THE increasing popularity of different formats for orienteering is reflected in a new series of short races to be staged in Cumbria during the spring.

The first of three Rock and Run-sponsored events was held by Lakeland Orienteering Club at Black Beck and Stockbird Head Woods, Bouth on Saturday and attracted a small but very competitive entry.

The woodlands include an intricate pattern of knolls and small valleys while the limited undergrowth and lack of bracken at this time of year provided good runnable conditions, ideal for this form of orienteering.

LOC's Iain-Smith Ward, one of the instigators of the series, had planned a series of challenging courses criss-crossing the area to take in a relatively large number of controls for the distance covered.

Top places went to orienteers from as far a field as Sweden, with Liz Cambell (Warrior OC, Ambleside), the most successful local winning the women 40+ event. LOC's Rebecca McKenny won W16-, while top ten finishes for other local orienteers came from Warrior's Brendan Bolland (9th M open), Andy Hyslop (6th M40+) and Julia Laverock (4th W40+). LOC's Richard Tiley finished 8th on M40+ The men's open was particularly close fought with Warwick University's Linus Kaisajuntti first, over a minute clear of Swede Gregor Tysk and British International Scott Fraser (Edinburgh University) a further five seconds down in third.

The next race in the series is on Saturday, April 28 at Baysbrown Wood, Langdale, and the third on May 19, on Stickle Pike in the Duddon Valley.

Each of these short races is linked with either a national or regional event on the following Sunday providing a full weekend of orienteering.

Another innovation made possible by the electronic timing equipment and digital mapping is that competitors are able to show the routes they used and other competitors can compare their own routes. Recorded runs can be viewed at www.cumbrian-short-race.org.uk