Another absolutely beautiful sunny Saturday in Bendigo set the scene for the annual Bendigo Club Relays, held at Wildflower Drive in Strathfieldsaye. 3 fast paced competitive courses, with an added non-competitive novice course seen 45 enthusiastic runners head off in all directions on a mass start. A very strong field of orienteers from far afield, including Roch and Judy Prendergast who flew in from Canada, just for the event.
Course 1 was run over 6.9km of varying country and witnessed the ever reliable and quick Australian team representative Bryan Keely blitz the course, followed by the fit Simon Rouse and young gun Louis Cameron.
Bryan Keely 31.21
Simon Rouse 37.19
Louis Cameron 37.37
Ben Goonan 39.06
Nic Cherry 39.54
Andrew Cameron 40.13
Richard Goonan 40.16
Lachlan Cherry 40.18
Laurina Neumann 48.28
Neil Barr 49.33
Paul Leicester 50.24
Julie Flynn 55.11
Roch Prendergast 55.22
Warwick Williams 55.44
Sue Key 1.05.37
Peter Forbes 1.13.12
Andrew Wallace 1.19.52
Course 3 covered 4.2km and was a stroll in the park for Jimmy Cameron from the Cameron stable of runners, however only 2 seconds separated the lead from his Victorian orienteer coach Stephen Bird, then another young Victorian rep in Leisha Maggs.
Jimmy Cameron 24.48
Stephen Bird 24.50
Leisha Maggs 26.29
Nigel McGuckian 26.44
Rob Clark 28.33
Tavish Eenjes 28.45
Phil Robertson 31.08
Don Cherry 32.32
David Jones 33.19
Henry Cameron 34.28
Glenn James 36.08
Bob Cameron 36.34
Katherine McMillan 53.05
Vivienne McMillan 53.20
Heather Jones 57.08
Michael Brench 1.01.54
Bob Leicester 1.03.35
Nola Juniper and Lorraine Leversha 1.08.59
Course 4 was hotly contested over the 2.8km course which seen Amos take out the fastest run.
Amos Walz 24.06
Karina Cherry 24.20
Henry Richardson 30.53
Jason Carter 34.38
Judy Prendergast 40.19
Margaret Lester 53.16
Luke Fisher 55.57
Course 5 non competitive novice course was well attended and had some fantastic runners and navigators out on the course including Miffy, Archie, Eleanor, Jo and some new families who we hope return again.
The Bendigo club relay champions for the 2014 season, is decided in fun spirit, by one runner from each of the three competitive courses (1,3,4), being drawn from each to form a team of three. When all competitors are placed in a team, the team with the fastest time for the three combined courses are the Bendigo Club Relay Champions.
This year the team of Simon Rouse, Nigel McGuckian and Henry Richardson took out the prestigious event, and go onto host the event next year as their prize. Congratulations. Runners up Laurina Roo Neumann, Jimmy Cameron and Karina Cherry were thanked by their parents for not winning and having to conduct the event next year. 3rd place Andrew Cameron, Rob Clarke and Henry Richardson
The next event for the Bendigo Orienteers is this Saturday, starting at 1230pm until 2pm at Apollo Hill near Simpsons Rd in Eaglehawk, and all are welcome. Please see the Bendigo Orienteers website for further details.
Darren Eenjes
