentland Hills, along the famous Cademuir Rollercoaster route.
Will Hensman topped the Brown course in 58.45 and Clare Stansfield was a close 3rd in W21 (68.21) behind two GB athletes. There was a small FVO logjam at the head of the Short Brown course, where Lucas Baikie was 2nd overall (50.33) to win M18, ahead of Fraser Purves (54.25) who took the main prize in M50. Mark Johnston (57.26) was 2nd in M50, and Rob Truswell (58.24) was 2nd in M45.
There were medals on all three intermediate courses, where Hannah Inman was once again out of class and amongst the silverware, 3rd in W18 in 47.33, just ahead of Rupert Parkinson (48.26), who was 2nd in M60. Rona Molloy (40.31) was 3rd on the Short Blue course, winning W55 ahead of Joey Inch (42.30) and Becky Osborn was 2nd in W50 (49.22). Matthew Owen led home a contingent of under 14s racing up, as he won the Green course in 29.00.
Liz Owen kept it in the family, as she was 2nd (36.49) on Short Green, while Sean Truswell took advantage of the under 14s racing up to claim 2nd place in M14 (29.16). Former hillrunner Tracey Brindley was back in her natural element and scored a big win on Long Orange (57.53) and Ethan Baikie was 3rd overall on the Orange course (36.24).
The club also bid farewell this week to six of its top junior athletes, who are off to the next stage of their adventure and university studies. Isla Cheyne, Scarlett Kelly and Tommy Rollins will be in the green uniform of Edinburgh University for the next few years, Peter Owen is at St Andrews, Rebecca Hammond follows in the footsteps of her parents at Cambridge, and Grace Polwart is bound for Glasgow, but won't start until 2027.