OXFAM TRAILWALKER

Aussies beat Gurkhas in 100km Classic

by Mark Phillips

A team of orienteers has beaten the crack Queen’s Gurkhas Signals Regiment to win the Oxfam Trailwalker 2004, held this year in mountain country east of Melbourne. On Friday 26th March, 340 teams lined up for this challenging endurance fundraising event. Teams of four must race together (not in relay) to complete a 100km. course through bush terrain in less than 48 hours. For the serious teams there was little walking and a lot of gruelling running ahead.

THE event originated in Hong Kong in 1981 as a military training exercise for the Gurkhas Regiment and to raise funds for Oxfam Community Aid Abroad. For this year’s event near Melbourne, a group of Orienteers formed a team named “Groin Sprains Again” to challenge the might of the visiting Gurkhas. Champion marathon runner and Orienteer Peter Mitchell joined Sydney ultra-runner Damon Goerke, mountain runner and Orienteer Mark Phillips and Nigel Aylott, ultra endurance athlete and World Rogaining champion. Various other teams contained many local orienteers.

Commencing at Jells Park in Melbourne’s east, the route wound through Churchill Park, Lysterfield Lake, north to Belgrave and Ferntree Gully, up the famous Thousand Steps and through the Dandenong Ranges National Park via Sassafras, Olinda, Silvan and Mt. Evelyn. Much of this route was across existing Orienteering maps giving local orienteers some confidence in knowing their position. Next was the Lilydale-Warburton Rail Trail, through the Yarra Valley to Warburton and finally up Mt. Donna Buang to the finish on the summit. A scenic but very challenging course.

The Gurkhas began very fast through the suburban parklands and quickly disappeared from sight. “Groin Sprains Again” settled into a more conservative pace and soon found themselves in second place, a position they maintained for many hours until near the 75km. point at Woori Yallock. Suddenly the Gurkhas team appeared up ahead. They seemed to be suffering from their early fast pace and the heat of the day. It wasn’t long before our Orienteering heros overtook them and raced into the lead.

NORWAY • SWEDEN • SCOTLAND ORIENTEERING TOUR 2005

Unni and Neil Lewis are organising an escorted orienteering tour in 2005. We will be travelling in a small bus and camping and cooking for ourselves for approx 6 weeks. The trip will include Norway's Sørlandsgaloppen, Swedish 5 day and Scottish 6 Day. The tour also will include several permanent orienteering events, walks, museums, castles, fjord cruise and other spectacular tourist sights and experiences. We will be a maximum of 12 orienteers so register your interest now and further details will be sent to you.

The winning “Groin Sprains Again” Oxfam team: Peter Mitchell, Mark Phillips, Nigel Aylott and Damon Goerke

The excitement of taking the lead over of the famous Gurkhas – known for their toughness and endurance – pumped energy to the legs of the weary “Groin Sprains Again”, carrying them at a fast pace to Warburton and then up the mountain. With one kilometer to go the team realized they were a chance to break the 12-hour barrier, a feat not achieved before by an Australian team. They sprinted on pure adrenalin to the finish line in a time of 11 hours 59 minutes 41 seconds, becoming the first Australian team to break the magic 12 hours. The Gurkhas came second in a time of 13 hours 34 minutes promising to return next year to win back their title.

As a result of their impressive win, the “Groin Sprains Again” have been invited to race in the Hong Kong Trailwalker event this November, an event three times the size of that in Melbourne. The course will be around the country parks of the New Territories where APOC events have been held. The team will be sponsored by Asia Miles and will start with the first wave of elite teams. They are looking forward to this next challenge and will be proud to represent Oxfam Australia.

NEW ZEALAND

Orienteering Tour – January 2005

Unni and Neil Lewis are organising an escorted tour incorporating the Oceania Orienteering Event near Auckland in January 2005. We will be travelling in a small bus, camping and cooking for ourselves for approx 3 weeks. The trip will include the 8 O Events, a tour north to the Bay of Islands, Cape Reinga,(vineyards, dolphins, boat trip etc) and south to Waitomo, Rotorua, Taupo (caving, canoeing, thermal wonderland, volcanoes) and other spectacular tourist sights and experiences. There will be limited numbers so register your interest immediately and further details will be sent to you.