South Yorkshire Orienteers won this year’s Harvester Trophy, over 25 minutes ahead of second placed Edinburgh University (EUOC). The event, held by Roxburgh Reivers at Teviothead, near Hawick, and planned by John and James Tullie, started slightly earlier than usual, with both classes starting before 10pm to allow for SOL5 the next day. This meant in a change to the usual order, it was the first leg runners who got the benefit of daylight. The open hillside made for a fantastic spectacle once the daylight faded, with the spectator control offering spectactular views of headtorches bobbing across the hillside.

The first three legs saw the lead change several times, with early pace setters CLYDE jostling with EUOC for the lead. However, by the time the first fourth leg runner came home, it was SYO who were in front, with a lead they were never going to relinquish. SYO’s final time for the seven leg course was 388:25, ahead of second placed EUOC, who finished in 415:54.

In the B class, CLOK’s Ladies team beat the University of Durham and MDOC to win not only the Women’s Open but also overall winners on the B Class, finishing in 260:12 – a massive forty minutes ahead of the second and third placed teams. In the Juniors, Nottingham Orienteering Club held off Harlequins, to take the Junior Trophy, and a respectable seventh place overall in the B class.

Whilst most Roxburgh Reivers were involved in helping to run the Harvester and SOL, Roxburgh Reivers’ juniors Karen and Kirstin Maxwell did manage to get a run. Karen continued her good form, and recent win at the Scottish Schools Championships with second place on JW3, and older sister Kirstin (also a winner at the Schools Championships) won JW4, consolidating her place at the top of the league.

• Results and officials’ comments
• Discuss this year’s Harvester on Nopesport

Provisional results from the Harvester Relays and SOL5 will be available from RR’s results page:

• Harvester and SOL 5 results and officials’ comments

Finalised results, pictures and comments to follow.

Jedburgh sisters Kirstin and Karen Maxwell both retained their Scottish Schools Orienteering titles at Scone Palace in Perthshire last Friday.

Parkside Primary School pupil Karen easily won the P5/P6 race, finishing over eight minutes ahead of competitors from Glasgow and Edinburgh, with older sister Kirstin, representing Jedburgh Grammar School, winning the S2 race, beating girls from Currie and Douglas.

Not to be outdone, the girls’ father Ian finished in an excellent second place on the tough 15km course of Edinburgh Southern’s Long Orienteering event held high in the Pentland hills on Sunday, with fellow Roxburgh Reiver Lyndsey Knox placed second lady on the 10km course.

Full results:

• Scottish Schools Championships results
• ESOC Long-O results

It was warm, the sun shone for most of the weekend and Douglas Tullie emerged as our only Scottish Individual Champion, winning M18A comfortably with Andrew Tullie taking 4^th in the same class.  John Tullie and Kirstin Maxwell both finished in the frame, taking 3^rd on M45L and W14A, although Kirstin was pushed all the way by Sarah Tullie who had her best run of the season finishing only 24 seconds further back in 4^th place.

Jim Knox had a tentative 2^nd place jog round his M55S course and emerged with stiff legs but no lasting damage. Douglas Henderson had a slightly below average run to take 10^th on M55L – “I never do well in Deeside forests!”, and Ian Maxwell was 17^th on M45L.

Karen Maxwell finished more or less as expected in 6^th place, her first year in W12A.  Eileen Maxwell had a steady run round W40S for 6^th place, and Lindsey Knox on W45L also finished 6^th having blown her championships lead with a major error near the finish.

The Relays at Bogendreip unfortunately ended in controversy when it became clear during the prizegiving that the calculations were wrong.  The Emit punching system obviously doesn’t have a proper relay programme the way Sportident does, and the calculations made on the day were seriously flawed.  No results, of any kind, were displayed on the day but the organisers hope to issue official results with corrected times on Monday.  Apart from that, The Tullie team of John, Douglas and Andrew reckon they won the Handicap class, and James Tullie was part of the EUOC team who finished 2^nd in the Men’s Open. No-one else has a clue about their results !  Other snippets – Kirstin Maxwell tripped in full view of everyone on the run-out at the start of her leg and was black-affronted, the new club flag was aired, and the home-made muffins on sale were superb.

• Results here

Looking for a run at the Harvester, but don’t have a team? Have 6/7ths of a team, but a man short? Then try Roxburgh Reivers’ Harvester Nomates page to see if you can complete a team.

Also added to the Big Weekend pages are updated travel information, giving details of the Carlisle to Edinburgh bus service for those coming by public transport.

Finally, a reminder for those still to book accomodation – the Big Weekend coincides with the Hawick Common Riding. Whilst Morrisons supermarket in Hawick will be open usual hours, accommodation in the local area may be scarce. For the latest information please see the VisitScotland website.