Event Details
Club: | Walton Chasers Orienteering Club |
Event Name: | MOD Stafford - Beacon Barracks |
Date: | 27/02/11 |
Format: | MTBO |
Mapping: | Orienteering |
Time Limit: | |
National League: | MTBO 2011 National League (Round 1 of 11) |
League: | - |
Electronic Punch: | SportIdent |
Event Report
After permission problems on Cannock Chase forced a late change of venue for the 1st round of the British Mountain Bike Orienteering Series 2011, Walton Chasers, rather than cancelling the event, took advantage of the opportunities given by gaining permission for the use of MOD Stafford, a huge ex RAF logistics base now home to signals regiments returning from Germany.
Although the day dawned bright and crispy it soon turned to torrential showers that had the ground squelchy and waterlogged, making it hard going on the grass away from the roads and tracks that dissect the base’s huge number of buildings. 60 riders aged 7 to 70 travelled from across the UK to compete on this unique area for orienteering.
The event format was a prologue to get everyone used to the mapping styles and the area, before a seeded final run over a butterfly looping course with 3 riders starting head to head every 2 minutes.
The prologue caught some experienced riders out with many disqualifications due to poor concentration and missing or getting the wrong controls.
With commentary from organiser Mark Stodgell and pre warning of incoming competitors via a radio checkpoint the atmosphere built as riders came through the spectator control on their butterfly loops on their 40 min final.
After a good prologue in which he finished 3rd, local Walton Chaser Iain Stamp unfortunately could not keep pace with the British Squad members in attendance managing 6th in the final.
In the end after 36 mins and 48 seconds of exciting independent racing Alan Hartley (Shap)and Ifor Powell (Bristol) were tied for first place with third place going to Andy Conn (Cleveland), just 3 seconds behind. First Lady was Emily Benham (Southampton)
The new event format was a trial ahead of the inaugural British Sprint Championships to be held in May on another Army Base, Swynnerton Camp, near Stone. The exciting, close racing this brought went down well with competitors and spectators alike and will help bring the UKs expanding MTBO scene inline with its European cousins and bury the “beard and bulldog clips” image that has come to be associated with some of the UKs more traditional mountain bike orienteering events.
A cake stall at the event raised £85 for Christchurch Earthquake relief.