Some of the FVO Sprint Championship medallists

The FVO racing team enjoyed success right across the board at the Scottish Sprint Championships in Kirkintilloch, as they came away with seven national titles on a 18 medal day.

Flat, quick courses made for hectic racing, with seconds counting on every leg, and Chris Smithard showed he's still the man to beat in sprint orienteering, winning the Men's Open title in 13.47. James Hammond stepped up from the age-classes again, and held the lead (14.12) until Chris came in late to shunt him into 2nd place. Jamie Goddard won M20 (17.43) on the same course, while Sam Hunt was 3rd in M18 (17.50).

Will Hensman successfully defended his Men's Veteran title in 14.01, to extend his unbeaten run in the class to five years, and took a notable scalp in the shape of former GB sprint star Murray Strain, who raced in six World Championship finals during his international career. Paul Hammond took another bronze in 14.58.

The major talking point on the Men's SuperVet course was a first-ever championship medal for Rupert Parkinson, who came home strong off an outstanding middle section to claim the bronze medal in 13.54.

The FVO ladies were no less prominent; Rachel Kirkland in Women's Vet (14.35) and Alison Cunningham in Women's SuperVet (13.44) both topped their class, while Heather Fellbaum ran up a class for silver in Women's Vet (16.05), a position that was equalled by Lucy Hensman in W18 (20.39).

Both Young Junior Women's champions are from FVO, as Hannah Inman secured another title for her growing collection in W12 (8.10), with Esme Finch taking the silver in 9.27, and Lucy Finch snagged a debut title in W10 (17.18).

There were four more medals in the junior classes, as Esme Kelly won silver in W14 (14.18), and there were bronze medals for Matthew Inman (M14 - 13.44) , Eilidh Connor (W14 - 16.56) and Rebecca Hammond (W16 - 12.33).

Away from the sprints, there was more success in non orienteering races thousands of miles apart and in vastly different terrain, Lizzie Horsler partnered with CLYDE's Daniel Graves in the world's most northerly race, the Arctic Circle Marathon in Rovaniemi, Finland, and the pair were 3rd equal on the course, in 4 hours 29 minutes, in thick sonw and sub-zero temperatures. Peter Molloy, meanwhile, continued his victory tour of Central Asian republics, as he took the bronze medal in the Kyrgyzstan national cross country championship in 25.37 for the 8km course.