Houghton String Course,
If like me, you orienteer and you’ve got children, you’ll have spent many hours on string courses the length and breadth of the county, if not the country. Appreciating the effort that goes into putting an event on for the budding stars of the future, I felt compelled to agree to put on the string course for Houghton.
We decided we wanted to have a bit of fun with our course and wanted to encourage some of the bigger kids amongst us (sometimes known as adults) to have a go. So the First (totally unofficial) Sussex String Course Championships were born!
The theme, courtesy of my kids, was the “Chimp Challenge”, based around the chimp from the PG Tips advert. As well as the usual sweets for all, there was a tea bag for everyone and a prize of a big box of PG Tips (with free chimp beany hat!) for the fastest age adjusted time, with adjustments based on SE League scoring.
Overall we were delighted to get 57 runs from 32 individuals, with 11 brave “bigger kids” having a bash and Tom, Matthew and Sam contributing 18 of the runs between them!
Competition was fierce amongst the “bigger kids” and they were closely watched by lots of little people to ensure they stuck to the string through the devilishly tricky “Squiggly Wiggly Bit”! The male winner, with the fastest overall time, was Daryl High but the star was surely Jan Ireland who was 2nd fastest overall and fastest age adjusted by a whopping 38s. Finally a public apology from me to Jan as, not believing how fast she’d run, I asked her to do it again to make sure I’d got her time right! She was 4s slower 2nd time round, pretty consistent!
Kenny, Matthew, Jack & Sam Leitch
     Official String Results plus the fun bit
Name Age Class Club Time Taken Age Adjusted Time
1 Heather High W2 SO 23.14 16.24
2 Tom Jarvis M8 SO 7.32 5.39
3 Sam Leitch M6 SO 8.30 6.23
4 Matthew Leitch M9 SO 5.47 4.20
5 Tom Jarvis (2) M8 SO 7.58 5.59
6 Jack Leitch M9 SO 6.18 4.44
7 Matthew Leitch (2) M9 SO 5.42 4.17
8 Sam Leitch (2) M6 SO 10.30 7.53
9 Tom Jarvis (3) M8 SO 7.13 5.25
10 Jack Leitch (2) M9 SO 6.04 4.33
11 Tom Jarvis (4) M8 SO 5.50 4.23
12 Sam Leitch (3) M6 SO 10.00 7.30
13 Matthew Leitch (3) M9 SO 5.39 4.14
14 Tom Jarvis (5) M8 SO 6.34 4.56
15 Aaron Taylor M6 SO 14.35 10.56
16 Hannah Taylor W3 SO 22.45 16.04
17 Tom Jarvis (6) M8 SO 7.23 5.32
18 Sue Parker W65 SO 8.05 3.58
19 Matthew Couldery M3 GO 22.15 16.41
20 Philip Couldery M3 GO 22.15 16.41
21 Nick Jarvis M12 SO 5.04 3.55
22 Sam Leitch (4) M6 SO 10.00 7.30
23 Nick Jarvis (2) M12 SO 5.28 4.14
24 Matthew Leitch (4) M9 SO 8.30 6.23
25 Alistair Masson M12 MV 5.15 4.04
26 Nick Green M45 MV 5.05 4.13
27 Claire Leitch W40 SO 6.32 4.45
28 Sylvia Coles W60 SO 10.10 5.25
29 Alistair Masson (2) M12 MV 6.30 5.02
30 Sam Leitch (5) M6 SO 9.28 7.06
31 Matthew Leitch (5) M9 SO 5.32 4.09
32 Jack Leitch (3) M9 SO 6.14 4.41
33 Dave Funnell M40 SO 6.42 5.57
34 Les Coles M65 SO 7.13 4.34
35 Ed Lines M10 SO 5.47 4.20
36 Alex Lines M14 SO 10.54 8.43
37 Alistair Masson (3) M12 MV 4.51 3.45
38 Ed Lines (2) M10 SO 5.18 3.59
39 Jack McCarthy M14 10.00 8.00
40 Tom McCarthy M7 10.00 7.30
41 Emily W12 9.50 7.09
42 Isobel W12 9.50 7.09
43 Dara McCarthy W12 9.50 7.09
44 Jade Dikken W9 7.43 5.27
45 Ed & Alex Lines (relay!) M10/14 SO 4.40 4.00
46 Jack Barnett M12 6.27 5.00
47 Alan Barnett M40 6.07 5.26
48 Barry McElearney M40 SO 4.49 4.17
49 Daryl High M40 SO 4.06 3.39
50 Kieran Moore M12 5.56 4.36
51 Kieran Moore (2) M12 5.27 4.13
52 Jan Ireland W50 SO 4.39 3.01
53 Jan Ireland (2) W50 SO 4.42 3.03
54 Rob Lines M40 SO 6.05 5.24
55 Matthew Leitch (6) M9 SO 5.46 4.20
56 Kieran Moore (3) M12 5.18 4.06
57 Sam Leitch (6) M6 SO 7.30 5.38