With the dust settling on Kaikoura Adventure Race, a few keen MPS Adventure Race Squad members carried on navigating into Easter weekend, attending the National Orienteering Champs, hosted by Peninsula and Plains Orienteering (PAPO) Club in Canterbury.

With 5 events across 5 days, there was something for everyone in the rather relentless wet weather.  Fantastic to see Mt Pleasant students out on 4 of the days across the Easter orienteering weekend, competing in the sprint, the middle, long and relay events. 

First up on Easter Friday was the much anticipated sprint event in downtown Christchurch.  This took competitors from a start area at Margaret Mahy playground through pedestrian strips and parks back to the Christchurch Convention Centre.  There was some exciting route choice options and also a maze that added to the navigation challenge.  All courses finished on what turned into a rather muddy swamp on the grass behind the convention centre. 

Saturdays event, the Middle Distance, took place on a new map in coastal pine forest at Waikuku Beach.  These courses all included tight technical navigation through sand dunes with great visibility through most of the forested areas.   Sundays long event, also on a new map, this time at Mt Cass, brought fantastic courses running across steep spur-gully terrain in open paddocks, pine forest and bush remnants on the farm property.  The weather well and truly came in with intent for this one and it got rather slippery in places, but there were still lots of smiling faces out on course.  

Relay day on Monday completed the traditional orienteering nationals weekend.  This event always has an amazing atmosphere and didn’t disappoint this year as all of New Zealand’s orienteering clubs lined up against each other in their respective age groups.  This event took place in Woodend Forest with teams of three running courses in the sand dune pine forest, tagging team mates as they came through the finish chute.   

Overall an amazing weekend full of fantastic exciting action!!

A huge Ka Pai - well done to all MPS Adventure Race Squad members that came out to have a run.  Super proud of you all.

Here is a snapshot of everyone’s results: