Jennie Taylor, Communications Officer, caught up with Peter Woods, Organiser of the British Sprint Championships this year taking place in Milton Keynes on Saturday 30 September.

Peter, thank you for sparing some time to talk to me, please tell us, how did you get to be the Event Organiser for this year’s British Sprint Championships?
“The East Anglia region invited me to take this on based on me having organised the British Middles at Rowney Warren in 2006; the same year that Campbell Park was last used as a venue for the Sprints.   Through a series of unexpected changes in circumstances that event at Rowney, which started off as a regional event, became the vehicle for the British Middles Champs and then a WRE!  At least this time I knew what I was getting myself into.”

What do you think will make this a British Sprint Championships worth going to?
“For a start, this will be the first Sprints using SIAC enabled SI timing for all classes, and the first Sprints offering mixed punching.  We’ll be following the model which worked well at the JK earlier this year.   The results and start list assignments will be provided by a different team to recent Sprints, powered by SportIdent.

The terrain of Campbell Park is unusual, including intricate path networks in landscaped areas with iconic sculptures, and a few contours to contend with, but not a concrete cow to be seen.  The Parks Trust, which looks after the Park, is very welcoming to orienteering and has been very positive about the event, and this has given the planners the freedom to make optimal use of the area.   Thankfully, the terrain is free from the type of difficult to identify and environmentally sensitive Out Of Bounds areas and which proved problematic last year.”

What are the areas that you are using?
“The event Arena is in the open air amphitheatre at Campbell Park, which was created 50 years ago when Milton Keynes and coincidentally British Orienteering was founded. 

The Sprint heats will be held around Springfield, a largely urban area rewarding rapid route choice.  The junior heats and finals will be in Campbell Park, which in addition to the intricate formal gardens includes woodland and hilly open ground to test ‘over or round?’ choices.   Both areas are close to the facilities of Milton Keynes City Centre and are easily accessible from both mainline rail and the M1.”

What is your final message to British Orienteering members?
“Come for the Orienteering, Stay for the indoor free-fall parachuting – before heading off to Wendover Woods for the Middles, of course.”

Further details about the event can be found here:
British Sprint Championships 2017

Closing date for all entries:  midnight on Sunday 10 September 2017. 

To enter visit:  www.sientries.co.uk. 

Please note: to enter all participants must be a member of British Orienteering.  Please allow 5 working days after renewing British Orienteering membership for this to be updated in the online entries database.

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Who’s going to be crowned the 2017 British Champions at this year’s Sprint and Middle distance events – in British Orienteering’s 50^th anniversary year?

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The British Sprint and British Middle Distance Championships is part of the UK Orienteering League.

With just two more races after the British Sprint and British Middle Championship races – it's all to race for!

Further details of the remaining events in the UK Orienteering League schedule visit:  www.ukorienteeringleague.org.uk