More Entries Flow In for World Championship

New countries represented are Denmark and Finland

No sign of current titleholders, Aylott and Kakko, yet

With three months to go and less than one month to entry close, nearly 300 entries have been received for the 4th World Rogaining Championship to be held in Canterbury, NZ. A particular note for NZers is that there is a limit of 400 people and if it looks like this will be reached then local competitors will be put on a waiting list.

We bring you more inside info on the background of those on the entry list. Unless otherwise stated, places mentioned are in NZ. And most of the "facts" are from memory, please excuse the inevitable lapses.

• Peter Watson and Maurice Lloyd are a speedy pair from Hawkes Bay, who won the 6-hr category of the Makara Rogaine last December. Peter also planned the 12-hour in Hawkes Bay in, when was it, 96? Mens vets.
• Richard Robinson and Peter Merrotsy are a highly experienced vets pair from Queensland. They had to retire from WRC3 when one of them developed a severe case of hyperthermia. We're not expecting 40 degrees this time, guys!
• Geoff Lawford and Rod Gray, from ACT, were the vets winners at WRC2 in WA. Lawford won M40 at the Aust O Champs recently by one of the bigger margins in the event. He is also the author of "Navigate", the orienteering simulation software.
• Frede Scheye and Niels Lyhne are from Denmark, where the highest point above sea level is only 147m. Better bring some oxygen bottles, guys!
• Mike Sheridan and Alan Stowell come from a mountain running background, but have also dabbled on orienteering. They are among a group of Wellington entrants who are organising 3-hour after-work rogaines as practice for WRC4. In fact they were the winners of last night's event! Mens vets
• Tony Gazley and Chris Tait have even more mountain running form than Sheridan and Stowell, and are now thoroughly into rogaining. They went to WRC2 and WRC3, organised last year's Makara 12-hour, and are planning Wgtn's November after-work event. Mens Vets.
• Ted van Geldermalsen (Wgtn) is one of NZ's most experienced rogainers, having done the Most Awesome Rogaine, and WRC1-3. As well as orienteering he is into multisport, and his fitness has left former partner Michael Wood way behind. He'll be with Ray Pratt from Christchurch.
• Allan Stradeski from Kamloops in BC was the planner of WRC3, and numerous other rogaines in BC. He'll be in Mens Vets with Brendan Mathews.
• Mick Webster is a former orienteer from Beechworth, where WRC1 was held. The location was supposed to be secret, but some NZ friends arranged to stay with Mick, only to find that they were living on the map!!! Mick has entered with his brother Bob who lives in Christchurch.
• Paul Hoopman from South Australia was the co-winner of the vets class in WRC3, having bucked the conventional wisdom (!) by heading NORTH into the open area. He'll be with Leigh Privett from Victoria, also with a good orienteering and rogaining pedigree. This is a strong Mens Vets team!
• Peter Taylor from South Australia is president of the Australian Rogaining Assn, and a member of the IOF Mrathon-Orienteering Working Group. He'll be with Geoff Mercer, in Open Men.
• We now know that Canterbury multisport athlete, Coast-to-Coast record-holder, etc etc will run with John Howard, another of the same ilk. And that Russell Prince will partner his son Aaron, top NZ junior orienteer and also an awesome multisport practitioner. And that Mark Lawson's partner will be former NZ representative elite orienteer Rob Jessop.
• Watch Jason Markham and Shane Potaka. A couple of NZ Army regulars, these guys have won BOTH NZ's last 12-hour events, and Markham, a virtual unknown in NZ orienteering, popped up at the Central Districts Orienteering Champs two weeks ago and came second in M21E. The other guys couldn't believe their eyes!
• Phil Holman is the president of the Victorian Rogaining Assn, the cradle of rogaining you might say. He'll be with Julian Ledger in Open Men.
• Paul Pacque, a Belgian who lives in Tasmania, is coming to NZ in early December just to acclimatise for this event! Paul got offside with his orienteering federation when (with his fluent French ability) he stood up for the participants at the 1998 Junior World Orienteering Champs in France. There were some fairly unsatisfactory arrangements, which the organisers weren't being too helpful about. But I digress. Paul who is M40 must have a younger partner because they are in Open Men.
• Mark Copeland organised Wellington's first afterwork honesty rogaine, he'll be with Dave King, who organised last night's one.
• Alistair Cory-Wright of Auckland is the Manager of the NZ National Orienteering Squad, but has also dabbled in multisport. As has his brother Guy who will run with Alistair.
• And here are the second placegetters from WRC3, teaming up again. The partner-killer Greg Barbour, and the planner of WRC1 David Rowlands whose no-holds-barred criticisms have shocked the rogaining world. Has marriage (to Spanish orienteer Encarna Maturana) mellowed the Kiwi-living-in-Scotland? Has parenthood calmed the acerbic pen of the Australian. (Perhaps the baby has pulled the plug out of the modem.) Watch this space...
• Andrew McComb from South Australia won the Vets class at WRC3, going off into the desert with Paul Hoopman while the rest of us were scurrying for the trees. This event he partners his brother (younger presumably) Peter in Open Men.
• Helena Makela and Mari Hamalainen are notable because they come from Finland. Open Women.
• Nicole Davis is said to be from BC, but I think she's an ex-pat Australian. At any rate her partner Anthea Feaver comes from WA, well that's after growing up in New Zealand, in fact in Canterbury. Though eligible to run W35, Anthea won the W21E Australian title last year, so this pair have some form!
• Rachel and Rebecca Smith are twins in the National Orienteering Squad. They've both had lots of international orienteering experience.
• Jenni Adams scored NZ's top result at the World Orienteering Champs this year, and with brother Michael came second outright in the latest 12-hour rogaine in NZ. However she'll be with her partner-in-life, Englishman Rob Hart. Open Mixed.
• And the aforesaid Michael Adams will partner Antonia Wood. Tone scored NZ's best results at the previous World Orienteering Champs, and has a string of NZ Mountain-running successes to back that up. Will this be enough to overcome a lack of specific rogaine experience?
• Susan King and Barry Hope (actually husband-and-wife) from Blenheim are classic rogainers. Although members of the tiny Marlborough Orienteering Club, they come from a tramping background, that's bushwalking to you guys over the Tasman. They've been at or near the top in the Mixed category in all the rogaines they've been in, this is probably the first time they've had a Mixed Vets class to enter.
• Richard Matthews was one of the key people behind WRC2 in Western Australia. I've got an inkling he might have won NZ's first 24-hour event near Wanaka, too. He'll be a Mixed Vet with Helen Bailey.
• Not only is Wayne Aspin one of NZ's top M50 orienteers, but his wife Trish is a multiple World Masters medallist! Plus they've got heaps of tramping, mountain marathon and rogaining experience. Watch this team in Mixed vets!
• But against the Aspins we have CURRENT World W45 Orienteering Champion Roz Clayton, running with Greg Luxton. Roz was a multiple British orienteering representative, now running an outdoor education business in Hanmer. Like, she doesn't push a pen for a job!