2nd June 2024

Jo Gleig and I took on something a bit different today – Sheffield Urban Hill race, which combined running with orienteering. 

Brought in partnership with Inov8 and South Yorkshire Orienteers (SYO) it’s a race they hope to bring back in the autumn and then annually.

43 people (including 2 striders) took part, starting at Inov8’s new shop at Dyson Place. We were given maps, but not allowed to sneak a peek until the race started.

There were 6 checkpoints we had to visit, in order, using dibbers (like at RSR) to “check in”. The optimum route was apparently 10km, and I clocked in at 10.4km so couldn’t have been too far off.

I was a bit worried I would go completely wrong because I am the sort of person who gets lost in a car park, but the urban nature of the orienteering, being in my “local” patch and some help from my fellow strider meant that all went well!

It was a mass start at 10am, which I thought would mean us all following each other and congestion at the control points, but in fact everyone had dispersed before the first checkpoint. Jo and I ran most of it together, which I think helped us both in terms of directions and keeping pace up the hills!

It was a beautifully sunny day (albeit a bit on the warm side for running) but it was a really enjoyable run and something a bit different. I would definitely recommend it to runners and orienteers alike. 

First male was Adrien Gallet in 41:16.

First female was Chloe Potter in 44:22.

Strider’s results: