Nopesport

When the cold light of day woke people after Saturday nights ceilidh-dancing, beer-racing, superhero outfitted revellry it had an interesting tinge to it: white.

The overnight snow which saw 3000 clubbers trapped in Glasgow and caused mayhem on Scotlands road network meant a delayed start while people negotiated the short trip from Edinburgh to Kinneil Wood, Bo'ness. for those who were there on time this meant the obligatory snowman/thistle/phallus building competition.

Half an hour late the racing got underway with over 20 guys teams and 10 girls teams charging over the snowy fields kicking up a cloud behind them.

Guest Ian Nixon led for most of first leg before being passed by brother Mark of Edinburgh's first team in the latter stages. When first legs returned they spoke of unclimbable slopes when trying to cross rivers or get up the banking on the edge of the map.

On the girls first leg Aislinn Austin and Lizzie Adams led it in, both running for guest teams, so Birminghams Tessa Hill was the first student runner.

Matt Crane put Saturdays scrappy run behind him and put in the fastest leg time on second leg, where he overhauled Oleg Chepelin early on and opened up a 2 minute lead by the finish. Oleg still put in a time quicker than all the first legs, while Dan Halliday repaired the damage EUOC's second team suffered when Ed Nicholas dropped his SI Card.

It was another dropped SI Card which would prove critical in the girls race, as Sarah O'Neil for ShUOC 1 lost hers sliding down a slope, but unlike Ed she couldn't find it and had to retire. Becky Carlyle put in the fastest leg time but it was Mhairi Mackenzie of Edinburgh who brought EUOC into the lead. Mhairi didn't feel her health and fitness was up to two races back-to-back so she chose to run the relay to give the team the best chance possible.

After Craneys strong run on second leg Oli Johnson had a two minute lead over indiviual champion Murray Strain. With the area suiting Murrays cross country speed Oli had to work hard, and half-way round Murray had cut the deficit to 1 minute, and dropped Graham Gristwood of the guest team in the process. However it all went wrong when Murray dropped his map sliding down to the 17th control, and lost 45second retrieving it. Oli ran home cleanly to secure the mens relay for Sheffield, while Edinburgh had to settle for silver and bronze.

In the womens race Alison O'Neil posted the days quickest time to secure a gold for Edinburgh. The Durham trio of Morag Macniven, Kathryn Wilson and Elizabeth Bridge ran fantastically to take silver and holders Oxford took bronze.

These results meant that the overall team prize went to Edinburgh from Sheffield, with Oxford in third.

Thanks to everyone in Edinburgh involved in organising such a successful weekend, next year will see the championships move down the road to Durham.

Results