A particularly challenging course in the Cardrona Valley did not stop 130 Wanaka rogaine competitors from completing the event last Saturday, although its organiser did get a fair bit of good-natured ribbing for it.
Event organiser Ed Stevens said he fielded some flak for designing such a tough course.
‘‘It was a challenging course but if you made it too easy everyone would end up with the same score,'' organiser Ed Stevens said.
All teams involved in the longdistance cross-country orienteering event made it safely back down from the Cardrona hills, with only two groups exceeding the time limit.
The rogaine was followed by a meal in the Cardrona Hall, which accompanied plenty of post-race course analysis, Mr Stevens said.
‘‘Everyone was really appreciative of the effort that we put in . . . even the ones that scored poorly. They still had a great day.
‘‘They all did appreciate that they needed to brush up on their navigational skills to be able to score well and that's what they're out there for.
‘‘You just can't go out there and wander around and hope to stumble across them [point stations].''
Competitors could choose whether to participate in six or 12-hour races and placings were awarded for both race durations. Awards were given in a points-based category and a handicap category to give everyone a shot at a prize.
Overall winners of the six-hour event were Hamish Morton and Mike Tubbs, of Queenstown, with Sarah
and Adam Fairmaid and Gordon Blythen, of Cromwell, in second place and Ron McLay-Barnes, of Dunedin, and Terry Davis, of Cromwell, in third place.
Daniel Johnston and former Norwegian orienteering champion Ake Fugerang, both of Dunedin, won the 12-hour event, with Rob Ormandy, Chris Booth and Jim Thompson, all of Wanaka, coming in second and Rob Harrow, Mike Mineman and Joanna Forbes, all of Wanaka, in third place.
The winners of the handicap event in the six-hour race were Mary Jowett and Anna O'Leary, of Queenstown, and Vicki Patton, of Arrowtown, with Hamish Struthers, of Lauder, and Johanna Wallman, of Dunedin, in second place and Ron McLay-Barnes, of Dunedin, and Terry Davis, of Cromwell, in third place.
Winners of the twelve-hour handicap event were Bill and Anne Kennedy and Peter Squires, of Canterbury, followed by Katharine Eustace, Blair Coupe and Mike Plimmer, all of Wanaka, in second and Kath Conlan and Duncan Sherratt, of Canterbury, in third.
