Roger sees off all rivals
Orienteering ace is park star
Forth Valley Orienteers’ Roger Goddard produced a superlative display to take victory in the 18th Glasgow Parks Veteran Men’s Championship, in an overall time of 44.31 across the three race legs.
The Glasgow Parks Championship is unique in Scottish orienteering terms, featuring three races in three different venues in a single day and the parkland setting produces some fast times for competitors.
Goddard was second in the day’s first race which consisted of a sprint around Drumpellier Park, Coatbridge - finishing nine seconds down on Clyde’s Patrick Walder.
However, a good second race victory at Tollcross Park in 11.15 set up the chasing start in more familiar forest conditions at Pollok Country Park, and a 63-second winning victory margin established him as the champion, coming home in 23.34 to take the title.
Brad Connor was fifth overall, and Trevor Hoey ninth.
The Veteran Women’s class featured three FVO athletes and Louise Longhurst laid down a blistering pace in the first race, finishing 74 seconds ahead of the field to take an early advantage.
Clubmate Beccy Osborn responded to the challenge, and finished second in both the second and third races to secure second place overall behind ESOC’s Alison Cunningham.
Longhurst’s third place in race three cemented third place overall.
Gary Longhurst recovered from a sticky start to the day with two second places in the later races to claim runner-up spot overall in the Super Veteran Mens class behind Ian Maxwell of Roxburgh Reivers, who won all three races. Robert Neil was seventh overall.
Fiona Hendrie finished fourth in the Super Veteran Women category while Abi Longhurst and Laura Hendrie were fourth and sixth respectively in the Women’s Open class, which was won by Scottish international sprint specialist Kirstin Maxwell (Roxburgh Reivers).
The Young Junior class featured a ding-dong battle between Eilidh and Jamie Connor for the top prize.
Eilidh won the first two races of the day to establish a 41-second lead going into the final race, but was run down in the middle stages and Jamie’s hat-trick of secondplace finishes secured him the title.