News

The 2022 World Rogaining Championship took place on 26/27th August in the Rychleby and Kralicky Sneznik Mountains along the Czech/Polish border.
The organisers provided a very challenging planning exercise, with bunches of high value controls interspersed by massive gaps of low value. Terrain was hilly and navigation straight forward by Australian standards, with lots of tracks.
The event started on a warm, sunny and humid afternoon that developed into massive electrical thunderstorms with hail during the afternoon, turning the tracks into rivers. Fortunately, it became mild and fine for most of the rogaine and competitors enjoyed sunshine for the closing meal (with Czech beer) and the presentations.
There was only a small contingent of 16 Australians in the field of 567 (271 teams) from 22 countries. A superb performance from Australia's "Dream Team" of Joanna George, Abigail George and Meredith Norman who won Womens Under 23 by 610 points.
The following were the Australian placings:

• Joanna George, Abigail George, Meredith Norman - 1st Women Under 23
• Thorlene Egerton, Shari Hymes (USA) - 1st Women Super Veterans
• Rod Gray, Geoff Lawford - 2nd Men Ultra Veterans
• Robin Spriggs, Sharon Crawford (USA) - 3rd Women Ultra Veterans

The 41st Australian Rogaining Championship, postponed from 2020, was held on 29-30 May 2021 north of Burra, South Australia. The SARA organising team produced a detailed technical challenge on the Deceptive Lands map at Bri Glen Springs. At close of entries there were 108 teams and 251 competitors in the 24 hour event. A Covid outbreak in Victoria during the week before the event lead to last minute border closure, preventing Victorian teams from attending. Consequently, 22 teams had to withdraw from the event. Organiser Craig Colwell said there were heart breaking tales of Victorians trying to beat the border closures and restrictions, including two who made it all the way to Burra on the day before the event, before having to return as additional restrictions were imposed.

The Winners of the open categories were:

• Julie Quinn, David Baldwin (ACT): First Mixed
• Ronnie Taib, David Williams (NSW): First Men
• Anna Sheldon, Kate Houghton (Qld): First Women

The Interstate Trophy was won clearly by Tasmania, with ACT and Queensland almost tied for 2nd and 3rd. Some notable performances: Julie Quinn and David Baldwin won clearly by more than 400 points. Tasmanians Christine Brown and Karen Pedley won the Women's Super Veterans category, Women's Veterans, and came second in the Womens overall. Winners of the Mixed Ultra Veterans: Jean Douglass, Grant Battersby from ACT and Richard Robinson from Qld were 12th overall.

The official results are now available on the ARC 2021 website including the category results and ARC 2021 map.

ARA was recently contacted by Gavon Balharry, who won the Intervarsity 24 Hour Walk in 1967 and 1968.

Gavon is now retired and resident in Switzerland. Gavon related that in the 1960's he and David Moriarty were postgraduate students at the Waite Institute at Adelaide University.

According to the Phillips' rogaining book and David Hogg's article, the 1967 24 Hour Intervarsity was held in Adelaide and won by Adelaide University, the 1968 event was held in Newcastle and again won by Adelaide.

Gavon has kindly sent a copy of the 1968 Intervarsity results and his trophy. Intervarsity "24 Hour Orienteering" was unofficial until the 1969 event held in Victoria, whose 50th anniversary was celebrated last year.

Rogaining Tasmania conducted the highly successful 40th Australian Championship (including the regional Australasian Rogaining Championship) near St Helens on 9-10 November 2019. The unique and scenic coastal granite terrain was contrasted with the complex hills interspersed with thick gullies and button grass, found further inland. The full moon was out and weather was pleasantly fine and cool.

The leaders from 2018 were reversed. Winners of the open categories were:

• Julie Quinn, David Baldwin (ACT): First Mixed
• Paul Williams, David Symons (WA): First Men
• Gill Fowler (NSW), Joanna Sinclair (Tas): First Women

The Interstate and Trans-Tasman Challenge Trophy was won clearly by ACT, ahead of a pack consisting of Tasmania, NSW, Western Australia and Victoria.

The full results are now available on the ARC 2019 website. This includes photos, the map, routes and analysis.

The 2019 World Rogaining Championship delivered an epic and picturesque event at La Molina ski resort in the Pyrenees mountains of Catalonia.

The organisers promised a 140km2 course of 86 controls requiring 103km with 9000 metres climb to complete. Postcard perfect weather in the preceding days did not last, with thunderstorms during the planning on the Saturday morning, another storm with hail in the afternoon, followed by gale force winds on the high open peaks all night. The event finished in glorious sunshine.

Standout performance of the 56 Australians in the field of 866 (386 teams) was Julie Quinn and David Baldwin, 1st in Mixed Veterans and 2nd in Mixed Open with 349 points.