3ROC News 1st February 2017

Spring, at least as far as the meteorologists are concerned, is here, and with it, the first Sprint event of the year. Dublin University Orienteers are running an urban sprint event in Trinity College on Sunday 5th February, with three courses of about 1.2, 2.3 and 3 km. Remember, though, that in urban events, you’ll probably cover half as much ground again due to the Pythagoras Effect (ask a geometry expert if you don’t know!). 3ROC members are playing key roles in the event, with planner Eoin McCullough – no slouch at sprint races himself, and his sister, DUO Captain, Clíona both involved, and a 3ROC controller (no prizes for guessing who …). Start times 11 to 1 pm. There is no parking in the college, but there should be plenty around the Merrion Square area. You should enter via the Lincoln Place gate, at the east end of Nassau Street or the south end of Westland Row, and maybe consider using public transport: the DART and LUAS are only a couple of minutes away and there are plenty of bus routes serving the college.

Maps (1:4000 scale) will be premarked and SportIdent timing will be in use. Registration is in the sports changing rooms at the “Pav” close to the Lincoln Place gate.

If you find you like the idea of urban and sprint orienteering, you’re still in time to enter the three urban events in Armagh on February 17-18-19th. Entries close at 10 pm on Sunday 5th and there is no entry on the day for the Friday or Saturday events, only for Sunday. See details here.

Last weekend we had an urban night-O in Blanchardstown run by Fingal. It’s always good to run on a new area and the longer you are orienteering the more difficult it is to find new terrain. The mixture of conventional “kite” controls and small metal plates on the ground led to some searching around, but at least we got out for a gallop, even if there were lots of dog-legs and repetition on the course. Sunday at Castlecomer saw a good number attend WatO’s event, with lots of scouts. Cuan Riordan was 2nd on the Medium course and his brother Eoin was 7th on the Long.

Three reminders: First the 3ROC AGM is on Friday 10th February at Ballinteer St John’s GAA Club on Grange Road; second, please let 3ROC know as soon as possible if you are going to the JK at Easter or the Irish Championships at the beginning of may and if you’d like to be on a 3ROC relay team (we pay for it!), and finally, don’t forget to renew your annual membership: you can now do it instantly, on line, here.