Forth Valley Orienteers duo invovled in European Championship long distance event

Peter and Grace Molloy both made an impact at the European Championship long distance event in Hungary earlier this month (Photo: Submitted)

Local orienteering stars Grace and Peter Molloy enjoyed their 15 minutes of fame, as they were the first British duo to jointly occupy the leader's chairs in a World Cup race, in the European Championship long distance event in Hungary earlier this month.

With each nation having six starters, rather than the three in the World Championship, and the top six getting an extra three in the race, it's much harder to get a top position in this event, but the siblings certainly weren't over-awed by the situation, and took their chance to shine.

Grace was the first in action, off a very early start, and came home in 108.36 to take the early lead, which she held for more than two hours, before the head of the race came through to dislodge her into an eventual 22nd place. This is her best showing in a World Cup long, and just two places off her event best.

As more and more finishers failed to remove Grace from the seat of honour, Peter got in on the action, starting an hour later, and a time of 119.54 meaning they had a short spell catching up in the Big Chair.

Peter's eventual placing of 45th, is 29 places better than his previous best in a World Cup forest race, with a number of highly-ranked athletes behind him.

Grace was also the top-placed Brit in the opening day's Middle race, as she settled into a solid performance which brought her home nine places higher than her qualifying ranking. Loose through the first couple of controls, she languished in 44th place at the first split.

However, a steep and technical section of crags caused problems to even the best in the world, and she was able to pick up a dozen places to the middle of the course.

Now into her flow, she was able to catch her four and six minute women by 17, and the trio finished close together, with Grace in a time of 51.42, for an eventual 28th place.

Both were involved in the final day's Relay, with Peter opening up for the GB first men's team, with a leg time of 39.16, which helped them into 22nd place, as the 14th best nation, while Grace was on closing duty for the GB women, which was reduced to a single team due to injury, and she lifted the team into 14th place, as the eighth nation, with a leg time of 39.54 in poor visibility.