The National Orienteering League (NOL) for 2008 gets serious with 4 races over the Easter weekend. These events will also be selection races for the World Orienteering Champs (WOC) and Junior WOC. The format provides for separate NOL points at each of the 4 races, with an overall 4-day Easter championship based on cumulative times.

Those in contention for the Australian team at WOC 2008 in the Czech Republic are: Men - Julian Dent & Rob Preston (NSW), David Shepherd & Rob Walter (ACT), and Kerrin Rattray, Reuben Smith & Simon Uppill (SA); Women - Jo Allison & Allison Jones (ACT), Tracey Bluett (NSW), Vanessa Round (SA), Anna Sheldon (Qld), and Kathryn Ewels with the Neve sisters - Jasmine & Mace (Vic).

At the first NOL round in Victoria two weeks ago, Shepherd and Allison recorded close wins to put the Canberra Cockatoos in the lead in the NOL points table. Uppill and Preston took the minor placings in the men, with Ewels and Jones 2nd and 3rd respectively in the women's race. However, Julian Dent who did not run in Victoria, and was Australia's best placed man at last year's WOC in the Ukraine, should be too good for Shepherd and Uppill over the 4 days of Easter.

Australia's best orienteer (and 2007 2nd ranked marathoner) Hanny Allston will not be competing at Easter, having already been pre-selected for the 2008 WOC. Hanny is currently completing a post-graduate teaching course in Auckland (NZ). This leaves Jo Allison as a clear favourite to take out the Easter events.

In addition to the strong elite and junior elite fields, around 1,000 orienteers aged from under 10 to over 80 will be competing in age class competitions at this event. As usual the most competitive classes will be M50, M55, M60, and M65, and W50 and W55.

Event results will be posted daily at http://aus3days2008.orienteering.asn.au/index.php

Julian Dent and Jo Allison have won the first race - a sprint orienteering event held at Western Plains Zoo.

Julian completed the 3.5km mens course in 13:57, beating David Shepherd by 13 seconds, with Simon Uppill a further 6 seconds behind.

The women ran 2.7km, with Jo's time of 14:12 being 23 seconds ahead of Queensland junior Rachel Effeny, and 47 secs ahead of Jasmine Neve from Victoria.

Tomorrow's race is middle distance (winning times around 30 minutes), while Sunday is the classic long distance race (winning times 95 minutes for men, 75 for women).

Julian Dent apparently has had injuries over summer which interrupted his training, and he won't contest all the races, leaving David Shepherd as favourite to take out the overall title.