Written by Martin Ward, British Orienteering UK Orienteering League Co-ordinator.

The 2023 UK Orienteering League concluded with the popular November Classic weekend, hosted by the British Army and Southampton Orienteering Clubs.

This brought to a close the league series which comprised 25 events through the year and around the country, including all formats from Sprint to Long and Night orienteering. With competitors needing 8 scores from the 25 races, the maximum possible score that could be achieved was 400 points. Across the age classes nine people won their age category with that maximum score - congratulations! A special mention should also go to Ian Ditchfield who scored points at almost every UKOL race (24 of the 25) closely followed by Ruth Rhodes who scored points at 23 of them.

This year the UKOL season includes 26 races, starting with the Southern Championships organised by Guildford Orienteers on 4th February, quickly followed by a pair of events in the Lake District (hosted by WCOC and LOC) which includes the British Night Championships on 10th February. The full 2024 race schedule is available on the UKOL website.

In the UKOL club competition, where the scores from 15 competitors across a range of age classes are combined, SYO won for the second year in a row with a total of 5,655 points, ahead of FVO in 2nd place on 5,361 points. The SYO (B) team took 3rd place with 5,105 points, but the next other club was West Cumberland in 4th on 4,900 points.

Thanks to all the clubs that hosted UKOL races in 2023, and thanks to those that will be hosting UKOL races in 2024.

Congratulations to the individual winners of the UKOL in each age class, who were:

W16: Lyra Medlock WSX 400

W18: Imogen Pieters SYO 399

W20: Fiona Eades INT 393

W21: Chloe Potter SYO 370

W35: Kirsten Strain AROS 400

W40: Sarah Scarbrough MV 383

W45: Kim Baxter SYO 394

W50: Emma Harrison EPOC 389

W55: Jenny Peel SYO 400

W60: Alice Bedwell BOK 394

W65: Jackie Hallett BOK 400

W70: Janice Nisbet ESOC 400

W75: Sue Hands WIM 398

W80: Ruth Rhodes SO 400

W85: Jenny Thompson TVOC 400

M16: Finn Selmer Duguid TAY 389

M18: Adam Methven BKO 394

M20: Joe Sunley EUOC 385

M21: William Gardner OD 382

M35: Tim Scarbrough MV 387

M40: Will Hensman FVO 399

M45: Nick Barrable SYO 399

M50: Jamie Rennie WCOC 396

M55: Martin Ward SYO 396

M60: Quentin Harding CLARO 400

M65: John Embrey SROC 398

M70: Steve Whitehead EBOR 392

M75: David Palmer BOK 390

M80: Keith Henderson WIM 395

M85: Roger Maher SO 400