Airienteers were runners-up in the North-East Regional round of the Compass Sport Cup last Sunday, the annual nationwide inter-club orienteering competition.

The event was one by South Yorkshire (2,379 points), with Airienteers second (2,275), Cleveland third (2,187), York fourth (2,076) and Newcastle fifth(1,399).

The competition was based at Silton Forest, near Thirsk - a steep area of mixed woodland with detailed contours and rock features on the western edge of the North York Moors, which made for some tough orienteering.

In a hard-fought competition, there were good runs by many Airienteer runners, and the best runs on each of the colour-coded courses were Tim Patterson from Headingley (eighth on 8km brown), Peter Haines from Ilkley (second on 6.9km blue men), Ruth Ker from Leeds (fifth on 6.2km blue women) and Tony Carlyle from Harden (third on 4.7km green men).

Other notable runs came from Addingham's Shirley Wood (third on 4.4km green women) and Hillary Allen (second on 3.1km short green women), Florence Haines from Ilkley (fifth on light green women), and Ruaridh Mon-Williams from Ilkley (second on 2.5km orange).

An encouraging outcome was that no fewer than seven local runners made the top 20 on the longest 8km brown course.

Other leading Airienteer results were as follows - Brown course: Steve Watkins (10), Neil Conway (14), Rob Patterson (16), Paul Leipins (18), Dave Alcock (19), Dave Bowman (20). Blue course, men: Alistair Wood (8), Andy Kelly (21), Peter K Jones (27), Ian Marshall (28). Women: Natasha Conway (9), Rebecca Mon-Williams(19). Green course, men: Roger Lott (16), Ken Patterson (25), Tom Crowther (26). Women: Susan Stevens (9), Lindsay King (10), Wendy Carlyle (12), Joyce Marshall (13), Alex Watkins (21). Short Green course: Gill Ross (13), Jo Thornley (15). Light green course: Helen Wood (8), Cerys Jones (12), Sam Wood (13), Davy Ker (17), Sam Avis (22). Orange course: Scott Marshall (5).