Back to the Woods NRE Recap

November 6-7, 2021

  • Type: Sprint / Middle / Long NRE
  • Host Club: Delaware Valley Orienteering Club (DVOA)
  • Event Director: Mary Frank
    • Course Setters: Tom Overbaugh / Wyatt Riley
    • Course Consultants: Dave Cady, Eric Weyman, Bob Putnam
    • Vetters: Hugh MacMullan IV, John Campbell, Ralph Tolbert, Nate Orwaschel
    • Registrar: Lena Kushleyeva
  • Venues:
    • Sprint: Bellevue State Park
      • Wilmington, DE
    • Middle: Iron Hill County Park
      • Newark, DE
    • Long: Rodney Scout Reservation
      • Northeast, MD
  • Official Event Page

Saturday AM Sprint – Bellevue State Park

Media:

Saturday PM Middle – Iron Hill State Park

Media:

Sunday Long – Rodney Scout Reservation

Media:

2021 OUSA Presidents Awards

Clare Durand, current Orienteering USA President, announced three recipients for this years Presidents Award at the 2021 Annual General Meeting, held last week as an online virtual event for the second consecutive year. This years awards honor members who through local efforts have helped to expand orienteering’s reach while serving as examples of what is possible. The three individuals receiving awards this years are:

  • Boris Granovskiy (GrizO) – Boris has been orienteering since he was young and is a former member of the US National Team. Upon moving to Montana recently, Boris sought to start a new club with his wife Allison Brown. In its first year Grizzly Orienteering has held 13 events, with the largest attracting over 70 participants. Boris and Ali have shown how proper marketing and quick start-up can build a thriving club in a new area.
  • Gord Hunter (SOAR) – Gord began orienteering in Canada many years ago. Upon retirement, he chose to become a snowbird, wintering in Florida. He quickly learned that demand for orienteering among JROTC units was high, so he chose to fill that gap. Gord started the SunCoast Orienteering and Adventure Racing Club in 2012. SOAR has grown to the point of having over 2000 starts annually with maps and courses put together by Gord. He enjoys adopting new technology and exploring new places through mapping them. He has recently enjoyed making many base-maps from LiDAR and will happily help clubs who need such a service.
  • Russ Myer (CRNA) – Russ has worked for many years with disabled veterans through the Capital Region Nordic Alliance in the Albany area. This organization has historically focused on Paralympic winter sports, but they wanted more summer activities and looked to orienteering. As Russ learned more about the sport, he became heavily involved with the Trail-O discipline and the OUSA Trail-O Team. Russ has been instrumental in bringing Trail-O to the populations that it was designed for and introducing many veterans and other challenged athletes to orienteering. CRNA has been the primary producer of Trail-O training and events in the US for a number of years. Russ regularly coordinates with experts from other areas to make events happen, most recently hosting the 2020 OUSA Trail-O Championships in Philadelphia.

Congratulations to all three award recipients and thank you for your service to the sport of orienteering.

St Mary’s College Sprint NRE Recap

On Sunday, October 24th, the Bay Area Orienteering Club (BAOC) exercised its option for a fee-waiver NRE and brought a sprint double-header to Saint Mary’s College in Moraga, CA. Originally scheduled for 2020 but deferred due to the pandemic, this event featured dual sprints in a qualifier/final format and two distances – “Expert” which covered all classes normally run on White-Green and an “Elite” course inclusive of the normal Red and Blue classes – 4 courses in total. The official event page on the BAOC website provides additional details.

The typical dry Bay Area weather took a turn however and a “Pineapple Express” weather event funneled a so-called atmospheric river of moisture into the Bay Area over the weekend forcing the cancellation of many events. But orienteers are an intrepid sort, and the event went ahead as scheduled, moist though it may have been.

From Elite winner AJ Riley: “Sprint at St. Mary’s College. She has a cool college.” Well said…

Reminder: All Orienteering USA Regular Clubs can apply to sanction one “fee waiver” NRE event each calendar year. We know all our clubs regularly host top quality local events, why not pick one event each year to offer as a National Ranking Event without the added sanctioning fees. Entice more participants from beyond your local area to come and test themselves against your favorite local terrain.

2021 Golden Service Awards

Each year Orienteering USA recognizes several individuals that have provided service to the sport of orienteering beyond the club level by playing key roles at National Events, organizing training camps and festivals, serving on boards or committees at the national level and more. This year we award the Golden Service Award to the following individuals. Congratulations to all of you and Thank You for your efforts!

  • Doug Berling (RMOC) – Doug has been a member of the Rocky Mountain Orienteering Club since 1993, and his dedication to orienteering has been foundational to to the club’s ability to successfully host major events. From 2010-2016 he served as RMOC’s Vice-President, using his friendly demeanor to facilitate RMOC’s permit applications with local, state & federal land managers. Doug then stepped into the role of RMOC’s President from 2016 through the present (2021), handling administrative tasks as well as serving in more visible roles when RMOC hosted national events – meet director, course consultant, course vetter, and map printer, to name a few. Doug has also become one of RMOC’s e-punch experts for both hardware & software; has promoted orienteering regionally by teaching beginner workshops at local recreation centers; has created and updated several of RMOC’s maps and coordinates the club’s other mapping projects.  Doug is a model of reliability and a selfless volunteer for RMOC and the orienteering community at large. 

  • Paul Clatterbuck (PTOC) – Paul mapped Shawnee Mission Park for the 2013 US Interscholastic / Intercollegiate Championships and set courses for one of the day of that event which included a forked course design to help discourage interscholastic competitors from following. Paul’s map of Shawnee Mission Park still gets regular use as a permanent course. Paul also led the mapping effort for the Sunflower State Games. The Sunflower Games has included orienteering every year since 2013. He also assisted with the “Possum Trot”, a popular goat-style event that draws competitors from across the midwest annually. The Golden Service Award typically recognizes regional and national activities, but like many recipients, Paul was also very involved locally. In particular, he was an avid mapper and always helped out at local events. He most recently made a map of a newly opened local park and set the courses for an event there. Sadly Paul passed away a couple of months ago. His loss was unexpected and will be felt both locally and regionally. He was a good friend of the sport of orienteering.

  • Jim Hall (COK) – Jim has been a member of COK since the early beginnings of the club and has been on the board for many years. He has been meet director for many local meets and has always been willing to help out wherever there was a need. He has also been instrumental in the organization of A-meets (now NRE’s) by COK where he has held roles as Course Setter and Vetter and has spent countless hours preparing for these meets and to make sure that every control was in the correct place. Jim was a member of the USOF/OUSA board from 2007 to 2010 and for the last few years has been a course consultant for several National Meets.

Orienteering USA would like to extend its gratitude and congratulations to these tireless individuals who have given so much of their time and expertise to the promotion of orienteering in the US. A list of previous Golden Service Award winners can be found on the OrienteeringUSA website.

2021 Silva Award Winner: Ed Hicks

The 2021 Silva Award is posthumously awarded to Ed Hicks, who sadly passed away on New Year’s Eve, 2020. Ed was an active and invaluable member of the US orienteering community for over 40 years with Orienteering USA and Hudson Valley Orienteering as well as HVO’s predecessor the Westchester Orienteering Club.

Ed was a tireless and prolific promoter of the sport of orienteering through his teaching and map making activities. He taught a full day program for Avalon Preserves Stewardship Program for 13 years as well as conducting beginner instruction at local events over the entire course of his 40+ year involvement with the sport. Ed also promoted orienteering by authoring dozens of orienteering related publications for schools, Boy Scout groups, camps and nature center personnel; teaching programs and developing maps for World Orienteering Day events and presenting at GIS conventions and conferences throughout the United States.

Ed was perhaps most well known for his passion in making orienteering maps. His map projects ran the gamut from small park and scout camp maps to numerous NRE level maps. Some of his recent projects included developing maps for HVO’s National Meet at Mountain Lakes (North Salem NY), a pair of maps for recent West Point events, Trail-O and Ski-O maps at Windham Mountain, NY and a number of maps/basemaps for BSA Eagle Scout projects. Ed had served as OCAD’s US Sales and Service Representative since the early ’90s providing valuable feedback to the software developers over the years. He also founded Orienteering Unlimited in 1979, which was the first vendor of orienteering equipment and supplies in the US.

Ed Hick’s extensive contributions to the sport of orienteering in the US are far reaching and span decades of devoted service. Orienteering USA is honored to remember him with this years 2021 Silva Award.

2021 OUSA Masters Nationals

October 9-10, 2021

Day 1 – Mille Lacs Kathio State Park

Results: Day 1
Maps: White | Yellow | Orange | BrownX | BrownY | GreenX | GreenY | RedX | RedY | Blue

RouteGadget

Additional Media:

  • Saturday Photo Teaser (10 images) – Facebook / Instagram
  • Saturday Photo Teaser bonus (10 images) – Facebook / Instagram
  • Official OUSA Photos – Saturday Gallery 1 (65 images) – Facebook
  • Official OUSA Photos – Saturday Gallery 2 (49 images) – Facebook
  • MNOC Photos – Both days, mixed Gallery (377 images) – Facebook

Day 2 – Mille Lacs Kathio State Park

Results: Day 2
Maps: White | Yellow | Orange | BrownX | BrownY | GreenX | GreenY | RedX | RedY | Blue

Routegadget

Additional Media:

2021 OUSA Masters Champions

  • M35+ Aleksey Sabunin – SDO
  • M40+ Boris Granovskiy – GrizO
  • M45+ Wyatt Riley – DVOA
  • M50+ Jon Torrance – QOC
  • M55+ Sergey Velichko – CTOC
  • M60+ Kevin Teschendorf
  • M65+ Takashi Sugiyama – BAOC
  • M70+ Stephen Tarry – UNO
  • M75+ Chuck Spalding – BAOC
  • M80+ Rich Parker – BAOC
  • F35+ Rachel Furman
  • F40+ Cristina Luis – TSN
  • F45+ Angelica Riley – DVOA
  • F50+ Stephanie Ross – OCIN
  • F55+ Pavlina Brautigam – WCOC
  • F60+ Peggy Dickison – OK
  • F65+ Sandy Fillebrown – DVOA
  • F70+ Linda Kohn – ROC
  • F75+ Sharon Crawford – RMOC
  • F80+

2021 New England Orienteering Championships

October 2-3, 2021

  • Venues:
    • Willard Brook State Forest, Ashby, MA
    • Pearl Hill State Park, West Townsend, MA
  • Type: Two Day Classic NRE
  • Event Directors: Jon Campbell & Jeff Saeger
    • Course Setters: JJ Cote & Anna Campbell
    • Course Vetter: Tori Campbell
    • Registrar: Sam Levitin
    • Volunteer Coordinator: Joanne Sankus
  • Official Event Page

Day 1 – Willard Brook State Forest

Additonal Media:

Day 2 – Pearl Hill State Park

Additional Media:

2021 New England Champions

The title of New England Champion was awarded to the top finisher in each age group whose primary orienteering club is located in New England – UNO, NEOC, CSU, NG, WCOC, GMOC.

  • M-21+ Keegan Harkavay – NEOC
  • M-10
  • M-12
  • M-14 Lukas Webb – CSU
  • M-16 Mori Finlayson-Johnecheck – NEOC
  • M-18
  • M-20
  • M35+ Joe Brautigam – WCOC
  • M40+
  • M45+ Ian Finlayson – NEOC
  • M50+ Mark OConnell – NEOC
  • M55+ Clinton Morse – WCOC
  • M60+ Tim Parson – NEOC
  • M65+ Anthony Muffatti – WCOC
  • M70+ Stephen Tarry – UNO
  • M75+ Bob Lux – UNO
  • M80+ Hans Bengtsson – NEOC
  • F-21+
  • F-10 Isla Finlayson-Johnecheck – NEOC
  • F-12
  • F-14 Charlotte Duhamel – NEOC
  • F-16
  • F-18
  • F-20 Bridget Hall – NEOC
  • F35+
  • F40+
  • F45+
  • F50+ Kristin Hall – NEOC
  • F55+
  • F60+ Karen Muffatti – WCOC
  • F65+ Diana Todd – NEOC
  • F70+ Judith Karpinski – NEOC
  • F75+
  • F80+

2021 North American Rogaining Championships

August 14-15, 2021

  • Event Director: Gavin Wyatt-Mair
  • Northstar Resort, Truckee,

2021 North American Rogaining Champions:

  • Mixed Junior – We Stretch
    • Keegan Harkavay M 18 USA
    • Kirsten Mayland F 18 USA
    • Bridget Hall F 19 USA
    • Anthony Riley M 20 USA
  • Women Junior –
  • Men Junior –
  • Mixed Open – Best Pace Scenario
    • Ashley Blake F 38 USA
    • Nikolay Nachev M 44 USA
  • Women Open – Tango Mike
    • Victoria Campbell F 47 USA
    • Maiya Anderson F 46 USA
  • Men Open – Bones Adventure
    • Roy Malone M 54 USA
    • Jason Quinn M 47 USA
  • Mixed Veteran – NCC-74656
    • John Beard M 57 USA
    • Marcy Beard F 52 USA
  • Women Veteran – Tango Mike (see Women Open)
  • Men Veteran – Bones Adventure (see Men Open)
  • Mixed Super Veteran – Pikes
    • Gelena Siganevich F 57 USA
    • Manfred Kopisch M 57 USA
  • Women Super Veteran – Map Mavericks
    • Ing Uhlin F 61 USA
    • Sue Kuestner F 62 USA
    • Vicki Woolworth F 62 USA
  • Men Super Veteran – phast generation
    • Ken Walker Sr. M 72 USA
    • Charles Leonard M 66 USA
  • Mixed Ultra Veteran – Nightcrawlers
    • Eric Smith M 78 USA
    • Mary Smith F 74 USA
  • Women Ultra Veteran –
  • Men Ultra Veteran – phast generation (see Men Super Veteran)

Additional Media:

2021 Junior World Orienteering Championships

September 5-10, 2021

From Left to Right:

  • Jessica Colleran, COC, JNT
  • Ben Brady, COC, JDT
  • David Runde, MNOC and KristiansandOK (NOR), JNT
  • Anthony Riley, DVOA, JNT
  • Diana Aleksieva, QOC, JNT

Go Team USA!!

Follow TeamUSA through their personal training logs over on AttackPoint!

August 28-Sept 1 (Sat-Wed): Training

Friday, September 3: Arrival & Accreditation

Saturday, September 4: Opening Ceremony

Sunday, September 5: Sprint

Sprint Results

Men – Map71st – Anthony Riley18:21 (+2:42)
Men – Map119th – Benjamin Brady22:09 (+6:30)
Men – Map123rd – David Runde22:31 (+6:52)
Women – Map111th – Jessica Colleran24:16 (+9:19)
Women – Map112th – Diana Aleksieva24:28 (+9:31)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMcLU-7F2cI

Monday, September 6: Middle Qualification

Middle Qualifier Results

Men A – Map31st – Anthony Riley27:27 (+6:59)
Men B – Map36th – David Runde26:57 (+6:22)
Men C – Map40th – Benjamin Brady32:32 (+12:00)
Women B – Map36th – Jessica Colleran31:11 (+11:39)
Women C – Map36th – Diana Aleksieva36:25 (+17:01)
https://youtu.be/ebXTeexnUWs

Tuesday, September 7: Middle Final

Middle Final Results:

Men’s B Final – Map37th – David Runde30:40 (+6:44)
Men’s B Final55th – Benjamin Brady42:11 (+18:15)
Men’s B FinalAnthony RileyMSP
Women’s B Final – Map38th – Jessica Colleran47:51 (+19:56)
Women’s B Final40th – Diana Aleksieva49:03 (+21:08)
https://youtu.be/n7AjEFKLd7k

Wednesday, September 8: Rest Day

Thursday, September 9: Long Distance

Long Distance Results:

Men Long – Map68th – Anthony Riley1:25:26 (+16:29)
Men Long111th – David Runde1:43:36 (+34:39)
Men Long122nd – Benjamin Brady1:58:22 (+49:25)
Women Long – Map101st – Diana Aleksieva1:30:21 (+37:22)
Women Long104th – Jessica Colleran1:36:23 (+43:24)
https://youtu.be/JR3kGP5tUD4

Friday, September 10: Relay & Closing Ceremony

Relay Results:

Note: Diana & Jessica ran on a mixed team with Kristina Pashchenko from Ukraine. Because this was an ‘unofficial’ team, their results were not published in the official JWOC results.

PlaceNameLeg
Time		Leg
Place		Total
Time		Team
Place		Time
Diff
34United States Mens 1 – Map2:34:19+50:05
1. Anthony Riley42:203342:2033
2. Benjamin Brady1:00:24411:42:4438
3. David Runde51:35332:34:1934+50:05
https://youtu.be/9mDbvFCh6iM

2021 Orienteering USA Nationals

August 6-9, 2021

  • Event Director: Gavin Wyatt-Mair
  • Friday: Sprint
    • Sierra College, Rocklin, CA
  • Saturday: Middle Distance
    • Little Truckee Summit, Truckee, CA
  • Sunday: Long Distance
    • Sagehen, Truckee, CA
  • Monday: Club Championship Relay
    • Burton Creek, Tahoe City, CA

The following information was posted on the BAOC website on April 24, 2021:

“The difficult decision to move the California Orienteering Festival (CalOFest) to 2023 was made in the interests of safety and fairness due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and international travel restrictions. The decision was made jointly with the International Orienteering Federation, International Rogaining Federation, Orienteering Canada, and Orienteering USA​—​along with our partners and landowners. This change affects the North American Orienteering Championships as well as the World Rogaining Championships. The delayed Festival will be held in San Francisco and Tahoe locations during summer 2023, with dates pending IOF and IRF approvals. (The complete announcement of the change is here.)”

Instead of hosting CalOFest this year, the Bay Area Orienteering Club hosted Tahoe 2021:

  • The 2021 U.S. Orienteering Championships including Sprint, Middle, and Long events, and a club Relay event. The events were held the same weekend dates (August 6–9), and at the Tahoe areas, as were originally planned for CalOFest.
  • The 2021 North American Rogaining Championships (separate page) were held on the same dates (August 14–15), and at the same Tahoe area, as the originally planned World Rogaining Championships. In addition to the 24-hour competitive event, there was a 4-hour “recreational” event.

Friday: US Orienteering Sprint Championship

Day 1 of the Orienteering USA Nationals took place on Friday morning on the campus of Sierra College in Rocklin, CA under warm, but thankfully overcast skies. This event was moved to Sierra College to preserve the Northstar Resort sprint venue for CalOFest/NAOC Sprint in 2023.

Photos: Nadim Ahmed, Clinton Morse

2021 US Sprint Champions:

  • M-21+ Gregory Ahlswede – DVOA
  • M-10 Reed Parker
  • M-12 Tucker Rupe – COC
  • M-14 Jackson Rupe – COC
  • M-16 Ben Cooper – COC
  • M-18 Benjamin Brady – COC
  • M-20 Dan Sebo – BAOC
  • M35+ Samuel Kolins – DVOA
  • M40+ Ethan O’Conner – COC
  • M45+ Francois Leonard – BAOC
  • M50+ Jeff Coker – TSN
  • M55+ Sergei Velichko – CTOC
  • M60+ Ken Vomaske – BAOC
  • M65+ Glen Tryson – DVOA
  • M70+ Dennis Wildfogel – BAOC
  • M75+ Chuck Spalding – BAOC
  • M80+ Rich Parker – BAOC
  • M85+ Edwin Gookin – SOAR
  • F-21+ Tori Borish – RMOC
  • F-10
  • F-12
  • F-14 Nicole Aleksieva – QOC
  • F-16
  • F-18 Alison Weber – GCO
  • F-20 Bridget Hall – NEOC
  • F35+ Allison Brown – GrizO
  • F40+ Ioana Fleming – RMOC
  • F45+ Marie-Josee Parayre – BAOC
  • F50+ B. Brooke Mann – RMOC
  • F55+ Clare Durand – LAOC
  • F60+ Ing Uhlin – COC
  • F65+ Debbie Newell – COC
  • F70+ Judith Karpinski – NEOC
  • F75+ Pamela Jill McBee – CROC

Additional Media:

Saturday: US Orienteering Middle Championship

Day 2 was to be contested at Little Truckee Summit (adjacent to the original CalOFest terrain) where the air quality was, well, horrible. Due to the Dixie Fire to the northwest, the entire area was blanketed in a thick smoke plume with an AQI in excess of 500 on Friday afternoon, over 3 times the level considered unhealthy for strenuous activity. Organizers announced that a decision to hold the race would be made at 7am Saturday AM.

At 7am the word came that the race was cancelled due to poor air quality, but that the forecast hinted that things might improve for the afternoon and thus another decision would be made around noon. At noon the notification came that the Middle Distance race would be held, starting at 2:30pm. Air quality was still hazardous, but better than the morning conditions and competitors were urged to make their own decision to compete or not. Mid afternoon starts meant that conditions were also quite a bit warmer than morning races would have been.

Conditions were still smoky, but most competitors chose to race, some with masks, most without. Everyone seemed to roll with it…

Photos: Clinton Morse

2021 US Middle Distance Champions:

  • M-21+ Michael Laraia – MNOC
  • M-10 Alaric Aaronson
  • M-12 Sullivan Rupe – COC
  • M-14 Erik Fey – Espoon Suunta
  • M-16 Colin Casler
  • M-18 Benjamin Brady – COC
  • M-20 Daniel Sebo – BAOC
  • M35+ J-J Cote – LROC
  • M40+ Ethan O’Conner – COC
  • M45+ Wyatt Riley – DVOA
  • M50+ Tom Herrnstein – OK
  • M55+ Sergei Velichko – CTOC
  • M60+ Nadim Ahmed – QOC
  • M65+ Takashi Sugiyama – BAOC
  • M70+ Jeffrey Saeger – NEOC
  • M75+ John Harbuck – EWOC
  • M80+ Rich Parker – BAOC
  • M85+ Edwin Gookin – SOAR
  • F-21+ Tyra Christopherson – COC
  • F-10
  • F-12
  • F-14 Kendal O’Callaghan
  • F-16
  • F-18 Alison Weber – GCO
  • F-20 Bridget Hall – NEOC
  • F35+ Allison Brown – GrizO
  • F40+ Ioana Fleming – RMOC
  • F45+ Victoria Campbell – NEOC
  • F50+ B. Brooke Mann – RMOC
  • F55+ Mary Jones – OK
  • F60+ Peggy Dickison – OK
  • F65+ Debbie Newell – COC
  • F70+ Judith Karpinski – NEOC
  • F75+ Pamela Jill McBee – CROC

Additional Media:

Sunday: US Orienteering Long Championship

Day 3 of the OUSA Nationals was met with another air quality delay, but this one was only 90 minutes so the Long Distance races got started late morning on another warm day. Similarly to Saturday, the competition was held on unused portions of the Sagehen map originally slated for CalOFest. As an “experimental forest”, there was a variety of forest type and undergrowth/debris to deal with. Presumably the best parts of both the Saturday and Sunday venues will be unveiled at the North American Championships in 2023 at CalOFest and that Tahoe 2021 was just a taste of things to come.

Photos: Peter Laraia, Clinton Morse

2021 US Long Distance Champions:

  • M-21+ Anthony Riley – DVOA
  • M-10 Alaric Aaronson
  • M-12 Mark Fey – Espoon Suunta
  • M-14 Jackson Rupe – COC
  • M-16
  • M-18 Benjamin Brady – COC
  • M-20 Daniel Sebo – BAOC
  • M35+ JJ Cote – LROC
  • M40+ Boris Granovskiy – GrizO
  • M45+ Wyatt Riley – DVOA
  • M50+ Jon Torrance – QOC
  • M55+ Sergei Velichko – CTOC
  • M60+ JP Lande – RMOC
  • M65+ Rick Breseman – COC
  • M70+ Jeffrey Saeger – NEOC
  • M75+ John Harbuck – EWOC
  • M80+ Rich Parker – BAOC
  • M85+ Edwin Gookin – SOAR
  • F-21+ Tori Borish – RMOC
  • F-10
  • F-12
  • F-14 Kendal O’Callaghan – RMOC
  • F-16
  • F-18 Alison Weber – GCO
  • F-20 Bridget Hall – NEOC
  • F35+ Alison Brown – GrizO
  • F40+ Ioana Fleming – RMOC
  • F45+ Angelica Riley – DVOA
  • F50+ Stephanie Ross – OCIN
  • F55+ Kris Beecroft – RMOC
  • F60+ Peggy Dickison – OK
  • F65+ Debbie Newell – COC
  • F70+ Nadezhda Popova – HVO
  • F75+ Pamela Jill McBee – CROC

Additional Media:

Monday: Club Championship Relay (non-NRE)

Monday’s Club Championship Relay was held at Burton Creek State Park in Tahoe City, CA and competitors were met with much clearer skies than the previous two days of racing. But the day was not with out it’s own set of complications – a local football team was practicing on the field that was designated as the relay arena and paving contractors decided Monday would be a good day to paint new stripes on the high school parking lots, forcing a last minute relocation of parking to surrounding neighborhood streets.

Competitors, quite used to delays at this point in the weekend, took it in stride during the roughly 90 minute delay required to iron out the kinks and get everything ready. The time was put to good use however, as teams socialized and an impromptu awards ceremony was held to hand out Sunday’s Long Distance awards. Although the format for assembling relay teams and determining club championships was a bit convoluted, everyone seemed to have a good time with head to head racing and cheering on their teammates in the arena area. Be sure to check out the YouTube video (link after the photos) if you haven’t already.

Photos: Nadim Ahmed, Peter Laraia, Clinton Morse

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSTW-61dGmM

2021 North American Rogaining Championships

Media is posted in a separate entry.