Ajax Orienteering & Hill Running Club

Fingal Orienteers and Sligo Orienteers were the organizers of this years IOC, held over the May holiday weekend. The event was a great success and had the largest entry for many years (almost 350), with many competitors from overseas.  It helped that the sun shone all weekend!

The sprint race (day 1) was held on the  Sligo IT campus. Courses were planned to be 'fast'.  Physical speed was important to finish high in the results table.

The middle distance race (day 2) moved to Donegal to the Bluestack mountains.  The competition area, new to orienteering, consisted of open mountainside of moderate technical complexity.  The area was mapped using LIDAR imagery.  Courses were designed for fast running.

Day 3, the classic distance race was also held in the Bluestack mountains, in the area used for IOC 2009.  The complex open mountainside provided plenty of technical challenge on all courses.

The relay (day 4) was held in Finner Camp in complex coastal sand-dune terrain, which was remapped for the event using LIDAR imagery.  The firmer running surface contrasted with the softer going of the previous two days.

Ajax podium finishers:

Sprint (Day 1) – IT Campus, Sligo

First: M14 Emmet O'Cleirigh, M20 Ruairi Long

Second: M12 Cian Wickham

Middle Distance (Day 2) – Barnsmore West, Donegal

First: M14 Emmet O'Cleirigh,  M20 Ruairi Long

Third: M21s Rory Wallace

Classic Distance (Day 3) – Tawnawully, Donegal

Third: M14 Emmet O'Cleirigh, M20 Ruairi Long, W21E Roisin Long (and Irish Champion!)

Relay (Day 4) – Finner Camp, Donegal

There were no Ajax podium finishers in the relay although Ruairi Long finished in the winning Premier Open Class team representing UCDO - a fantastic result!