The 5^th Melbourne City Race at Port Melbourne will mainly be remembered for some wild weather! The day started off sunny, warm, and calm.  Then mid-morning, westerly wind squalls came through, playing havoc with tents and flags, while papers blew everywhere as we madly scrambled to secure everything.  Meanwhile at the Start, there was a huge crash as a tree toppled nearby, damaging cars belonging to nearby residents. At the same time we had to reposition a control, whose location was causing a building alarm to go off.   Then came the rain …  All part of City Racing.  Most people completed their course and stayed dry, and the presentations and random prize draw went ahead as planned.  By the time we packed up, the sun was back!  Gotta love Melbourne in spring.

With over 150 participants, this was the year’s biggest event.  We welcomed a team of 15 from Victoria University (VUPA), who had a fantastic time and loved the experience.  Congratulations to successful team members Narangerel, Tahseen and Ali!

We had some super close results on most courses, with results decided by mere seconds – and even a dead heat for first on W4, between Sophie A and Sophie T!  Congratulations to all placegetters.

The Melbourne City Race will be back bigger and better than ever, in November 2025!

Results and Splits

Maps

Photos

Find out more at www.melbournecityrace.com.au

We promised you something different – and Mt Lilydale certainly delivered!   The outdoor sections of this hilly campus are tricky enough, but when you add in the interior of a building with multiple entry points, a furniture maze in the centre, and more complications created by locker banks, corridors and internal doorways, you have something really out of the ordinary.  Fantastic job by mapper Peter Dalwood and course planner Pam King.

Today’s winners of the Flying Furlong, a gallop between the second last control and the  finish line, were Lucas Kent (30 seconds), Luca Topley Vlahos (33 seconds) and Sam Scadden (46 seconds). Congratulations!  You can collect your prizes from Registration at Ruffey Lake next Sunday.

We’ve updated the Series Standings – click here to see your overall points score after 3 races.  Heading up Course 1 are Matthew Layton and Keely Williams. On Course 2, Geoff Armstrong has a 2 point advantage over Sarah Love.  And on Course 3, Eofy Greenhan has the lead ahead of Elijah Spencer.   Series winners will receive their prizes at the Victorian Sprint Championships on Sunday 1 December.

Results and splits

Photos

Maps

Indoor map legend

Add some sizzle to your Spring and Summer, at a brand new series of sprint and short distance races in parks and campuses on Saturday afternoons or Sunday mornings.  Race at a different venue each week during October and November.   There are 9 amazing races on the calendar.  These fun, family-friendly events are perfect for newcomers, and will also test the skills of experienced orienteers.

TARRALLA WETLANDS, SUNDAY 27 OCTOBER, Civic Drive, Croydon

What a great place to explore with a map! No matter what pace you tackled the course at, there was an adventure to be had.  All courses began with some tricky legs around the council buildings and fences, requiring immediate focus on careful map reading.  After the road crossing, everyone enjoyed numerous controls along the newly landscaped creek, before preparing themselves for the Mad Dash around the athletics track.  Then it was on to the Giant Frog, the final control, and into the Finish!

Congratulations to course winners Torren Arthur, Sarah Love, and Izzy Greenhalgh.  Torren was pipped for the Mad Dash by James Love, who ran the 200m leg in a dashing 35 seconds.  Sarah was the Mad Dash winner on course 2, and Izzy took out the prize on course 3.

Our lucky random draw winner this week was Victoria Greenhan, who wins a free entry to the Melbourne City Race, just by pre-entering for today’s event.

The Series Scores have been calculated – check them here.  Your best 4 scores are counted, and series prizes will be presented at the Victorian Sprint Champs at Tarneit on Sunday December 1.

Tarralla Results and Splits

Maps

Photos

As originators of the Melbourne City Race, when we heard that Sydney was paying us the ultimate compliment by copying us, we booked flights, paid entry fees, and headed north for the weekend.  Saturday afternoon featured a very tricky sprint race at Pyrmont, while the Sydney City Race took place in the central city, featuring Circular Quay, the Opera House, The Rocks, and of course the Harbour Bridge.  Sydney is not by any means flat; we did more stairs than we could count in a single weekend.  High quality maps, courses and organising (and ideal weather) made for a very enjoyable weekend, and we returned full of enthusiasm for our won Melbourne City Race next month.

Congratulations to Ian, who placed second overall in the Pyrmont Sprint, and second overall and in his age class, in the Sydney City Race, bringing home two medals.  Check out photos from the race, in our Gallery.

Congratulations to those club members who competed at the recent VICTORIAN MIDDLE AND LONG DISTANCE CHAMPS, both pretty tough and technical events. at Blackwood and Nuggetty Range.  Making it onto the podium were:

Victorian Middle Distance – Pam King (2^nd), Rob Murphy 2^nd, Chris Klep (3^rd)

Victorian Long Distance – Chris Klep (1^st), Pam King (3rd), Rob Murphy (3^rd)

Add some sizzle to your Spring and Summer, at a brand new series of sprint and short distance races in parks and campuses on Saturday afternoons or Sunday mornings.  Race at a different venue each week during October and November – the perfect lead-in to the Melbourne City Race, the Victorian Primary Schools Champs, and the Victorian Sprint Champs, all in late November.

Summer Shorts and Sprints Flyer

Here’s what to expect:

• a great selection of full colour maps
• three action-packed, fun courses, with something for everyone from newcomers to top sprinters
• designed for fast thinking, with lots of controls, direction changes and route choices
• choose your own start time and course
• Sportident electronic timing, in Air mode (Sportident stick loan included in entry fee)
• low entry fees; enter online to go into our random prize draw!
• Kids Run Free at selected events – applies to under 13s.  Kids aged 13-20 pay half price
• Coaching and assistance for newcomers, and a family-friendly outdoor activity; no limits on age or ability, and no previous experience or special equipment needed

Race Calendar:

• Sunday October 13 – Jump In!  A free family activity morning at “Tarantula Park” in Rowville; the perfect way to get started with some spooky fun
• Saturday October 19 – Penola College, Broadmeadows
• Sunday October 27 – Croydon Town (new map)
• Saturday November 2 – MLMC, Lilydale – Indoor/Outdoor Combo
• Sunday November 10 – Ruffey Lake, Templestowe
• Sunday November 17 – Melbourne City Race
• Saturday November 23 – Deakin Burwood (tbc)
• Saturday November 30 – Salesian Sunbury
• Sunday December 1 – Vic Sprint Champs, Tarneit College

Click here to see maps from 2023

Questions?  email enquiries@drocorienteering.com.au

Summer Series is about to get under way!  Events take place four nights a week all over Melbourne, as well as in Geelong, Surfside, and on the Mornington Peninsula. For runners, courses will be scatter format (ie. pick the fastest route to get to a designated number of controls) with courses ranging from 3.5 to 10km. Power walkers, you’ll be sticking with score format, aiming to collect as many points as you can in 65 minutes.

How to find out more:
Click here to see the tables of coming events and results, to find more information about each series, and to access useful links.
Click here to see all coming events until the end of March.
Click here to find:

• A pdf version of the printed colour brochure
• The latest guidelines for participants
• A file to upload to your device’s calendar
• A master map of where the events are
• Course setting instructions and map note templates

Club members can buy Season Passes, on sale from September 30. These are great value – the savings are more than the cost of a club membership. Click here for all the details, prices, and savings.

DROC has acquired a new mountain bike map, at Tallarook in central Victoria (north of Mt Hickey). Graham Wallis once again volunteered to set courses, for the 4^th Vic MTBO Series event.  The area has a reputation for being steep, but part of the map is on a plateau with gentle contours and good, wide forest roads.  There is a steep drop off the escarpment to the east, but courses did not venture down there.  Unusually for a DROC mountain bike event, we had fine, clear weather!  The tall timber was a picture.  Graham’s courses were well received as always – a good challenge, with plenty of route choices.  We look forward to future uses of the map.  Thanks to all the riders who came along and christened the new map.

Click here for Results, Splits, and Livelox

Click here for photos

Candlebark Park is a real gem – nestled into the eastern side of Fitzsimons Lane and joined to Westerfolds Park by the Main Yarra Trail, it also connects to Lower Eltham Park, providing plenty of varied terrain.  The southern slopes have mainly open forest, interspersed with a network of narrow tracks, some of them crazily complicated as mountain bikers continually reshape them.  Out on the river flats in the centre of the map, there are some interesting erosion features.  Longer courses usually venture over the footbridge and across the Yarra, where they’ll find an equestrian cross country course, a miniature railway, and sports fields, with more forested slopes to the west.  It’s an ideal location for MelbushO, as the course planner can cater for all levels.

Helen Walpole did just that, with a Long Hard course (right) providing plenty of navigational challenge as it criss crossed the entire park.  The long legs were particularly fun!  Courses 2 and 3 provided shorter versions but with just as much to test orienteering skills; many returning participants commented on how tricky it was, and how they really enjoyed having to think the whole way.  Less experienced orienteers could tackle the moderate course 4 (below), while younger ones and newcomers enjoyed their first experience on course 5, which gave them a chance to explore either side of the river.

The weather proved testing, with showers interspersed with sunshine, on and off all day.  Enthusiasm wasn’t dampened, with courses universally enjoyed by all.  The DROC crew once again put on a smoothly run event, with results posted online within just a few minutes of the last finishers collecting their lollies and returning their hired SI sticks.

A big shoutout to both Helen and Damian, who both arose in the cold, dark and wet to put out 30 controls.  We also had heaps of help to bring them in quickly afterwards, which is very much appreciated!

FUN WITH MAPS!  Sunday April 28, 10am-1.30pm, Abbey Walk, Vermont

Eighty new orienteers came along to Abbey Walk last Sunday, to have some Fun With Maps, and learn some navigation basics. After an introduction, everyone chose from four different activities. The kids loved using their maps to hunt down ‘Pirate Pete’s Treasure,’ before moving on to a ‘Follow The Line’ course, a ‘Map Memory’ course, and the ‘SI Challenge’ – set up just like a MelbushO event, with a short line course, a chance to experience the start procedure just as they would at an event, and to practice the skills they’d learned, as they completed the course and received a splits printout. It was also an opportunity to ask lots of questions! Takeaways were souvenir maps and splits prints, stickers, and plenty of info about upcoming events. It was a perfect day for families to get outdoors with a map – which is what it’s all about! With smiling faces all round, we look forward to seeing how they go at their next orienteering adventure.

View more photos here