Jonny Crickmore finishes the long race, photo: William Hollowell / IOF
The European Orienteering Championships in the Long or "Classic" format were held on Sunday 18th August. It was at Várgesztes, Hungary, using the same finish as the previous day's Middle Championship Race.
On a day with temperatures above 30, most athletes started with wet clothing. Some were even carrying water, and there were several drinks points. They were met with wet sponges and a fan with water droplets. All said how tough the course was.
There were clear winners in both the women's and the men's. With the field sorted by World Ranking (highest ranked starting last) and a start interval of three minutes for the later runners the final woman Tove Alexandersson passed all the athletes who started in the eighteeen minutes before her. Second was second last starter Simona Aebersold and third ws third last starter Andrine Benjaminsen. So pretty much as expected by the rankings.
In the men's race it was also the last starter who won - Kasper Fosser's winning margin being 3 minutes 43 seconds. Second was Daniel Hubmann, and third Miika Kirmula. Fourth was Emil Svensk, who Fosser caught at about halfway. It wasn't a case of Svensk then following though; plenty of the TV showed Svensk leading. Fabian Aebersold was fifth, and Viktor Svensk sixth.
There were eleven British runners, with the highest placed Grace Molloy who was 22nd. Jonny Crickmore was the highest placed GB man, just getting into the World Cup points.
Target Winning Times
Previous World Cup rounds this year were sprint ones, so this race was notable for being the first time a long race had the same target winning times for men and women. Until this year this was the one format where this was not the case. (And note that in championship knockout sprints the common practice now is for men and women to run the same courses, so the women run slightly longer in time.)
In practice compared to the targets, the women ran quicker than the men, particularly in the case of the top women, Tove, Simona and Andrine. Mostly in the World Cup points spots women were about 4 minutes quicker than the man in the same finishing position. Right at the top (top-3) though the gap was bigger: e.g. in third spot, Andrine Benjaminsen 92:34 vs Miika Kirmula 101:47.
Route Choice
It was a long so it majored on physical test and route choice.
There were some important route choice legs, notably long leg 4-5 on both courses. The commentators said the controls leading to this were expected to provide the athletes a chance to assess runnability and consider this leg in advance. At first glance it looks tempting to go to the right to save climb, and many runners did this, but in fact a closer look (comparing the ups in general terms) going straight is little more climb. The straight routes were a few minutes quicker..
A long leg later in the course (to 17 in the men's) was less successful as only a few runners did not take the best route.
And as usual orienteers could experience wild terrain.
Peter Molloy, photo: Marci Kriza
Some other runners
Adam Conway, who grew up with Guildford Orienteers and is a first year senior with Sheffield University, ran for Japan coming 110th, one place ahead of South London Orienteers' Jason Wong running for Hong Kong China. (As well as being the European Championships this is a World Cup round open to all national teams.)
Congratulations to Daniel Hubmann of Switzerland on his silver, eighteen years after his first EOC medal (also in the Long.)
Daniel Hubmann, photo: Eszter Kocsik
Women's Race
The course was 10.8m with 630m climb. 108 runners completed the course successfully.
Grace Molloy, photo: Rob Lines
Grace Molloy was 22nd. She was 46th in the EOC Long two years ago.
Fiona Bunn, photo: Eszter Kocsik
Fiona Bunn was 37th. She was 64th two years ago. Congratulations to Fiona on winning World Cup points for the first time: in ranking points this was her second best race ever.
Chloe Potter, photo: Rob Lines
Chloe Potter was 51st. She was 87th two years ago. In ranking points this was her best result ever.
Jo Shepherd, photo: Rob Lines
Jo Shepherd was 58th. She was 72nd two years ago.
Lucy Walker, photo: Rob Lines
Lucy Walker was 83rd. Friday's middle distance race and this race are her first World Cup races.
Men's Race
The men's race of 13.9km and 850m climb finished after the women's, with a big overlap as the men's starts were spread over more than six hours.
130 runners completed the course.
Jonny Crickmore, photo: Rob Lines
Jonny Crickmore was 40th, just high enough to earn a World Cup point.
Peter Bray, photo: Rob Lines
Peter Bray was 42nd. He was the only GB man in this year's team who had run two years ago, when he was 51st. This race joins his best five counting ranking scores - four of which are long races.
Peter Molloy, photo: Rob Lines
Peter Molloy was 45th.
Luke Fisher, photo: Rob Lines
Luke Fisher, this year's JK champion, was 58th. He was making his British team debut at these championships and this was easily his best ranking score.
Alastair Thomas, photo: Rob Lines
Alastair Thomas was 67th.
Nathan Lawson, photo: Rob Lines
Nathan Lawson, who currently tops the domestic rankings and had a top-2- in the recent World Champs in Sprint, was 104th. It seems unlikely he was his usual self this day.