Super Ted
Forth Valley Orienteers enjoyed one of their flagship events, as the 4th running of the Ted Finch Relay took place in Muiravonside Country Park, with a large and varied field in action.
The event was devised in 2023 as part of the club's Golden Jubilee celebrations, by one of the club co-founders, and sees teams of three, balanced for quality, competing over Yellow, Orange and Light Green courses.
Organisers Jonathan and Rona Molloy's last gig was no less than the UK's most prestigious event, the Jan Kjellstrom International Festival, and they brought the same level of quality to this one, with printed race numbers, custom-designed medals, cake for all finishers and live results in the field.
A record 17 youngsters went to the line for the opening leg, and although Anton Skeffington was the first to emerge from the forest, he led a group of competitors into the maze section, and Ingrid Edenbrandt (13.31) was first to hand over, four seconds ahead of Ember Chepelin, with Anton close behind (13.58).
There was a late team adjustment on the Orange course, with Matthew Owen and Hannah Inman swapping duties to allow Hannah to play later in an important football match, and she was first back on the middle leg, impressively in 18.43 for the leg with a three margin over the chasing pack. Esme Finch (24.22) was next in followed by Wiebke Skeffington (25.40). Sophie Edward, who had started five minutes back, had the 2nd quickest time on the leg of 22.31.
The team balance meant that several of the slower early runners were paired with quicker closers, and Dom Edward went out hard on the final leg, some seven minutes off the front, but was home in 26.14 for a five minute lead over the chasers. The fastest times on the leg fell to athletes who were by that point out of overall contention, and Lucas Baikie was able to post the fastest time (22.08), with Fraser Cheyne (23.10) and Oleg Chepelin (23.52) also prominent.
For the first time, medals were presented to the leading teams and Ember Chepelin, Wiebke Skeffington and Dom Edward (65.29) won the event, from Duncan Howell, Michael Tough and Lucas Baikie (72.04), with Elias Skeffington, Liz Owen and Matthew Owen 3rd (72.12).