Skipton orienteer Joe Mercer Airienteers travelled to Cannock Chase to compete in the Midland Championships, which attracted a strong field from all over England and Wales across the different age-classes. The heavily wooded competition area was intricately contoured and technically demanding, providing runners with a good navigational challenge.

But Airienteers were prominent on the 13.9km M21 Elite course where Mercer was third in 94.09 and Ben Stevens, of Ilkley, was fifth in 97.24 - excellent results amongst a cluster of junior international runners. Laura King, from Ilkley, at W10 level was the only winner for Airienteers, although Florence Haines (W16) and Susan Stevens (W55), also of Ilkley, were both runners-up on their respective courses.

Other results for Airienteers on the long courses were (positions in brackets): M12 - Scott Marshall (7); M14 - Sam Wood (11), Joe Woodley (23), Davy Ker (33); M18 - Sam Wood (18); M45 - Chris Penny (27), Ian Marshall (33), Paul Wood (35); M50 - Peter Jones (21), Rob King (37); M55 -Martyn Gill (25); W14 - Helen Wood (6); W16 - Cerys Jones (10); W21 - Claire Towler (8); W45 - Lindsay King (30).

The next two Airienteer events are the annual New Year’s Day Score event on Ilkley Moor followed by a standard colour-coded event at Esholt Woods, near Guiseley, on Sunday January 3.