The sun was shining, the prickles were sharpened and the kangaroos out in force in anticipation of WA’s first Badge Event of the season. The courses were well set although the map had a few interesting additional tracks and vegetation changes.

In the women’s race Cath Chalmers, continuing her good form and determination, sustained an aggressive pace through scattered rock and thick bush that line the hillsides to win the day by over ten minutes. Sarah Dunnage ran up from W18 to take out second place, while Kellie Whitfield, recently selected for the Australian Junior Team to run in Lithuania in July, finished a very close third just over a minute behind.

In the Men’s race, it was always going to be a battle for the minor placings behind Craig “Mufti” Dufty and that’s how it eventuated — but with the added interest of Craig starting just behind most of the other starters. Craig took the time lead from the first control and never relinquished it in 9.3km of the prickliest and rockiest of our WA scarp maps — a far cry from Easter’s enjoyable running.

Ben Corry, a newcomer to orienteering moved into second place between controls 3 and 4, battled it with Steve Fletcher who had made the 5hr journey down from Geraldton for the event. Craig caught Steve on the ground at 5 and together they mowed down John at 7. All three were together until a long hill climb to control 10 where Steve faltered and John managed to re-catch Craig and get to control 10 first. From there they stayed as a pair until Craig pulled away down a rocky hillside before the last control. Steve lost the 2 minutes he had gained on John and also made an error at the penultimate control handing 2nd place to John.

Full results can be found on the OAWA website.

Thanks to “on-the-ground” reporters Karen Staudte & John Toomey.