British Orienteering continues to keep our guidelines for event organisers, coaches and participants under review as the government COVID-19 guidance evolve across the UK. Protecting the health of all our participants, members, volunteers and staff, and ensuring that we play our part in suppressing the spread of COVID-19, remain our highest priorities.

Our initial understanding is that the new Government restrictions announced in England on Tuesday 22 September will continue to permit orienteering events to be held in line with the current British Orienteering guidelines. However, we will review the detailed Government guidance as it emerges and will make any necessary changes to the British Orienteering guidelines as soon as possible.

British Orienteering will also continue to work with SOA, WOA and NIOA to review the impact of the restrictions announced by the Scottish Government, Welsh Government and Northern Ireland Executive.

We will issue a further update once the revised Government guidance for sport has become available.

Following the review of the Return to Orienteering guidance in England by the Board of British Orienteering on Tuesday 1^st September, please find the link to the full document.

The key changes are:

• If allocated start times are used, a maximum of two starters per minute is permitted from each start location.
• If start windows are used (rather than allocated start times), a maximum of one starter per minute is permitted from each start location.
• There is no limit to the number of separate start locations that may be used at an event.

Report by David Rawle member of Border Liners

Striking lucky with the weather again, Border Liners held their second club event of the late summer on the fells above Askham. Following protocols and requirements set down by British Orienteering, the club provided socially distanced start and finish procedures for nearly 170 orienteers to take part on five separate courses.

Showing his class as an international orienteer, Alastair Thomas of the Edinburgh University Orienteering Club took first place around the 10.2km (180m climbing) Brown course in a time of 48.45. He was followed in second and third places by Zac Hudd (West Cumberland Orienteering Club) and Jamie Parkinson (Teviot Valley Orienteering Club) with times of 49.11 and 52.38 respectively. Border Liner James Chapman came a very respectable sixth with 62.40.

West Cumberland orienteer Michael Billinghurst took gold around the 6.8km (120m climbing) Blue course in a time of 47.01 with an excellent second place for Border Liner James Daplyn (48.17). Making the most of his running fitness on the fellside course, Owain Rice of the Liners scored a well-deserved fifth in a time of 55.28. Junior runner Herbie Ashworth (WCOC) was a clear winner of the 4.5km (70m climbing) Green course in a time of 29.48 with experienced Border Liner Chris Lates claiming a top ten position with 42.06.

Ellie Darlow of the Roxburgh Reivers Orienteering Club won the 3.6km (50m climbing) Short Green course in 38.59 with Border Liner Jane Yates fourth in 59.41. Continuing to gain orienteering experience Abigail Pantry meanwhile claimed fifth place around the 3.8km (70m climbing) Orange course. The winner of the Orange course was Ben Todhunter (South Ribble Orienteering Club) and their respective times were 55.08 and 65.07.

Border Liners next fixture is another club event and is scheduled for Saturday 24th October on Binsey Fell. It will take place subject to prevailing Covid-19 restrictions at the time and will be by advance entry only with no entries taken on the day.

In the men's sprint today, Sasha Chepelin ran a great race, from a late start, to finish in 5th, 17 seconds behind the eventual winner, Olli Ojanaho (Finland) and just 7 seconds behind bronze placed, Joey Hadorn (Switzerland).

The course was technical, with many intricate route choice legs that provided a challenge for the athletes. Sasha said "A steady and secure race overall, but with a few small misses which cost me a really nice result, but the podium is already well beyond what I was hoping for at the sprint race. I really didn't put much effort into geeking nor hours into training for the discipline. In the end, it was a case of planning ahead and taking the foot off the gas frequently, and I think that suited many forest specialists very well, including me!"