IN a tense climax to the National Orienteering Championships on Sunday, local runners Alistair Wood and Tony Thornley teamed up with Dave Chapman from Roundhay to become Men's Over-45's champions. Running against more fancied teams from all over Britain, tha Airienteers team won the coveted title in the Lakeland woods of Holker Hall.

Dave, known universally in the club as "Hopalong" for his strange taste in cowboy hats and his inimitable running style, ran the lead leg and managed to control his often wayward navigation with a quality run, hanging on to fierce Yorkshire rivals Eborienteers to hand over in fifth place. Alistair, a Menston local , handled the unexpected pressure superbly, looking a model of elegance in his new club orienteering strip. Quality navigation enabled him to overtake three of the top teams to hand over to Tony just a few seconds down on the British Army team and ahead of favourites South London.

Tony responded to the challenge and hid disappointment in only finishing third in the individual race the day before superbly. He put pressure on his younger and potentially quicker opponent straight away, overtaking him on the run-out to the first control. He lost him completely at the sixth control and from then on it was jut a case of making no mistakes. He anchored the team home to cheers from the Airienteers fans, three minutes ahead of the opposition.

Club chairman Jo Thornley of Ilkley was delighted."Airienteers have not hit the headlines often in the last season and it is brilliant to see our hard training and planning rewarded. We are now working on a local school's league to encourage more juniors to come forward to fill the gaps left by these aging lags."

The next orienteering competition locally is at Danefield on Sunday, May 16, from 10am, parking in Otley Cattle Market. There are courses for young and old, from beginners to experts. Just turn up or telephone Bernard Foster on 0113 2675606.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.