Ready to Race: Orienteering Nationals

All the navigation guns from around the country will out in force in the Wairarapa this weekend shooting to take home a National title. Favourites in the women include local Lizzie Ingham, and a two pronged attack from up the coast, Gisbornites Penny Kane and Rachel Smith. While in the men it will be a two battle for overall supremacy between Canterburys Chris Forne and Hawkes Bay's Ross 'Rocketman" Morrison.

The gruelling orienteering Nationals weekend includes three individual races: sprint, middle and long distance capped off by the final club relay challenge. A full range of junior and veteran titles are competed as well as the premier elite grade. For the latter the pressure is even more on this year with the event doubling as the final trial for the World Championships in the Czech Republic in July.

The spint race, to be held in the parks of Masterton, favours the fast smooth runners and it could be Inghams day, as she has a better record in this format than Smith and Kane, however Kane is starting one minute behind Ingham creating a possible advantage, and a further one minute back is Greta Knarston, the Oceania Sprint Distance Champion. These three are the first starters in a 20 strong field but the podium could be decided right there. In the mens Morrison starts as clear favourite, with Forne and Danish international Carsten Jorgenson the most likely to challenge.

After the blast in the parks the races will slow down somewhat as the terrain for the middle and the long event switches to gully spur pine forest Terrain near Te Wharau in coastal Wairarapa. Flipping a coin one could rate Smith the favourite in the middle and Kane in the long, but anyone of the athletes mentioned could be a chance along with experienced campaigner Jenni Adams. Wildcards could be the brilliant but erratic Tineke Berthelson and the fast improving Rita Holmes. Defending middle champion Neil Kerrison will have his hands full, with a long list of challengers led by Morrison and two more to watch out for here could be Taranaki's Karl Dravitski and Canterbury's Aaron Prince, both super athletes on their day. While it would take a brave man to bet against Chris Forne in the long distance, the endurance of the double world champion (adventure racing and rogaining) setting him apart.

In the relay, club depth counts more than elite performance and the top juniors generally prove decisive. For this reason it would be hard to go past Hawkes Bay Club as odds on for yet another win.

All in all it should be a very intriguing and competitive weekend of orienteering, results and reports will follow.