LaTrobe University Bundoora

Saturday, 28 January 2012

A race at LaTrobe University’s Bundoora campus was the perfect way to celebrate the Australia Day holiday, and 75 relaxed, refreshed competitors came along to enjoy the event.  Course setter David made excellent use of the campus and parklands, providing a complex map that required more navigation than your average street event.  Fences, bridges, minor tracks, water features and narrow gaps between buildings created something of a maze, where speed alone was not the determining factor.  Many of us failed to notice the small track that would have taken us straight to 19, and headed to 6 instead – a control where route choice proved quite important.  After 5 and 3, a whole range of options opened up – stay to the south where there were less features and the navigation was more straightforward, or loop west then north, into the tangle of university buildings?  It was all great fun.

Janet and Geoff fought a close contest in Power Walkers - both scored 51 points but Janet was back sooner.  Phil G took third place with 49 points.  Janet’s third win was not enough to knock Doug off the top of the overall table.  Mike H had a great result, as did Andrew H who is still learning the ropes.

On B course, up and coming junior Patrick had another great run to win over Ray and Peter, backing up from his victory at Kew East the previous night.  Ray retains the overall lead.  On A course, Rachel beat Russell in what has become a great rivalry this season, with only a handful of points separating them, but it wasn’t enough to stop Tim from claiming the 100 points in his first race for the series.

The action for week 15 moves further north to Greensborough, a map that affords lovely views over the surrounding environs (translation:  it’s really hilly!)  The map’s main feature (besides contours) is a wonderful area of parkland running east-west through the middle, with lots of tracks that wind along beside Plenty River.