Time Trials

Each year, usually spring time, the juniors assemble in the Phoenix park  for a morning of racing against themselves, each other, and the juniors of the past. We have used the same 1.3km loop in the corner of the park for the time trial for several years, and its now a familiar start to the orienteering championship season, after a winter of (hopefully) good training.

The course is varied - a fast start over short grass from the starting area, followed by a descent down a path. Turn right here, and contour up and across a wooded (and often slippery) wooded slope to the first control point at the fence at the top. Drop again across the slope to a gap that leads out to the tarmac road. Fast along here before a right hand muddy track leads to the second control, and then twists down the hill to the low part of the course - the river crossing. Jump/wade over this, and then a steep climb up out of the river valley, over the road, and the final flat grassy sprint to the finish control.

The juniors run varying numbers of laps depending on their age class, and all juniors are invited to give it a go, regardless of whether they intend to compete for squad places, or if they just want to see how they stack up next to each other, in terms of running speed over terrain. The required laps per age are:

• M/W14 (or below) - 1 lap (or 2, if they feel up to it)

• W16 - 2 laps

• M16 /W18/W20 - 3 laps

• M18 /M20 - 4 laps