This weekend’s orienteering March 9/10

GEN’s Spring Cup event has moved from Ballinastoe to Mall Hill/Brockagh East Top, near Laragh on Sunday. It’s mostly open mounmtain and it’s a long drive on forest roads from Laragh to the competition area (up past St John’s church in Laragh) so leave the Ferrari at home. To simplify organisation on the day, the organisers would like you to register in advance, if possible, even if you don’t end up going. Register here.

Courses are

Yellow, 1.1 km, 40 metres climb

Orange, 1.4 km, 45 metres

Light Green 4.1 km, 90 metres

Green 4.5 km, 145 metres

Blue 6.3 km, 165 metres

Brown, 8.7 km, 225 metres.

This is also an Irish Junior Squad training weekend, starting with the twice-yearly fitness test run at the Furry Glen in the Phoenix Park. (Details of the route and times are here), followed by afternoon training and taking in the GEN event on Sunday. The squad will be staying at Knockree Hostel in Glencree and will have the usual evening technical and organistional sessions on Saturday night.

If you want a run on Saturday, try the (free) Marlay Park Trail Run at 09.30 (details here) , or you could go orienteering at Drum Manor, Cookstown, Co. Tyrone.