Moravian orienteers enjoy success at the Race the Abbeys weekend

Two historical abbeys provided the perfect backdrop for some top-quality orienteering last weekend, attended by some of the best orienteers in the UK and the rest of the world.

Kelso and Jedburgh Abbeys, and their surrounding town centres and suburbs, provided a challenging network of paths, grassland and alleyways for two world ranking events for elite competitors and two longer urban events for non-elite competitors. Combined times over the two events resulted in an overall champion.

In the elite category, Isobel Howard of Moravian Orienteers and Edinburgh University finished in seventh place overall in the women’s senior elite competition to emphasise her exceptional orienteering abilities.

Howard, who is a junior and member of the Great Britain development squad was competing against orienteers more senior and experienced.

In the non-elite categories, Moravian fielded a strong team of nine members and had multiple successes. Andrew Campbell and Rob Parkinson came second and third in the men’s supervet category, whilst Sophie Howard finished third in the women’s junior category.

Anna Howard and Nikki Howard ran strongly to finish in fourth and sixth places respectively in the women’s junior and women’s veteran categories, whilst good runs were also made by Liz Campbell, Colin Hall, Doug Murray and Bill Young.

The event was hosted by the Roxburgh Reivers Orienteering Club and provided a perfect build-up to the World Orienteering Championships which are coming to Edinburgh next year.

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