During the summer break, many of our Saturday Orienteering Series runners took part in the Oceania Sprint Championship weekend on the NSW Central Coast. Whilst competitors mostly came from Australia and New Zealand, racers from further afield also featured.
Saturday featured the 2026 Oceania Knock-Out Sprint Championships at St Peters Catholic College and Green Point Christian College. The knockout format delivered fast, high‑pressure racing with winning times under ten minutes and mass starts that demanded sharp navigation and close concentration to deal with small course variations for individual runners. Margins were tight, spectators were loud, and the field was whittled down through Qualifiers, Quarter Finals and Semi Finals until only six runners remained for the Finals.
Australian women dominated, sweeping gold, silver and bronze. A special congratulations to past Bold Horizons coach Nea, who claimed the title and secured her place on the Australian team for this year’s World Orienteering Championships in Italy. In the men’s race, New Zealand’s Joseph Lynch took the win, with Canberra’s rising star Elye Dent finishing just one second behind.
Sunday’s Individual Sprint Championships at Central Coast Grammar School delivered more fast, technical racing. The format was very similar to our regular school‑based SOS events. Coach Cooper, recovering from illness, chose this as his sole race of the weekend and finished a close second to his Australian JWOC teammate, Elye Dent.
Monday wrapped up the carnival with Sprint Relays at the University of Newcastle’s Ourimbah campus. Teams consisted of two female and two male runners. Australia claimed victory in the Open Class with (with Nea the final leg runner). The 18‑and‑under category was also won by an Australian team, with SOS regulars filling many of the podium places.
Across the three days, young athletes gained invaluable experience with race quarantines, technical courses, big‑race nerves and the challenge of competing alongside older, more seasoned runners. The weekend highlighted that success is shaped not only by medals but by consistent effort, attitude, respect, resilience and the ability to stay calm under pressure.
Camaraderie was strong throughout, with competitors eagerly comparing route choices and replaying split‑second decisions in the hunt for clean, fast execution.
A huge thank you to Central Coast Orienteers, Orienteering NSW, Orienteering Australia and the many volunteers who made the weekend possible.
