Forth Valley have it all mapped out at Six Days
Forth Valley Orienteers claimed no fewer than 27 medals on the first two competition days at the Scottish Six Days Orienteering Festival in Aberdeenshire this week.
And with more events to follow, hopes are high that more FVO athletes will take their place on the winners’ rostrum.
The Six Days festival is the UK’s largest multi-day event with 3000-pus competitors from across Britain and Europe taking part and FVO were out in force, with more than 100 athletes lining up.
Martin Dean continued his rehab from long-term injury with a brace of gold medals on the M60 short course while Hazel Dean is locked in a battle with Cecilia Bratt of OK Orion (SWE) in W50L, both having taken a gold and a silver medal in the first two days.
Peter Molloy has a share of the lead in the Under 16 boys event, with gold and silver medals, and Grace Molloy sits third in the Under 18 girls competition at the halfway point, with a day two win boosting her hopes.
There were four other gold medals on the first day, all in short courses. Ewan Purves was best in M16B (44.25), backing this up with a silver medal on Day 2 (48.25) and former club champion Steve Nicholson made a rare appearance at a major event to win M45S in 42.19.
Chris Wood had the most comprehensive victory of all athletes on Day 1, storming home in W70S in 30.11, to post a 10-minute victory margin and Alistair Cantlay, having missed the entry cutoff for his age-group class, entered the Orange colour coded class, and was triumphant in 23.53 ahead of a host of more experienced runners.
Mark Nixon was just 18 seconds back on Alasdair MacLeod in M21E (77.08) to establish himself as a major contender in the Elite class and there were silver medals performances also from Jason Inman (M45L - 55.36), Ben Stansfield (M45L - 61.28), Zoe Nicholson (W16B - 46.01) and Kirsty Flint (W12B - 24.21).
One step further down the tree, Fiona Hendrie is emerging as the main British medal hope in W55S with two bronze medals behind athletes from Sweden and Hungary and there were bronze medals on Day 1 for Roger Goddard (M40L - 56.04), Gareth Bryan-Jones (M70L- 54.31), Lizzie Stansfield (49.50), Rona Molloy (W45L 57.42), Rory Spenceley (M14B - 36.04) and Eloise Lardet (W18S - 73.29), and on Day 2 for Rory Spenceley (M14B - 44.51), Emily Nicholson (W18S - 58.52), Chris Wood (W70S - 45.46) and Lucile MacLeod (W75S - 54.56) in a block finish
A further 38 athletes managed top 10 positions, many in the elite classes to keep themselves in contention for honours with the overall Scottish Six Days crown being determined over the best four results from the six days of competition. The festival finishes tomorrow (Saturday)