Airienteers take pole position at Norland Moor

Contact: Simon Bowens 07921 039251

Orienteers from Airienteers, the local club covering Leeds, Bradford, Airedale and Wharfedale, excelled last weekend at the Yorkshire and Humber Middle Distance Champions. In much improved weather conditions, Bradford’s Ian Nixon, Baildon pair Steve Watkins and Cerys Jones, Carol White, Menston’s Sophie Brown, Adrian Pickles, Leathley’s Alistair Wood, Ilkley’s Sue Stevens and Meanwood’s Margaret Parker all returned as champions in their respective age groups.

The area provided runners the choice of taking short cuts through calf-sapping thick heather or adding distance on the small number of icy paths on the moor. Those choosing the paths were often rewarded with plunging through near-frozen water.

Irish international, Marcus Pinker won the 5km black course coming in over six minutes ahead of Airienteer’s Ian Nixon who held off his clubmate Steve Watkins by just 41 seconds. Steve’s performance was remarkable after barely recovering from winning the night event on the same area the previous evening.

On the 4.2km brown course, South Yorkshire wiped the board with runners claiming the top five places. Airienteer’s best performer was junior woman Cerys Jones whose seventh place was sufficient to win her under-20 age class.

The narrowest of margins split the first three runners on the 3.8km blue course with South Ribble’s Heather Gardner winning by a mere six seconds from Leathley’s Alistair Wood with Adrian Pickles a further seven seconds back in third place. Given that six seconds is about the time required to pick yourself up after falling in the heather on the moor shows the tightness of this race.

On the green course, East Pennine’s Paul Taylor claimed a ten minute margin over Manchester’s Martin Green. Ilkley’s Sue Stevens was first woman on this course a further three minutes adrift.

The full set of Airienteer’s results (positions in brackets) are:

 Black course: Ian Nixon (2), Steve Watkins (3), Lee Beavers (10)

Brown course: Cerys Jones (7), Peter Jones (12), Carol White (14), Sophie Brown (15), Simon Froude (20), Simon Bowens (21)

Blue course: Alistair Wood (2), Adrian Pickles (3), Peter Jones (7), Howard Sawyer (11), Ken Patterson (18), Gerry Symes (24), Alex Watkins (28), Fred Ross (32), Simon Brook (ret)

Green course: Sue Stevens (4), Alan Parker (25), Gill Ross (27), Margaret Parker (33)

Light Green course: Jackie Coates (13)

Yellow course: Annie Brown (mp)

Airienteer’s next event which is open to all members of the public is at Northcliffe Park near Shipley on Saturday 18^th February. Details at www.aire.org.uk