2020 RACE CALENDAR REVEALED
We are pleased to annouce the dates for the 2020 UK Elite Orienteering League.
Starting in March, athletes will compete for points over 5 weekends until the final round in May. Challenging terrain and a mix of disciplines are the most important factors in deciding the programme. There are categories for MW18s, 20s, U23 and Seniors so put the races below in your calendar now.
The season starts coastal on 7th March with a sprint at the newly-mapped Johnshaven between Dundee and Aberdeen. Sunday 8th will see the wildest terrain of the season at Birsemore on Deeside, which featured in the 2017 Scottish 6 Days.
Jumping to the opposite end of the country for the British Championships, you can look forward to a second brand new area on the edge of the South Downs (Golden Valley & Codnor Woods) on 21st March.
All three races of the JK Festival (10-12th April) count towards the League, starting with a sprint at Stockton Riverside. Sneaton Forest hosts the middle and Pickering Forest the long where picking good routes across steep-valleys will be required.
24/25th April is a Junior selection race weekend featuring a technical middle distance on Blakeholme and a specially planned sprint around the streets of Windermere. In search of extra urban practice ahead of WOC 2020 we are devising a parallel senior sprint racing weekend between Nottingham and Coventry featuring Knock-Out, Sprint and Sprint Relay.
Many are still scarred from the 2017 British Relay Champs on the technical spurs of Summerhouse Knott. This year we visit again for the British Middle Distance Championships (9th May) followed by the Northern Champs on High Dam for a challenging finale to the series.
Head to ukeliteoleague.org.uk for race information and full scoring rules.
The series is now in its sixth year and remains committed to creating a thriving domestic scene through stylish promotion of the sport and by rewarding success. Last we year re-signed Silva as a sponsor, increased the prize fund and created our first event videos (check them out on instagram.com/ukeliteoleague).
For 2020 we are bringing GPS tracking to the British and JK for the first time and have plans for more content from the field - if you think you can help please get in touch at ukeliteoleague@gmail.com. If you share our vision and like our plans then we encourage you to show your support by donating to the 2020 prizefund at donorbox.org/ukeol.
We're looking foward to another exciting season of orienteering racing.
Duncan Birtwistle
UK Elite League Coordinator
WORLD EXCLUSIVE: Listen to The Run In tonight to hear the reveal of the 2020 UK Elite Orienteering League dates!
Keep an eye on social media for the drop and have your podcast app at the ready.
Apple: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-run-in/id1467201731
Stitcher: stitcher.com/podcast/the-run-in-2
Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/3qvfgTIsmwuvc3LSLTDcbj
Also this episode you can look forward to an insight-filled interview with a GBR athlete who amassed over a decade of World Championship experience.
We’ll keep you updated on the League in future episodes of The Run In so make you’re subscribing wherever you get your podcasts.
UK ELITE LEAGUE BRINGS GPS TO JK AND BRITISH
We are excited to announce we are bringing live GPS tracking to the UK’s flagship races for the first time.
Juniors and Seniors will be tracked at the British Championships and the Jan Kjellström International Orienteering Festival which will both feature in the 2020 League.
Spectators, fans and commentators will be able to follow the races as they happen. After the races the content generated will be used across websites and social media and remain available for athletes’ own benefit.
The smart Loggator system has been used at the Scottish 6 Days and links through to 2D Rerun for deeper analysis.
The Elite League aims to be a domestic platform for international success and GPS will help prepare younger athletes for the experience of tracking abroad at JWOC and World Cups.
Our ambition has been made possible thanks to a generous grant from the Orienteering Foundation and the cooperation of Scottish Orienteering.
We are looking forward to working with the organising teams to raise the orienteering experience in the UK.
Find out more behind the plans on the latest episode of The Run In.
Press Release: orienteeringfoundation.org.uk/gps-tracking-at-jk-and-boc-2020
🏁 The 2019 UK Elite Orienteering League wrapped up earlier this month after 12 rounds of serious racing.
🤝 Congratulations to all winners and well done to everyone who took part.
📈 Check out the final standings at ukeliteoleague.org.uk/2019-2
M21: Will Gardner, Alasdair McLeod, Peter Bray
W21: Megan Carter-Davies, Cecilie Andersen, Sarah Jones (all U23)
MU23: Ali Masson, Alex Carcas, Alistair Thornton
W20: Grace Molloy, Fiona Bunn, Niamh Hunter
M20: Alastair Thomas, Freddie Carcas, Finlay Todd
W18: Lizzie Stansfield, Megan Keith, Evie Conway
M18: Peter Molloy, Matthew Gooch, Stanley Heap
🏆 Trophies were presented at the British Relay Champions and we are just sorting out prizes and prize-money thanks to SILVA Global and generous individuals 🙏
📷 Podium finishers can be seen in the photos courtesy of Steve Rush, Scott Bailey, Rob Lines and Wendy Carlyle.
Congrats to all racing at the British Long Distance Orienteering Championships on Kilnsey and Arncliffe today.
Results, podium pictures and Men’s map attached.
Thanks to Rona Lindsay and Jonny Malley for the photos.