City Race Euro Tour 2017: Orienteering in focus in seven big european cities

Between 7th May and 12th November, 2017, Orienteering will be in focus in seven major European cities. Bringing together the efforts and interests of Paris, Antwerp, Bristol, Treviso, Porto, Barcelona and Bilbao, the 4th edition of the City Race Euro Tour puts sport and tourism once more hand in hand.

Paris was the venue chosen for the inaugural presentation of the 2017 City Race Euro Tour. Starting in the French capital on 7th May, the event will take in Belgium (Antwerp, 13th and 14th May), Great Britain (Bristol, 10th and 11th June), Italy (Treviso, 17th and 18th June), Portugal (Porto, 22nd to 24th September) with the finish in Spain (Barcelona, 4th and 5th November and Bilbao, 11th and 12th November). “Think hard, run fast, feel good” stands as the motto of these seven major Orienteering events in seven major European cities. The Tour targets everyone, leading competitors and also beginners.

The idea of creating the Euro City Race Tour was the result of a partnership established in 2012 between the organising groups of the London City Race and Porto City Race. The outcome of combining the social and sporting interests proved indeed heartening, and then to decide to extend the invitation to other organisations took only a brief moment. Edinburgh and Barcelona joined Porto and London in the first edition. Krakow and Seville joined the event in 2015 and Antwerp, Malaga, Firenze and Lille were ‘newcomers’ in 2016. With a good recipe for success, the European City Race gives the public and the media visibility to increase the popularity of Orienteering, attracting crowds to applaud runners in an urban environment.

First races in Paris and Antwerp

Held for the first time ever, the Paris City Race called to Montmartre, one of the main tourist attractions in the French capital, 393 competitors from 15 different nations. It was quite unusual to see people running, maps and compasses in their hands, through the little streets, parks, restaurant terraces and stairs, side by side with painters at Place du Tertre or tourists searching for the places where Georges Seurat, Erik Satie Vincent Van Gogh or Pablo Picasso lived about one century ago. It was in this nostalgic and, at the same time, life-buzzing atmosphere, that the French Juste Raimbault (CLSG Melun) and the British Caroline Craig (North Gloucestershire OC) were stronger than their opponents, achieving clear victories in the Elite category.

One week later, the third Antwerp City Race attracted to Antwerp’s city centre 273 competitors from 18 countries. The event took place on the Het Steen map, a mix of old and new city centre with a passage on the Quay of the Schelde, towards the castle ‘Het Steen’ and the finish on Antwerp’s main square. In the Men’s Elite race, two of the best Sprint specialists fought hard for the victory, with the Belgian Yannick Michiels (TROL) getting a nearly two-minute win over the New-Zealander Tim Robertson (Fossum IF). In the Women’s Elite, the New Zealander Laura Robertson (Edinburgh Southern OC) was 43 seconds faster than the Spaniard Anna Serralonga (TROL) in taking first place.

Results

Paris City Race, 7th May 2017

Men Elite

1. Juste Raimbault (CLSG Melun, FRA) 1:03:23 (+ 00:00)

2. Fleury Roux (NOSE, FRA) 1:04:34 (+ 01:11)

3. Julien Le Borgne (Quimper 29, FRA) 1:04:43 (+ 01:20)

4. Pierre Boudet (Garde Rép., FRA) 1:05:12 (+ 01:49)

5. Maxime Chabance (NOSE, FRA) 1:08:20 (+ 04:57)

Women Elite

1. Caroline Craig (North Gloucestershire OC, GBR) 57:04 (+ 00:00)

2. Celine Finas (T.A.D., FRA) 1:00:13 (+ 03:09)

3. Francesca Taufer (U.S. Primiero, ITA) 1:03:05 (+ 06:01)

4. Clarissa Ricard Borchorst (AC Beauchamp, FRA) 1:03:49 (+ 06:45)

5. Nathanaëlle Gerbeaux (GO 78, FRA) 1:04:28 (+ 07:24)

Antwerp City Race, 14th May 2017

Men Elite

1. Yannick Michiels (TROL, BEL) 31:42 (+ 00:00)

2. Tim Robertson (Fossum IF, NZL) 33:39 (+ 01:57)

3. Tristan Bloemen (C.O. Liège, BEL) 34:21 (+ 02:39)

4. Tomas Hendrickx (K.O.L., BEL) 36:00 (+ 04:18)

5. Benjamin Anciaux (TROL, BEL) 37:30 (+ 05:48)

Women Elite

1. Laura Robertson (Edinburgh SOC, NZL) 35:19 (+ 00:00)

2. Anna Serrallonga (TROL, ESP) 36:02 (+ 00:43)

3. Miek Fabré (Omega, BEL) 36:31 (+ 01:12)

4. Kim Geypen (Omega, BEL) 37:29 (+ 02:10)

5. Caroline Craig (North Gloucestershire OC, GBR) 40:28 (+ 05:09)

All information can be found at http://cityracetour.org/.

Text and photo by Joaquim Margarido

[See the original article at http://orienteering.org/orienteering-in-focus-in-seven-big-european-cities/. Published with permission from the International Orienteering Federation]

TIC BCN 2016: Østerbø and Basset were the winners

Jewell of the Club Orientació Catalonia, the TIC BCN City of Barcelona International Trophy 2016 had, last weekend, its 10th edition. In the beautiful Ciutat Comtal, Øystein Kvaal Østerbø and Isia Basset were the winners.

25 years after its first edition, the TIC BCN - City of Barcelona International Trophy is stronger than ever. In 2006, the trophy was, at the same time, the last event of the Catalan Cup and the 2008 edition saw the presence of the English national team, with the competition opening for the first time to Catalan club teams. In 2014, the TIC BCN joins - together with the cities of London, Edinburgh and Porto - the City Race Euro Tour's first edition, where it still remains. In this 10th edition, the vitality of the organizing club and the fascination that the city exerts in all its visitors was, once again, the key of another great success, bringing together six hundred competitoors to two stages, one of Middle Distance, next to the Collserola mountain, in the western part of Barcelona and another of Long Distance, right in the city center and scoring for the 2016 City Race Euro Tour.

In the Men Elite class, the Norwegian Øystein Kvaal Østerbø (IFK Lidingö SOK) started with the right foot, winning the first stage with a one-minute lead over the second placed, the Finn Olli-Pekka Koistinen (Hiidenkiertäjät). The last stage had the same pair as main protagonists, with the result of this particular duel to favor again Østerbø, that thus repeats the victory in Barcelona. The Spanish Pau Llorens Caellas (CO Berguedà) was the third overall, after being third in the inaugural stage and fourth in the second stage.

The French Isia Basset was, like Østerbø, the great winner in both stages, although by larger margins. In the first stage, Basset managed a four-minute victory over the Swedish Moa Sjöberg (Göteborg-Majorna OK), repeating the win in the last stage by identical margin on the also Swedish Karolina Hellberg (Sundbybergs IK). In the final accounts, Isia Basset's advantage over the second-placed, the British Caroline Craig (NGOC) - third placed in both legs -, was of 8:55, while the third in the overall standings, Moa Sjöberg, finished 9:28 after the winner. Laia Gil Clapera (Montsant), in the 9th position with the time of 1:33:13, was the best Spanish athlete.

Overall results

Men Elite

1. Øystein Kvall Østerbø (IFK Lidingö SOK NOR) 1:12:43 (+ 00:00)

2. Olli-Pekka Koistinen (Hiidenkiertäjät FIN) 1:15:12 (+ 02:29)

3. Pau Llorens Caellas (CO Berguedà ESP) 1:19:17 (+ 06:33)

4. Olivier Blanc Tranchand (O’Jura FRA) 1:20:21 (+ 07:37)

5. Oscar Vila Sempere (CE Colivenc ESP) 1:22:37 (+ 09:54)

Women Elite

1. Isia Basset (ASUL Sports Nature FRA) 1:18:32 (+ 00:00)

2. Caroline Craig (NGOC GBR) 1:27:28 (+ 08:55)

3. Moa Sjöberg (Göteborg-Majorna OK SWE) 1:28:01 (+ 09:28)

4. Juliette Basset (ASUL Sports Nature FRA) 1:30:27 (+ 11:54)

5. Anu Uhotoinen (Hiidenkiertäjät FIN) 1:30:44 (+ 12:12)

You can find results, photos and much more at http://ticbcn2016.clubcoc.cat/cat/.

[Photos: Àngel Pi / photos.google.com]

Joaquim Margarido

Porto City Race 2016: Maps

Joaquim Margarido

Porto City Race 2016: Esteves and Covas Costa won the Queen Stage

Ricardo Esteves and Tânia Covas Costa were the big winners of today's Porto City Race stage. Facing tough and challenging courses, both athletes finished the event in the best way, achieving good victories in its most important stage.

After a rainy night, the beautiful city of Porto woke up with sun and the excitement of an international Orienteering event. Organized by Grupo Desportivo dos Quatro Caminhos, the event had the participation of close to five hundred orienteers from 15 different countries, trying the tricky spaces of Asprela Universitary Campus, in the northern part of the city, in a stage scoring for the City Race Euro Tour 2016 and for the Portugal City Race 2016.

Showing a good shape in the fall of the season, the winner of the 2016 Portuguese Cup's ranking in the M18 class, Ricardo Esteves (ADFA), got a comfortable triumph in the Men Senior class with the time of 32:33, which was his third victory in as much stages along the weekend. Two athletes from .COM took the immediate positions, João Magalhães being second placed with more 2:45 than Esteves, and João Novo taking the third place with the time of 36:08. The Spanish Maikel Rodriguez (Budiñoraid), current leader of the Portugal City Race 2016, finished in the fourth position, 4:56 after the winner.

More balanced, the course in the Women Senior class had in Tânia Covas Costa (.COM), a surprising winner, over a really combative Triin Jäädmaa, Estonia. The difference between the two athletes was of 1:34, with Covas Costa recording 34:25 in the end. Joana Fernandes (.COM) took the third place with more 1:40 than the winner, while Filipa Rodrigues, the young winner of the two previous stages, mispunched. Portugal City Race's current leader in this class, Sara Miranda (Individual), finished 10th with the time of 47:17.

Results

Men Senior

1. Ricardo Esteves (ADFA) 32:33 (+ 00:00)

2. João Magalhães (.COM) 35:18 (+ 02:45)

3. João Novo (.COM) 36:08 (+ 03:35)

4. Maikel Rodriguez (Budiñoraid) 37:29 (+ 04:56)

5. Pedro Duarte (ADFA) 37:56 (+ 05:23)

Women Senior

1. Tânia Covas Costa (.COM) 34:25 (+ 00:00)

2. Triin Jäädmaa (Estonia) 35:59 (+ 01:34)

3. Joana Fernandes (.COM) 36:05 (+ 01:40)

4. Joanne Pickering (WIM) 37:09 (+ 02:44)

5. Patricia Casalinho (COC) 40:25 (+ 06:00)

[Click on the image to see the photo album]

Further information and complete results at http://www.gd4caminhos.com/portocityrace.

Joaquim Margarido

ASOM 2016: Overall winnings for Robertson and Vinogradova

Tim Robertson and Galina Vinogradova were the big winners of Antwerp Sprint Orienteering Meeting ASOM 2016. With a stage scoring for the City Race Euro Tour 2016, the event had the participation of more than three hundred athletes from 20 different countries.

The City Race Euro Tour 2016 started last weekend and, for the second year in a row, the city of Antwerp hosted the inaugural stage. With a prize money of 2,000 euros to distribute for the first five runners in Men Elite and Women Elite for the overall ranking of ASOM 2016, the event featured a start field of high quality, with the Russian Galina Vinogradova and the Belgian Yannick Michiels, the winners of the previous edition, playing the role of major favourites.

Spread over three stages in two days, the ASOM 2016 had in the Antwerp O-City, on the second day, its most exciting stage. With a distance of 6.600 meters in the Men Elite class, the race had in the New Zealander Tim Robertson (Fossum IF) the big winner. After a sequence of good results in recent events, Robertson got a comfortable winning on Yannick Michiels (TROL) by 53 seconds and the Lithuanian Jonas Vytautas Gvildys by 1:48. The women's race had the distance of 5.500 meters and the fight for victory was really tight, with the British Charlotte Ward being stronger than Galina Vinogradova (Alfta Osa OK) by the short difference of 8 seconds. Kirstin Maxwell (RR Scotland) finished third with more two minutes than Ward.

The first day of competition offered two Sprint stages, in which Tim Robertson and Yannick Michiels shared triumphs in the Men Elite class, while Galina Vinogradova reached two comfortable victories in the Women Elite class. Big winners of City Race Euro Tour's last edition, the British Jack Kosky and the Estonian Merill Mägi were absent from this first stage. The second stage of the City Race Euro Tour 2016 will take place in Malaga, Spain, from 2nd to 4th September.

Results Antwerp O-City

Men Elite

1. Tim Robertson (Fossum IF) 33:13 (+ 00:00)

2. Yannick Michiels (TROL) 34:06 (+ 00:53)

3. Jonas Vytautas Gvyldis (Igtisa SK) 35:01 (+ 01:48)

4. Tomas Hendrickx (KOL) 35:07 (+ 01:54)

5. Chris Smithard (Deeside Orienteering Club) 35:32 (+ 02:19)

6. William Gardner (Octavian Droobers) 35:35 (+ 02:22)

7. Rafal Podzinski (UKS Orientus Lodz) 35:38 (+ 02:25)

8. Soren Riechers (Bielefelder TG) 35:44 (+ 02:31)

9. Dane Blomquist (South Yorkshire Orienteers) 36:11 (+ 02:58)

10. Wouter Hus (KOL) 37:38 (+ 04:25)

Women Elite

1. Charlotte Ward (Great Britain) 32:05 (+ 00:00)

2. Galina Vinogradova (Alfta Osa OK) 32:13 (+ 00:08)

3. Kirstin Maxwell (RR Scotland) 34:05 (+ 02:00)

4. Miek Fabre (Omega) 34:07 (+ 02:02)

5. Tekle Emilija Gvildyte (Medeina OK) 34:11 (+ 02:06)

6. Ona Rafols Perramon (CO Catalunya) 34:15 (+ 02:10)

7. Anna Serralonga (TROL) 34:19 (+ 02:14)

8. Lea Vercellotti (Halden SK) 34:52 (+ 02:47)

9. Alicia Friberg (Falkopings AIK) 35:34 (+ 03:29)

10. Barbora Margoldova (Altair) 37:33 (+ 05:28)

Complete results of ASOM 2016 at http://helga-o.com/webres/index.php?lauf=1570.

[Photo: Linda Verbraken / facebook.com/zwartebeestje]

Joaquim Margarido

City Race Euro Tour 2015: Jack Kosky and Merill Mägi, winners of Elite Final Rankings

Eduardo Gil Marcos and Violeta Feliciano Sanjuan were the big winners of the City Race Euro Tour 2015's last stage, held last Sunday in Seville. The good performances of Jack Kosky and Merill Mägi on this stage allowed them to secure the victory in the Final Rankings of the CRET's second edition.

With the completion of Seville stage, came to an end the second edition of City Race Euro Tour. The event had its first stage in Antwerp, last 6th September, extending later to London, Porto, Barcelona and Krakow, to finish in the Andalusian capital, last Sunday. The notes of success of this last stage are given by the great participation of 1200 athletes from 18 countries, but also for the presentation of this sport to three hundred local participants, the remarkable mobilization of a large number of media, including television, and by judicious choice of courses, combining perfectly the technical challenge with an amazing “guided tour” to a really charming city.

The City Race Euro Tour Seville 2015 was just one of three stages - curiously the last one – of a major event that was the Seville O'Meeting 2015. Held in the historic centre of Seville, under Long Distance courses, the race saw the Spanish Eduardo Gil Marcos (Tjalve) and Violeta Feliciano Sanjuan (Colivenc) winning in the Men and Women Elite classes, respectively. The victory of Eduardo Gil Marcos was achieved after a tremendous fight with Antonio Martínez Pérez (Colivenc), by the narrow margin of 8 seconds. The third position fell to another great master of Spanish Foot Orienteering, Andreu Blanes Reig (Colivenc), while the fourth and fifth positions were achieved by the Portuguese Tiago Gingão Leal (GD4C) and Tiago Martins Aires (GafanhOri). As for the Women, the triumph of Violeta Feliciano Sanjuan is undeniable, leaving their teammates, Alicia Gil Sanchez and Natalia Gurchenkova, respectively second and third ranked, at distant two minutes. The Portuguese Raquel Costa (GafanhOri) finished fourth.

It should be noted that Andreu Blanes Reig and Antonio Martinez Perez won, respectively, the Middle Distance and Sprint stages of the Seville O' Meeting 2015, in Men Elite, while Raquel Costa was the winner in both stages, in the Women Elite. In the sum of points of three stages, Andreu Blanes Reig and Raquel Costa were the big winners of Seville O'Meeting 2015. Although the City Race Euro Tour 2015's Final Rankings weren't been officially published yet, it is clear that the British Jack Kosky (UDOC) secured the triumph in Men Elite class, after the 8th place achieved in the stage of Seville. Also the British Mark Burley (Bristol Orienteering) and the Belgian Dieter Coen (TROL) granted the second and third positions, respectively. As for the Women Elite, the victory smiled to the Estonian Merill Mägi, from OK Kape (5th ranked in Seville), followed by her compatriot Maiki Jaadmaa (OK Võru) and the Norwegian Lone Karin Brochmann (Bækkelagets SK).

Results

City Race Euro Tour Seville 2015

Men Elite

1. Eduardo Gil Marcos (Tjalve) 50:08 (+ 00:00)

2. Antonio Martínez Pérez (Colivenc) 50:16 (+ 00:08)

3. Andreu Blanes Reig (Colivenc) 51:06 (+ 00:58)

4. Tiago Gingão Leal (GD4C) 51:45 (+ 01:37)

5. Tiago Martins Aires (GafanhOri) 53:50 (+ 03:42)

6. Clement Demeuse (C.O. Liège) 56:27 (+ 06:19)

Women Elite

1. Violeta Feliciano Sanjuan (Colivenc) 50:23 (+ 00:00)

2. Alicia Gil Sánchez (Colivenc) 52:09 (+ 01:46)

3. Natalia Gurchenkova (Colivenc) 52:15 (+ 1:52)

4. Raquel Costa (GafanhOri) 53:29 (+ 03:06)

5. Merill Mägi (OK Kape) 54:08 (+ 03:45)

6. Carolina Delgado (GD4C) 55:11 (+ 4:48)

Winners other classes

Young M/F - Miguel Garrido Corral (Vane) and Nerea González Peña (Toledo-O)

Junior M/F - Elmar Montero Cárceles (GODIH) and Maria Prieto Del Campo (Malarruta)

Veterans M/F - Santiago Jiménez Molina (GOCAN) and Marion Büchli (Swiss O-Tours)

Superveterans M/F - James Crawford (GO) and Delia Kingsbury (WRE)

Ultraveterans M/F - Mike Godfree (DVO) and Liz Godfree (DVO)

Further information and complete results at http://sevillaomeeting.es/en/.

[Photo: Juan David Perez-Caballero / picasaweb.google.com]

Joaquim Margarido

Porto City Race 2015: The word to the winners

Big winners of the Porto City Race 2015, the British Jack Kosky and Sophie Kirk talked to the Portuguese Orienteering Blog about their experiences in Portugal. A relaxed conversation which withdraws the great convergence of opinions about the value of the course, the organization and the City Race Euro Tour.

Like many British orienteers, Jack Kosky and Sophie Kirk departed from London to Porto for one special weekend. The active tourism is among the activities of their choice and, in a fashionable city like Porto, an Orienteering event is very welcome. “I think I've never been in Portugal before”, say Sophie, joining to the sentence a hearty laugh. But quickly corrects, “perhaps at the Portugal O'Meeting, I'm not quite sure.” These are days of break in her professional activity and a holiday in Porto, a city to discover, is the reason why she's here. “And I still have two more days of vacation”, Sophie says, smiling from ear to ear. The purpose of a tourist visit is also the reason of Jack Kosky's option for the “Invicta”, but here the situation is somewhat different: “Last year I was in Porto in this time, as a tourist, but I lost the Porto City Race. Seeing the city, I understood how interesting would be to compete here, in a very hilly city, with many narrow streets, for a very nice orienteering. This year I could confirm that”, he confesses.

Speaking of her race, Sophie Kirk emphasizes that “it was quite fast and tricky as well. And it was quite hot and quite long too, so I got really tired in the end.” Sophie points the keys for her victory: “I didn’t make too many mistakes, I just try to keep running.” Kosky highlights the running part as his ultimate weapon, stating that “I train more running than Orienteering and it might helped today.” But he underline “the small technical sections along with longer legs, in the hills, on the heat... it was an absolutely physical and technical challenge”, giving full marks to the course setter. Also the organization, in a global way, deserved the appreciation of both, with Jack Kosky to applaud a particular effort: “I could see a lot of publicity around the city, there was so many sponsors on the map comparing with London, for example. When we run in the middle of the forest, nobody see us, but this is an urban race and it was nice to see what happened here. The organizers have done really well, calling the people.”

The concept of the Euro City Race Tour, combining tourism and Orienteering, equally pleases both. Again Jack Kosky taking the word, based on his personal experience: “I like to plan my trips with a purpose and it’s nice to go somewhere with a sport activity in mind. You see the place in a different line, you understand better those who live there, you see different parts of the city that you wouldn’t visit otherwise. It’s nice to mix sport and trip, so I think that the concept for the City Race Euro Tour is great.” And Sophie Kirk suggests that the circuit should include more cities. But which ones? On her face, the expression of a decision everything but easy, but finally a name: "Berlin". Jack Kosky, on the other hand, puts forward the name of Venice without even thinking twice: “I’ve never ran there but some of my friends did it and I think it’s really fun. And we could see another country joining the circuit”, he concludes.

Joaquim Margarido

Porto City Race 2015: Moments

Saudações orientistas.

Joaquim Margarido

Porto City Race 2015: Maps

Saudações orientistas.

Joaquim Margarido

Antwerp Sprint Orienteering Meeting 2015: Victories of Yannick Michiels and Galina Vinogradova

Yannick Michiels and Galina Vinogardova were the big stars of the Euro City Race Tour 2015's opening round. In the beautiful city of Antwerp, the two athletes were unstoppable, counting for victories the three stages.

Confirming their favouritism, the Belgian Yannick Michiels and the Russian Galina Vinogradova were the big winners of the Antwerp Sprint Orienteering Meeting ASOM 2015. First round of the City Race Euro Tour 2015, the event that saw its first edition this year, called to Antwerp, in northern Belgium, over three hundred participants from 19 different nations. Organized by the Orienteering Club TROL, the ASOM 2015 was distributed by three urban stages in brand new maps - two of them in the distance of Sprint and the third, named Antwerp City Race, in Middle Distance -, offering to all participants “a spectacular adventure where buildings and streets of the 13th century meet creations of the 21st", in the words of the organizers. Note also that the event relied on prize money for the Elite classes amounting to € 2,000.00, leaving € 500.00 to the winners.

In the Men Elite, Yannick Michiels was the strongest, leading the three stages on the Norwegian Øystein Kvaal Østerbø and the New Zealander Tim Robertson, respectively second and third placed. The differences between the three athletes weren't particularly significant in any of the stages, but the Belgian made avail of a more consistency, especially in the Middle Distance stage, ending this ASOM 2015 with the total time of 54: 25, against 56:45 and 57:21 from Østerbø and Robertson. In the Women Elite, Galina Vinogradova had an excellent performance in the first stage, ensuring immediately a comfortable margin over a Norwegian “triad” of athletes. The Russian also won the remaining stages, recording a total time of 53:45 in the end. The Middle Distance stage turned out to be fundamental in scaling the immediate positions, with the Norwegian Elise Egseth and Lone Karin Brochmann spending more 2:52 and 4:47 than the winner, respectively, and occupying the second and third positions.

Portugal was represented in Antwerp with a set of seven athletes, highlighting the performances of Fernando Costa (GD4C) in the Men Superveteran class, with two good results in the second and third stages (12th and 10th, respectively). The circuit now heads to London, where, in the coming 12th and 13th of September, will take place the London City Race, and then will settle in the city of Porto, the last weekend of September, with the Porto City Race's third edition.

Results

Men Elite

1. Yannick Michiels (BEL K.O.L.) 54:25 (+ 00:00)

2. Øystein Kvaal Østerbø (NOR IFK Lidingö SOK) 56:45 (+ 02:20)

3. Tim Robertson (NZL Fossum IF) 57:21 (+ 02:56)

4. Tristan Bloemen (BEL COLiège) 59:00 (+ 04:35)

5. Antonio Martinez Perez (ESP Halden SK) 59:18 (+ 04:53)

Women Elite

1. Galina Vinogradova (RUS Alfta Ösa) 53:45 (+ 00:00)

2. Elise Egseth (NOR Nydalens Skiklub) 56:37 (+ 02:52)

3. Lone Karin Brochmann (NOR Bækkelagets SK) 58:32 (+ 04:47)

4. Kristine Fjellanger (NOR NTNUI) 1:00:10 (+ 06:25)

5. Alice Leake (Great Britain) 1:00:12 (+ 06:27)

More information and full results at http://www.asom.be/en/home.

[Photo: Yannick Michiels / instagram.com]

Joaquim Margarido

City Race European Tour 2015: Antwerp hosts the circuit's first round

Next 5th and 6th September starts the second edition of City Race European Tour. The Belgian city of Antwerp held the opening round of an event joining six cities in five different countries and that will end in Seville, Spain, on 15th November.

There it is, the City Race European Tour 2015, a circuit whose identity is founding on the sportive tourism and in the promotion of Orienteering on the populations of large cities. After having involved the cities of London, Edinburgh, Porto and Barcelona in the first edition, carried out in 2014, the event grows this year in size and ambition. Edinburgh - with the flagship "Race the Castles" - will not be part of this issue, but come to its place the cities of Krakow (Poland), Seville and Antwerp, allowing to extend to six the number of events spread over five different nations. To achieve the global sum of 5.000 participants seems plausible for a circuit that reached three thousand in 2014, with 1447 scoring for the circuit's ranking in 12 competition classes.

Will be in Antwerp that the City Race European Tour 2015 will give the "kick-off", integrating the first edition of ASOM 2015 - Antwerp Sprint Orienteering Meeting. Three urban races in two days of competition - 5th and 6th of September -, such is the proposal of the Belgian organization, with two Sprint stages (with a time of 15 minutes allotted for the winner) in the afternoon of the first day and one stage more “fat” to fill the final day of competition, with times for the winners situated between the 35 and the 45 minutes. This will be a good way to explore the city of Antwerp, taking the opportunity to learn or improve the practice of an exciting sport and whose challenge has been accepted by more than 300 athletes so far, some of them world-class. This applies to the Russian Galina Vinogradova, bronze medallist in the final of Sprint of the recent World Championships, the Belgian Yannick Michiels, ranked fifth in the final od Sprint of the same competition, the British Christopher Smithard, the Spanish Antonio Martinez and the Norwegian Øystein Kvaal Østerbø and Elise Egseth, among others. More information about this event can be found on the official website, at http://www.asom.be/en/home.

After Antwerp, London will receive on 12th and 13th September the second stage of the circuit, followed by Porto (25th/27th September), Krakow (10th/11th October) and Barcelona (31st October and 1st November). Everything will end in Seville, on 14th and 15th November, with the Sevilla O-Meeting. For more information, see the webpage of the City Race European Tour at http://cityracetour.org/.

Joaquim Margarido

Porto City Race 2014: Third edition comes in October

For the third year in a row, the Invicta receives an international orienteering event. We talk about Porto City Race 2014, an event focused in some of the most emblematic places of the city and that, over three days, has to offer entertainment and excitement, pleasure and discovery, to meet Porto - World Heritage Site.

From 3rd to 5th October, the city of Porto returns to host a major Orienteering event. Spread over three stages, with separated standings, the Porto City Race 2014 is an event of urban Foot orienteering, organized by the Grupo Desportivo Quatro Caminhos, with the partnership of Municipality of Porto, through the Porto Lazer. Open to people of any age, participating individually or in groups, the event is part of the City Race Euro Tour, along with the cities of London, Edinburgh and Barcelona.

Committed to double the entries registered in the previous edition and overcome the barrier of one thousand of participants, the organization of the Port City Race 2014 selected for the present edition the best of the Porto's natural and built heritage, offering a rich and varied program. The first stage will be carried out over the historic centre of Porto, on the evening of 3rd October. Next day dawn, it will be the City Park to welcoming, almost simultaneously, the Relay and the Score race. Finally, the queen stage that ends the 2014 edition of the Port City Race, will be held at Foz Velha, on the morning of 5th October, scoring for the ranking of the City Race Euro Tour and the Urban National Circuit. Among the “notables” who offer their image to the event, as Ambassadors, we can see “the man of the ultra-marathon Spartlathlon”, João Oliveira, and Pedro Henriques, former football referee, sports commentator and columnist.

The entries to the Port City Race can be made online via Oasis platform, or from the address inscrever@gd4caminhos.com, mentioning the name, date of birth, ID card, cellphone, class and stages of participation. Entry fees are stipulated by the Portuguese Orienteering Federation, with values ranging from € 1.50 (Schools) to € 7.00 (non-federated, older than 20 years). The registration for Open Classes may be made up to the day of the event, being, however, subject to the availability of maps. Sign it right now on your agenda and accept the challenge in scenarios of charm and beauty, with a map and a compass in your hands.

To know more about the Porto City Race 204, please visit the event webpage at http://www.gd4caminhos.com/en/portocityrace.

Joaquim Margarido