On Sunday the RAF Orienteers raced – and won – in their annual club challenge match against the Police Sport UK Orienteers. This year it was hosted by the Police on Bradgate Park just north of Leicester.

There was fierce competition between the Police and RAF with the Royal Air Force team emerging victorious, winning not just the overall team race but also beating the Police on the men’s open, veterans and ladies events. The scoring team members were:

Men’s Open
1 – Rob N – RAF Benson
2 – Richard B – JHC Andover
3 – Ben L – Ministry of Defence

Men’s Veterans
1 – Philip J – RAF Waddington
2 – John L – Royal Air Force Honington
3 – Sean P – RAF Benson

Ladies
Karen H – veteran

One of the largest gatherings of RAF Orienteers of the year, this fixture was also an opportunity for some of the club’s novices and more recent members to meet other athletes, share tips and debrief their race performance. The club uses the fixture to help prepare for the Inter Service Championships that will be held in January, and also to run out other athletes who have not yet reached Inter Service level but are developing within the sport.

In his last race as RAFO Captain, Sqn Ldr Philip Johnston-Davis, who was also first home of the veterans, said: “It’s great to go out on a high. One of our key themes in this RAF 100 year is to ensure our Association builds for the future by capturing the volunteerism and participation during the RAF Baton Relay for which RAFO was the ‘backbone’ Sports Association, including the involvement of the Air Cadets. We had 27 regulars, reserves, veterans, cadet staff and family members running today, in age classes from four up to 75! We embrace the whole force – once RAFO, always RAFO.”

Thanks go once again to PSUKO for organising this match and making the RAF Orienteers welcome and to Leicestershire Orienteering Club for hosting our competition at their event.

For more information look for @RAFOrienteering on twitter, facebook and instagram or visit https://www.rafsportsfederation.uk/…/raf-orienteering-asso…/