3ROC News 30th March 2016

All ready for WOW this weekend? The “Wexford Orienteering Weekend” is joint effort by Waterford Orienteers, CNOC and DUO, with a sprint relay at the JFK Arboretum, New Ross, on Saturday (see last Saturday’s Irish Times for details of a hike in the area), and a Leinster League event on the runnable dunes of Kilmore Quay on Sunday.

The Sprint Relay starts with a mass start at 2 pm for everyone. If you can enter in advance (either as an individual or a team) it will help the organisers immensely. There are two classes: “Ad Hoc” and Junior, with the Irish Student Championships as well. See details here.

Sunday’s Leinster League event is at Kilmore Quay, Co. Wexford: starts 11 to 1, combined with the Student Championships. Ruth Lynam has planned the courses so you know they’ll be good! It’s at least 15 minutes walk from the car park to the start, so arrive in plenty of time. Details here also. You don’t have to enter in advance but it helps the on-the-day organisation if you do. It’s about 1 hour 45 minutes from Loughlinstown roundabout on the N11.

Don’t forget to enter the Irish Championships (Co. Waterford, May Bank Holiday weekend) by 31st March for the cheap rate. Details here.

Equally, it’s not too late to enter the Leinster Champs. Entries are lower than expected so your chance of winning a prize are increased! Final entries close on April 10th but you can still save by entering by Monday next, April 4th. Details here. If you’re not interested in the Championships you can just come on the day and do one of the colour-coded courses which are more suited to beginners and juniors: Yellow, Orange, Light Green and Red courses are available. Come and run on a new map in an area that hasn’t been used for many years!

Last weekend’s JK International in Yorkshire provided four days of really good orienteering with a sprint at Leeds University, two individual races at Wass Forest and Kilnsey and Relay at Storthes Park, Huddersfield. Best 3ROC results were Oisín May (2nd M10A) and his mother Una (7th W45L). In the Sprint, Frank Martindale finished 4th in the M80 class –  he’s controlling the Irish Sprint Champs in Waterford on April 29th. Una was also 6th in her class in the sprint. Conditions on Friday and Saturday were good but high winds and near-blizzard conditions on the open limestone moors on Sunday led to many retirals and non-starters. The 3ROC team of Una May, Clodagh Moran and Clíona McCullough finished a really good 5th in the Women’s Short class.