Runners from Airienteers braved torrential weather conditions around the notoriously tough Kilburn and White Horse area.

The area is renowned for combining intricate navigational challenge with steep and rocky terrain to pose a significant challenge to the best orienteers.

Headingley’s Neil Conway took an early lead on the 8.6km Black course but was overhauled by international runner Duncan Archer of Cleveland eventually finishing fourth with Horsforth’s Tim Street in fifth place.

Another notable performance was that of Baildon’s Cerys Jones on the 5.1km Blue course. Cerys, one of Airienteers’ several promising junior runners, finished second behind senior runner Philip Batts of Cleveland. Cerys took an early lead but a couple of mistakes cost her dearly. However, perseverance and fitness paid off to enable her to finish less than a minute behind the course winner.

On the 2.6km Very Short Green course, Margaret Parker finished third behind Cleveland’s Pippa Archer, while at the other end of the age range, Miles Gilleard of Bingley finshed second on the Light Green course.

A day earlier, runners hit the streets of Easingwold for an urban event in much more benign conditions.

On the 4.8km A Course, Tim Street had an epic battle with three other runners including fellow Airienteer Leon Foster to finish second with Foster finishing fourth behind winner Carl Edmonds.

On the same course, Menston’s Andrew Kelly finished as the second over-40 male.

The B Course provided two age group winners for Airienteers as British Sprint champion, Maurice Calvert of Calverley, won the over-55 male class and Heather Phipps won the over-40 female class.

On the Under-16 Male class, Daniel Calvert finished second to Eborienteers’ Rowan Capper with Miles Gilleard in third place.

Full Airienteers results for both events are as follows (positions in brackets): Kilburn & White Horse: Black: Neil Conway (4), Tim Street (5) Short Brown: Peter Avis (16), James Avis (mp) Blue: Cerys Jones (2), John McDonald (5), Peter Jones (6), Martyn Gill (7), Howard Sawyer (9), Nick Jones (13), Sam Avis (19), Gerry Symes (20), Bill Fawkner-Corbett (26), Simon Bowens (retd), Chris Burden (mp) Short Blue: Val Gilleard (12) Short Green: Alan Parker (9) V Short Green: Margaret Parker (3) Light green: Miles Gilleard (2) Easingwold: Male U16: Daniel Calvert (2), Miles Gilleard (3) Male Open: Tim Street (2), Leon Foster (4), Alistair Everett (5) Male O40: Andrew Kelly (2), Ian Marshall (7) Male O55: Maurice Calvert (1), Nick Jones (9), Simon Brook (14) Male O65: Chris Burden (3), Alan Parker (11), Fred Ross (12) Women Open: Lisa Broadest (3) Women O40: Heather Phipps (1), Val Gilleard (5) Women O55: Wendy Carlyle (8), Gill Ross (10) Women O65: Margaret Parker (6) Yellow: Alistair Broadest (2)