British Open – Report

26th-28th June 2020

We returned ‘home’ for the British Open! Using some real classic maps in the UK but also having a brand new map never before used for orienteering – it was even made in lockdown, how fitting!

It was the normal format for this competition. 2 categories: a 10 stage and 7 stage competition. It also included a new stages: SkiO!

The Grand Final again saw a men’s and a women’s race. In the women’s it was Sarah Rollins from Southern Navigators who claimed top spot (we interviewed Sarah a few weeks ago) who remained calm to take her first victory! In the men’s it was the June Weekend winner Joe Sunley who again claimed the top spot. He led the pack all the way round. You can watch the final here!

The Winners
10 Stage:
M/W12- Robbie Lightfoot
M/W16- Rune De Clercq
Women’s Open Sarah Rollins (after The Grand Final)
Men’s Open Joe Sunley (after The Grand Final)
M/W50+ Martin Ward
M/W70+ Mike Smithard

7 Stage:
M/W12- Anna Todd
M/W16- Rune De Clercq
Open Haruki Ohashi
M/W50+ Jon Hateley
M/W70+ Mike Smithard

British Champions

10 Stage:
M/W12- Robbie Lightfoot
M/W16- James Hammond
Men’s Open Sarah Rollins (after The Grand Final)
Men’s Open Joe Sunley (after The Grand Final)
M/W50+ Martin Ward
M/W70+ Mike Smithard

7 Stage:
M/W12- Anna Todd
M/W16- Euan Tryner
Open Andrew Stemp
M/W50+ Jon Hateley
M/W70+ Mike Smithard

Full results can be found here.

For further information on the stages please visit the competitor information for each day here. In some of the stages you still have a go yourself to see how you would have got on (or to try again 😉 ).

Want to thank those people who made it happen. Forth Valley Orienteers, Masterplan Adventure, Edinburgh Southern and Martin Bagness for the maps! Ben Brown for game creation and management. James and Simon Errington for results. Color for the awesome Catching Features maps. Hector, Katherine, Craig and Brad for their livestream work.

The competition was donating some of the proceeds to the development of orienteering in British Team.

What next? The Junior Weekend is next in 3 weeks time, signup to our newsletter on the homepage to know when.

Chris