The Lower Silesian Night Orienteering Championships began on Friday, October 25. Nearly 100 people took part in the competition. The family category, in which parents ran with their children, had the largest field. The youngest participants were primarily “0” grade pupils from Raciborowice, taught by Wioletta Szeliga, the mother of two decorated athletes.
Although the event was regional in nature, a large group from Greater Poland took part, as did competitors from Pomerania and the Czech Republic. The championships were organized by UKS Orientpark Osiecznica with financial support from Bolesławiec County.
The following day, the Lower Silesian Championships in the Classic Distance were held. The competition took place in the forest between Lubków and Okmiany. The courses were fairly long and required good physical preparation. The best seniors needed more than 75 minutes to complete the course, which measured 11.6 km in a straight line.
Our county was represented by two clubs: UKS Tukan Iwiny and UKS Orientpark Osiecznica. Our athletes won a total of 13 Lower Silesian Championship medals!
Aleksandra Pulda in the K12 category and Stanisław Pachnik in the M12 category, both from UKS Tukan Iwiny, won two gold medals each. Marcelina Matysiak (UKS Orientpark Osiecznica) won silver and bronze. In addition, one medal each went to: Dominik Beneda (silver in the night race), Eryk Pulda, Mateusz Klecha, Maja Karasiewicz (bronze medals in the night race), as well as Nikola Rajchel and Hubert Ryś (bronze medals in the classic distance).
The event was co-financed by Bolesławiec County and the Municipality of Warta Bolesławiecka.
On Sunday morning, a sprint race for the Cup of the Castellan of Grodziec Castle, Zenon Bernacki, was also held. The map covered the castle grounds and its outer bailey. The courses appealed even to professional orienteers, including Hanna Wiśniewska, who has, among other achievements, a world championship medal in the sprint distance.
Those who worked on organizing the competition were: Małgorzata Szeliga, Angelika Haniszewska, Barbara Hil, Ilona Hil, Dominika Burdyna, Dominika Kanikowska, Joanna Bondrow, Paulina Tschierschke, Wojciech Pachnik, Marek Wojnowicz, Mariusz Wojnowicz, Adam Pawłowicz, Marcin Wieczorek, Mateusz Madej and Grzegorz Madej.
(information: Dariusz Pachnik/ii)