It was the NGOC 50th anniversary this weekend, with some top quality forest races up in the Forest Of Dean. As always some Club members went up for the weekend, Knockalls on the saturday was a middle distance race, which looked like a great technical area. On Brown Jolyon took a 9th Ron Hick competed and Lyra came 2/64 on the Green,  seconds off the win there thats tough at the top! Esk did manage too win from 11 others on the Orange course so well done to her.

Sunday were longer courses at Lightning Tree Hill, with the whole Medlock family running- biggest field of the day was on the Green course with 103 entrants, Lyra taking a 6th from this huge number. Check out all results here and the routegadget shows the maps on the embedded links above.

Last night event 15 of the Wessex Night League Series, in Andover on a first use map. Another great area around Charlton Lakes where we ran around winter sports pitches with plenty people taking part in various trainings. The map and parks were bisected by a stream that the planner had cunningly added a control to in a fence gap- leaving you with a choice- run about a Kilometre around or go knee deep through the stream which of course meant most of the runners dived straight through the stream. It was a straight score event meaning distance race- with the lads at the top recording 12.5 ish KM distance to get all controls. If you look at the results theres x3 runners who committed to choices that took them over time, dedicated. 57 of us turned out on a frosty night probably the coldest this winter- we’ll be out again tonight for training, Short Hills is the session, you have to keep it up if youre going to keep a base fitness. Well done to Alan coming highest from our crowd, the top runners are still racing hard for the points- although it does look like Rob Finch of SOC will take the top place in the Open League competition. I worked out that the distance was over 12km for the whole set and due to the frosty streets and risk of falling over ran a steady course with two loops. Happy with my sequence.

You can view the other runners on Strava here on the flybys, its a good addition to the tech, works like an animation when you hit play. Next season we want to start a Strava WSX NL Group to get more people involved.

Finally heads up that Julie is planning to do a paired score in Queens Park for our last WSX NL event of the season, using the same idea as SOC did recently, will keep the brains working and the legs moving right through the hour. Love it.

Tomorrow theres a MLS in Fritham New forest, sunday a race at Star Posts what people call Swinley Forest, then next weeks NL. is in Marchwood again, Urban with a visit around the Military base there. Its my birthday eve too so see you there.