Report by Ian Peirce and Peter Hambleton Easter brings us around to Chocolate eggs and, for orienteers, our biggest annual event, the JK. This year the 4 days of competition were held in the Midlands. The opening day’s sprint took runners around the campus of Loughborough University. The individual middle and long distance cross country…

Compass Sport Trophy, Bere Wood. The Compass Sport Trophy is a nationwide competition for small orienteering clubs. In the past Sarum has done well, winning the trophy or gaining a podium place, but perhaps less so in recent years. Last weekend regional qualifying rounds for the 2024 competition were held with five clubs from Wiltshire,…

Hawse End, Derwentwater Peirces procure podium places Based on a report by Ian Peirce Sarum’s sole representatives at this event were Ian and Freda Peirce who travelled all the way up to The Lakes to find their way at night time around the woods of Hawse End on the western side of Derwentwater. The weather…

Report from Ian Peirce This year’s Southern Championship races were held at Redlands and Bury Hill, near Dorking, an area that turned out to be an excellent venue for mountain goats. Much of the woods were free of undergrowth and Tom Edelsten planned some excellent courses with plenty of navigational challenges. There were some proper…

77 runners from many of our neighbouring clubs came along to try their Urban-O skills using Sarum’s brand new map of Pewsey.  It was a rather drear day with a brisk cold wind that made it uncomfortable for runners in the starting boxes and even more so for the Sarum volunteers manning crossing points and…

Pirbright Ranges Report from Ian Peirce This event was hosted by BAOC thanks to the great efforts of those officials who were keen to hold the event there and finally persuaded the authorities to allow the camp and ranges to be used for this event. There were some winning performances from a number of Sarum’s…

New Beechenhurst Forest of Dean From Joan Hambleton and Hugh Holmes Mud, mud, glorious mud, enjoyed enthusistically by the younger members of the Sarum contingent with senior members opting for mud camouflage. Our small group of runners remained cheerful in spite of the less than enjoyable conditions, spirits lifted by the arrival of the new…

Around 50 people enjoyed a lovely Summer’s day to take part in this mixed urban/woodland event at Woodfalls on the edge of the New Forest. The Green and adult Score courses took in both the urban and forest areas with a Junior Score, Short Green and Yellow courses using the Tinney’s Firs woods only. Planner…

This year’s 4-day JK was held (mostly) in the southern Lake District with the initial Sprint Event taking place on the Lancaster University campus. Sarum runners clearly enjoyed the University urban environment and achieved some great results. The Lakeland events proved rather more challenging with the large number of northern and overseas runners proving difficult…

On perhaps the first genuinely pleasant Spring day of 2023 over 200 orienteers competed in the Sarum Saunter held at Great Ridge. At this time of the year the undergrowth is at its best allowing runners to experience the better aspects of the forest (steep inclines excepted).  Andrew Graham planned some excellent courses and the…