Entries have started opening for this year’s races so we’ve rounded up everything you need to know for the first few here.
The first round is on Saturday 9th March at Ponderosa as part of SYO’s Sheffield Urban Race. A classic varied Sheffield housing estate with pockets of park. Courses have been especially planned for the series with Juniors and Seniors running against each other - just select your age class when you enter and we’ll sort out the scoring.
Details: www.southyorkshireorienteers.org.uk/events/event/733-spring-in-sheffield-urban-race
Entry: www.fabian4.co.uk/default.aspx?EventID=2195
Map: www.syo.routegadget.co.uk/kartat/106.jpg
The rocky slopes of Wharncliffe Woods host Round 2 the following day, mapped and planned by Oli Johnson. As well as being the Northern Champs is is also a selection race for European Youth, Junior World and Junior European Championships.
Details: www.southyorkshireorienteers.org.uk/events/event/728-northern-champs-weekend-2019
Entry: www.fabian4.co.uk/default.aspx?EventID=2195
Map: www.syo.routegadget.co.uk/kartat/113.jpg
Two weeks later on Saturday 23rd March Juniors and Seniors are split. Juniors will be racing a closed sprint around Lancaster University’s dense campus providing tricky racing and scene of JK2015.
Entry: www.fabian4.co.uk/default.aspx?EventID=2219
Map: www.jk.routegadget.co.uk/kartat/47.jpg
Seniors will be on Haverthwaite Heights running Lakeland Orienteering Club’s middle race. With intense contour and rock detail this will probably be the most difficult race of the series. One not to miss for older athletes.
Details: www.lakeland-orienteering.org.uk/events/spring-weekend-day-1-haverthwaite-heights
Entry: Opening soon via SIEntries
Map: www.loc.routegadget.co.uk/kartat/26.jpg
Everyone’s back together on Sunday 24th at Hampsfell and Eggerslack Woods which have been used as World Championships selection in the past. South Ribble’s Red Rose Classic is the event with middle selection races for Juniors and a long for Seniors.
Details: sroc.org.uk
Entry: Opening soon via SIEntries
Map: www.sroc.routegadget.co.uk/kartat/165.jpg
Go to ukeliteleague.org.uk for more information.
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🏃♂️: Previous series winner Jonny Crickmore in action at Ash Ranges on 2nd January.
📸: Jon Steed
flickr.com/photos/steed171/albums/72157705302210314
The countdown begins to the 2019 UK Elite Orienteering League which is set to be a cracker.
12 rounds over 5 weekends will reveal who are the best all-round orienteers in the land. Athletes will compete for points across every discipline with events located up and down the country. All the selection races are in there and we have worked with clubs to get the competitions elites desire.
Go to ukeliteoleague.org.uk for details of every race, links to old maps and full scoring rules.
Is your diary ready?
Racing starts in Sheffield with a sprint at SYO’s Urban Race on Saturday 9th March. Wharncliffe, a classic area of rock features and forested slopes, is the venue for the Northern Champs the next day, mapped and planned by Oli Johnson.
Listen carefully for rounds 3-5. On Saturday 23rd March Juniors and Seniors are split. Juniors racing in a specially organised sprint selection race at Lancaster University. Seniors running a technical middle distance on Haverthwaite Heights, scene of past British Championships. All re-group at Hampsfell & Eggerslack Woods on the Sunday where Juniors step up to a middle and Seniors to a long.
Scottish Spring has become a regular fixture in the League due its reliability for high-class orienteering. This year it's the 13/14th April around Falkland with a middle (Senior counter only) and sprint on the Saturday followed by a Scottish Orienteering League long on the Sunday.
The JK Festival (19-21st April) is the penultimate weekend of the series where all three races count, starting with the sprint at Aldershot Barracks. Focus and map contact will be necessary to succeed in middle amongst the dense contours and paths of Windmill Hill. Cold Ash, used for JK 2013, hosts the long.
Arncliffe & Kilnsey’s open fell and contour detail will provide a fast finish to the League at the British Championships on 5th May.
We are looking forward to another exciting season and will drop more information as it comes.
The UK Elite League Team
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RACES
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NORTHERN CHAMPS WEEKEND
1- 09/3 - Ponderosa - SYO - Sprint
2 - 10/3 - Wharncliffe - SYO - Long
LAKES SPRING & RED ROSE CLASSIC
3- 23/3 - Lancaster University - BO - Sprint (Junior’s only)
4 - 23/3 - Haverthwaite - LOC - Middle (Seniors)
5 - 24/3 - Hampsfell & Eggerslack - Middle/Long (Juniors/Seniors)
SCOTTISH SPRING
6 - 13/4 - Falkland area - MPA - Middle (Seniors)
7 - 13/4 - Falkland - MPA - Sprint
8 - 14/4 - Falkland Estate - MPA - Long
JK FESTIVAL
9 - 19/4 - Aldershot Barracks - SCOA - Sprint
10 - 20/4 - Windmill Hill - SCOA - Middle
11 - 21/4 - Cold Ash - SCOA - Long
BRITISH CHAMPIONSHIPS
F - 5/3 - Arncliffe & Kilnsey - YHOA - Long
SCORING
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Best 6 scores from first 9 races for juniors, best 6 scores from first 10 races for seniors, the final British Champs race to count for all. At least 1 and maximum 3 scores from any one discipline (sprint/middle/long) to count. See ukeliteoleague.org.uk/scoring/ for full details.
SPONSORSHIP
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The UK Elite Orienteering League aims to be an attractive series for competitors by providing prize money and prizes.
If you are interested in sponsoring the league in future years, either with a contribution to the cash prize fund, or with clothing, or equipment, please email ukeliteoleague@gmail.com or visit ukeliteoleague.org.uk/support. In return we can promise publicity through articles and social media, at the major races in the UK orienteering calendar, as well as being associated with the elite orienteering scene.
2019 is approaching and the Elite League will return. We've got a fantastic set of races lined up, with more Sprint and Middles, exclusively in quality terrain. Official announcement coming soon.
📸 Lingmoor, 2018 Round 7, Wendy Carlyle
Message from the Senior Home International planner - The SHI event at Hurstwood is close now on 8/9 September, and we’ll be ready. We’ve just completed final reviews on the courses, and the Individual and Relay courses have now been approved by the Controller, Tony Thornley. His initial comments were a laconic ‘Mostly very good’, and we’ve sorted out the wrinkles since then!
PFO are now advertising the event on their website. However, they’ve only very recently added the statement that all the SHI Individual and Relay courses will be available for non-SHI competitors to run. There will be a limited window of opportunity, and we’ll try to keep the 4 min starting interval on the Saturday if possible. M20E and W20E will be re-used as Black and Short Brown in the Level B event. The Relay courses can also be run in an informal event on the Sunday, making a high quality weekend of full-length courses.
Please could you spread the message through the Elite community that these runs are available, so they don’t miss the chance to run a full 90 or 75 minute Elite course. As you know, Duncan Archer test ran the M21 Elite distance last September, so all the SHI courses should be about the right length. The map has also been updated to ISOM 2017, making it clearer to read. The courses will hopefully be a tough but fair test for everyone.
Thanks for your help. More details are at
It’s the 10th and Final round of the 2018 UK Elite Orienteering League today.
We return to Scotland, where the 2018 series started, for the British Championships at Balmoral.
Three significant hills with rock detail on vague contours lie in wait for competitors.
You can check current standings at ukeliteoleague.org.uk/2018-2 and comment your predictions below.
Startlists here: sientries.co.uk/list.php?event_id=4185
Senior preview here: ontheredline.org.uk/news/british-2018long-champs-brief