It is always a bonus to see both countries represented at each others Nationals, so we enjoyed having Australian riders and a British rider join us at the NZ MTBO champs. We look forward to your feedback on the terrain and courses.
MTBO SPRINT – Monday 1 Feb 2025
Map: Boot Hill and Molyneux Park
Planner: Fraser Stephens
Controller: Jojo Wilson
Mapper: Joe Sherriff
The courses started on a mixture of rocky/gravelly sandy and hilly mountain bike tracks on the Boot Hill map. After an untimed road crossing participants transferred to a map flip on a different map. The second half of the course started in forest trails but finished in a school campus with controls scattered amongst urban buildings and the Cricket grounds.
RESULTS:
Mens open
1st Chris Forne, PAPO 25.35
2nd Conal Boland-Bristow, Dunedin +2.45
3rd Ricky Thackray, Bibbulmun Orienteers, WA +3.22
Womens open
1st Rachel Drew, Hutt Valley. 27.50
2nd Kate Salmon PAPO +10.06
In the W40 grade Katie Symons, PAPO won by a small 29s margin over Marquita Gelderman, North West with Nicole Ranger from Hutt Valley in third.
In M40 two Australians had the field to themselves with Gavin Bennette, Yarra Valley VIC winning over Hamish Mackie, Big Foot, NSW by just over a minute.
For W50 Carolyn Jackson, Bayside Kangaroos Orienteers, VIC proved to be 1.13 speedier than Nicola Mitchell from Hutt Valley with Antonia Wood, Dunedin in third place.
M50 had John Robertson, Hutt Valley winning by a mere 5 seconds over fellow HV clubby Glen Warner, with Tim Wright, PAPO in third.
PAPO dominated W60 with Deb Bain over 6 minutes ahead of rival and mate Sally Dickson, with Viviene Prince in third place.
M60 saw David King, Wellington take on first, with Rob Garden just under 2 minutes behind and Andrew Power, Newcastle Orienteering Club, NSW following in just over two and half minutes.
Then to M70 with a few good kiwi riders as rivals, but the sprint was won by Richard Robinson from Sunshine Orienteers Club, QLD with Graeme Read, from PAPO in second and Bill Vandelpool, Bayside Kangaroos Orienteers, VIC in third.
NZ MTBO MIDDLE DISTANCE- Monday 1 Feb 2025
Map: Matangi North
Planner: Joe Sherriff
Controller: Chris Forne
Event Advisor: Alister Metherell
Mapper :Joe Sherriff
Many chose to ride the climb to the start which proved to be a good workout combined with the long-set courses. The courses traversed the tops on undulating tracks in rock gardens littered with large schist rock outcrops. The trails included technical rocky sections and rutted lines, with at least two shredded bike chains, some close call falls, and the risk of tyre punctures with pinch-flats, many competed just to finish before course closure.
RESULTS:
Mens open
1st Conal Boland-Bristow, Dunedin 1.20.16
2nd Tane Cambridge, PAPO +3.18
3rd Ricky Thackray, Bibbulmun Orienteers, WA +3.25
Womens open
1st Rachel Drew, Hutt Valley 1.31.24
2nd Kate Salmon PAPO +20.51
Megan Longman mp
W40 Katie Symons, PAPO clocked another win over Marquita Gelderman, North West with only 28 seconds in it. Emily Forne followed later in third place.
M40 Hamish Mackie, Big Foot, NSW took just over a one minute lead over Gavin Bennette, Yarra Valley VIC and Dan Smale from Dunedin Orienteering in third place.
In W50 the race went to Nicola Mitchell, Hutt Valley won by +1.31 over Antonia Wood from Dunedin, with Carolyn Jackson, Bayside Kangaroos Orienteers, VIC in third.
M50 Tim Wright, PAPO had a +10.31 minute lead over Glen Warner from Hutt Valley with Craig Steffens from Multi Terrain Bike Orienteers Club, QLD placing third.
W60 Deb Bain, back in first place over +11.19 before Sally Dickson, and Vivienne Prince in third completes the PAPO trio.
M60 David King, Wellington takes the win by over 10 minutes , with Alister Metherell, PAPO in second place and in third Andrew Power, Newcastle Orienteering Club, NSW.
M70 Richard Robinson from Sunshine Orienteers Club, QLD in first place again, but Pat Bodger from PAPO takes second and Michael Wood, Hutt Valley in third.
NZ MTBO LONG DISTANCE – Sunday 2 Feb 2025
Map: Nasby Forest
Planner: Conal Boland-Bristow
Controller: Tim Sikma
Event Advisor: Alister Metherell
Mapper: Joe Sherriff
Riding in exotic forest of Douglas fir, Larch, and Corsican pine in an area that once was goldfields. Trails vary in ride-ability from hilly dirt access roads to flat trails along water races and, rough trials that weave though the sluiced areas with blind corners, rolling pine cones and bumpy rocks.
RESULTS:
Mens open
1st Tim Farrant, PAPO 1.59.23
2nd Chris Forne, PAPO +0.57
3rd Ricky Thackray, Bibbulmun Orienteers, WA +11.32
Womens open
1st Rachel Drew, Hutt Valley 2.05.07
2nd Kate Salmon, PAPO +33.41
Kudos to Tim Farrant winning the open mens with a broken chain.
Katie Symons, PAPO and Marquita Gelderman from North West tussled it out once again in W40 with Katie winning by just over 6 minutes.
In W50 Dunedin local Antonia Wood won with just over a minute margin over Tamsin Barnes from the Range Runners Orienteering Club QLD with Carolyn Jackson from Bayside Kangaroos Orienteers VIC, in third place.
In M50 Digby Symons, PAPO had over a four minute lead on John Robertson, Hutt Valley with Craig Steffens, Multi Terrain Bike Orienteers Club, QLD in third place.
In W60 Deb Bain, PAPO held onto first place with just over four and a half minutes spare, and Amanda Mackie, Big Foot NSW, in second and Vivienne Prince coming third.
In M60 David King, Wellington led with Rob Garden +4.52 minutes and Andrew Power, Newcastle Orienteering Club, NSW placing third.
Kiwis at last take the first place on the podium in M70 with Graeme Read, PAPO first and Pat Bodger, PAPO in second and Michael Wood, Hutt Valley in third.
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