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      23rd annual Winter CLASSIC (and Wayne Cretney Memorial)

2nd August, 2009

The Winter Classic is an endurance event that is both physically and mentally demanding. The event is a BLODSLITET type navigation event; a relay where you do all five relay loops yourself.  There are nine trophies for the various solo grades, including the handsome ‘Wayne Cretney Memorial’ cup.

Can you handle the Winter Classic?

This year the Classic was not run in the Wairarapa but in the Wellington hills, on a new map of some of Wellington city's most rugged terrain. Steep, overgrown and not for the faint-hearted!

And if you want a team challenge you can try the Three hour Challenge - for teams of two to five. You can visit the checkpoints in any order, rogaine style, and you have three hours to find as many as possible.

There are categories for schools teams, in both the Winter Classic and the Three hour Challenge.

Challenge your body and your mind!

News 2009

Hall of Fame, 17 Sep 09
Winners list created. View them here.

Archives updated for 1991, 17 Sep 09
Winners found for 1991. View them here.

Challenge Winner's Routes, 6 Aug 09
The top 3 Challenge winners describe their routes here.

Final Results, Splits and Maps, 5 Aug 09
Detailed results available. Results and leg times can be viewed here. Split times can be viewed here. Maps/Courses can be viewed here.

Race Report, 4 Aug 09
Detailed race report available here.

Baker, Markham, Swanson take the classic and Thurlow the Challenge, 3 Aug 09
Previous World Orienteering champion Yvette Baker takes the women's open. Previous winner Jason Markham wins again. Peter Swanson takes the Wayne Cretney memorial by 6 seconds from David King. Greg Thurlow, running as an individual takes the 3 hr Challenge.

And the Entries keep coming in, 31 Jul 09
There are now 109 coming to the event. Ex World Orienteering champion in 1999, Yvette Baker (from Great Britain but now living in Wellington) is a starter in the women's open.The updated entry list can be viewed here.

Updated Information, 28 Jul 09
Version 2 of the detailed information about the event available now including timetable, updated course information, map notes and directions. Download the new programme here.

A Special Place, 27 Jul 09
Comments from Michael Wood on www.maptalk.co.nz: 'Amazingly passable bush and the historic Holloway Road. Can't wait to explore it again in daylight with Bryan's more detailed mapping. I hope we'll revisit the fairy-tale Waimaphihi Reserve. A bit of digging produced this'.

Bring it on! 26 Jul 09
A who's who of the best are coming to the event. In the Rogaine, Greg Thurlow (running as an individual and a previous winner of the City Safari), Rachel Ockelford and Liam Drew (fresh from winning the Riverhead Rogaine in Auckland and winners of the Mixed team in the City Safari) are confirmed. The Wayne Cretney M40 memorial class is a real classic with the best Orienteering old guys competing (Peter Swanson, John Robertson, Paul Dalton, Malcolm Ingham, Mick Finn, David King). In the open men's, Jason Markham (previous winner), Bill Edwards (runner-up), Magnus Bengtsson (two-time winner), Ramash Swamy (runner-up) will join battle against the City Safari winner Jamie Stewart. In the open women's, multiple winner and wily fox Gillian Ingham will pit her skills against the young guns (Penny Kane, Rita Homes, Sarah Gray and Tessa Ramsden).

Well Over Double the numbers, 25 Jul 09
There are 98 who have decided to join the fun and pain, more than double from last year. Late entries accepted right up until the event with a $5 extra late entry fee. The entry list can be viewed here.

Phil Wood takes out the 2001 Winter Classic only 4 seconds ahead of Shaun Collins