JK Relay 2019 - Eilidh Connor

FVO athletes were amongst the medals in the second race of the 2022 Scottish Orienteering Urban League series, with four atop podiums at the end of the day in Peebles.

Scarlett Kelly had the narrowest of winning margins, just one second ahead of WCOC's Daisy Rennie, as she picked up two seconds on the run-in, coming home in 22.38 to win the junior competition. Jamie Connor was 3rd on the course (25.35) and the leading junior boy, while Esme Kelly (28.38) was 3rd junior girl.

Eilidh Connor had a relatively straightforward win on the Young Junior course (12.30) to move to the head of the class standings as she scored the quickest split time on all but one of the course legs, and Ben Stansfield dug in to take 3rd place in Veteran Men (47.06), holding off the challenge of team-mate Mark Wood.

There was a dominance of the Veteran Womens podium by FVO athletes, as Rachel Kirkland (39.41) scored the win, ahead of Heather Thomson (42.48), with Beccy Osborn 3rd in 48.51. The race also counted for points in the Scottish Inter-Club Championship, and FVO is still 2nd overall in the Large Clubs table, behind ESOC, but the juniors now lead the Junior Inter-Club table, overtaking MAROC.

Alasdair McLeod was in scintillating form at the Lakeland Warrior meet in Cumbria, as he won both Middle and Long races. McLeod bided his time in the Middle race, and pounced on race leader Philip Vokes with two to play, turning a one second deficit into a 24 second lead, which he held through to the finish, coming back in 36.31.

The Long race win was more emphatic, as time of 62.52 was just over three minutes up on the chasing pack of athletes looking for an early mark in the international selection stakes for this year.

James Hammond and Will Hensman were in action as guest runners, and James belied his tender years to take 12th place in the Middle race in 42.19, overcoming several athletes with international aspirations, while Will was 14th (44.54). Both also took top 20 finishes in the Long discipline, Will 19th in 81.19 and James one place back in 81.59

In the womens race, Lizzie Stansfield was 8th (46.57) in the Middle, one place and 2 1/2 minutes ahead of Bryony McLeod, and the placings were repeated for the Long race, as Lizzie (86.19) got in just ahead of Bryony (86.27).