Dariusz Pachnik reports:

The first stage of ORIENTPARK WINTER CROSS, a winter cross-country running event, is behind us. The routes in Chojnów were quite demanding; numerous uphill and downhill sections, as well as frequent changes of direction, made it impossible to maintain an excessively fast pace, especially during the first part of the route. The difficulties were compounded by the weather. It drizzled on Saturday and throughout the night, making the forest-and-park route, largely covered with leaves, slippery and muddy. The second part of the loops was flatter and included a long straight section. The 5-kilometre race required two laps, while the 10-kilometre race required four.

The route was difficult, as the participants emphasized. No one managed to break the 40-minute barrier in the 10-kilometre race, which sufficiently demonstrates that it was not easy. In the 5-kilometre race, only the first three runners finished in under 20 minutes.

View photo: Orientpark Winter Cross View photo: Orientpark Winter Cross View photo: Orientpark Winter Cross

Nearly 100 people from three provinces took part in the competition. Chojnów residents naturally made up a very large group, but the largest team travelled from Iwiny, the town of the race organizers. Runners from Nowa Sól, Złotoryja and Lubin also formed a very strong group. The youngest competitors from Poznań had the farthest to travel.

Coach Dariusz Pachnik:

Against this backdrop, representatives of Bolesławiec performed very well. Patryk Kubik won the 5-kilometre race decisively, with Rajmund Ignaczak finishing second. Jędrzej Pachnik (UKS Orientapark.pl Iwiny) took third place and was also first in the junior category.

The second junior to cross the finish line was

Mikołaj Trzcinka from Iwiny, representing MKS “Bolesłavia” Bolesławiec. His younger brother Kamil took the lowest place on the podium. Klaudia Petters (Romet Factory Team) also ran very well, taking second place in the elite 10-kilometre category, behind the consistently strong Anna Ficner from Wilków, who had led for a very long time.

In the final 300 metres,

Maciej Orłowski from Paszowice produced a very strong finish and won the 10-kilometre race. Maja Nikołajuk triumphed in the junior girls’ 5-kilometre race, finishing just ahead of her twelve-year-old sister Martyna. Both are residents of Bolesławiec but represent UKS Orientpark.pl Iwiny.

And adds:

In the children’s race, our district was represented by children from UKS Orientpark.pl Iwiny. In the boys’ race for children up to 10 years old, the winner was, admittedly, Złotoryja representative Oliwier Salomon, but the remaining podium places went to “our” competitors. Sebastian Dzierżyk won silver, while Maksymilian Zaręba took bronze. Among the girls, Emilia Hetnar finished first and Gabriela Hałuza third.

Among girls aged 11–13, Oliwia Hetnar was unbeatable, with Maja Hałuza finishing third. The girls were separated by Wiktoria Piotrowska from Poznań. Antoni Pachnik won the boys’ race in the 11–13 age group.

The prizes were funded by Chojnów mayor Jan Serkies, who also served as honorary patron of the event.

Dariusz Pachnik sums up:

Although attendance at the race was not overwhelming, it was nevertheless very respectable for the launch of a new running series. Thirteen years ago, when we began organizing the Running Grand Prix of the Copper Basin, we had… 11 competitors at the first event. Today, more than 300 people come to Iwiny for our stage, known by the ironic name “Spacerek…” (“Little Walk”). So the start of ORIENTPARK WINTER CROSS is highly promising. We invite you to the next stages:

  • 31 December in Bolesławiec,
  • then on 23 January we will meet near the forester’s lodge in picturesque Jurków,
  • the final on 20 February, with the finish at Grodziec Castle!

The regulations, registration form and all other information can be found on www.orientpark.pl.

There will be prizes

Organizers:

There will be no shortage of prizes. We can reveal that at the second stage, the New Year’s Eve Race in Bolesławiec, the prize will be… a bearer driving course. The prize is funded by Piotr Owczarz, owner of the AUTOSZKOŁA driving school in Bolesławiec. The honorary patronage of the New Year’s Eve Race was assumed by Bolesławiec president Piotr Roman.

More photos can be found on the website of e-legnickie.pl.