Patapsco McKeldin

Results are now posted below the event write-up as well as on Attackpoint, WinSplits, and RouteGadget.

FYI, online pre-registration is now available for our Greenbelt event (which will not offer day-of registration), but please note that QOC's next event is at Fountainhead, Jan. 13, where we will have day-of registration. [Greenbelt is the next Sunday - January 20.]

Happy New Year, and well met to all who attended the first QOC event of 2013. Like last season’s blockbuster New Year’s meet at McKeldin, the 2013 meet, too, was well visited with a little over 200 starts, of which more than 40 were unaffiliated with QOC, our sister clubs or the other familiar groups that regularly join us at the events. How nice to see so many new and well-known faces come and enjoy the beautiful park and navigate themselves around the terrain.

The participants were served with cool but sunny weather and a choice between any of the full range of courses set by Mark and Patti Mace. Due to the high number of participants (including a group that wasn't expected), we ran a bit short of some course maps – thanks very much to the people who offered to recycle their maps so that others could enjoy their desired course. To those who elected to try a diffent course: thanks for your flexibility, we hope that you had fun nonetheless! Especially, thanks go to Greg Lennon who scrambled back to print extra maps, so that as many as possible could run the course of their choice. As an extra treat, and in recognition of football fans torn between orienteering and cheering on Ravens and/or Redskins, a television set was brought out, courtesy of Eddie Bergeron.

As always, thanks so much to the volunteers who helped make the event run smoothly (and indeed, as we all know, made it possible at all): Julian and Richard Briggs lit a toasty fire and served up marshmallows, Mark and Patti Mace helped with parking directions, Jeff Haskell, Alex Bishop and Lydia Andrews had a busy time at the registration desk, Amy Louden, Heidi Onkst, Jon Torrance, Rikke Jepsen and Esben Jepsen had an equally busy time at the e-punch desk, and finally Dan Quinn, Don Ames, Jody Landers, John Baker, Mike Lieder, Tom Delaney and Tom Wells helped retrieve the controls from the woods. An extra word of appreciation goes to Lydia Andrews and Tom Delaney who showed up just to help out at the event.

Finally, welcome to the several new members who joined the club today; we look forward see you during the very busy spring season.

Kim and Anne Jepsen