Orienteering: FVO night league ends with Callander Crags cracker

Night champ Graham Gristwood (Photo: Submitted)

The Forth Valley night orienteering league came to an end for 2025 with the final race of the year at Callander Crags, and there was a dramatic change in the leadership on the Long course, writes Steven Scott.

Now in its 18th year, the league has grown from a Stirling-based series to encompass the whole of the Forth valley area, with races across six counties, and the ten race series set new attendance records with more than 600 participants, one third of whom were female in what has been a male-dominated competition in the past.

Graham Gristwood missed the first half of the season due to being away in England with his family, but had backed up his form after Christmas to be in a position to win the Night King trophy for the sixth time, should he take the victory at Callander. And on a steep, technical course, he went out hard and came back strong to win by nearly four minutes, in 32.26, from EUOC's Alex Wetherill (36.25), with Andy Llewellyn, on a rare torchlight appearance, 3rd in 36.49.

EUOC's USA international Thomas Laraia got up into silver medal position on the final day, ahead of STAG's Rudi Paul, who had led for much of the season. There was no such drama in the race to be crowned Queen of Winter, as Scarlett Kelly had the title wrapped up by January, and retained her trophy ahead of Alison Smithard and Ros Heron (STAG).

Fraser Cheyne had all but clinched the Prince of Darkness award, for top runner on the Short course before the race, but he made certain of the honour with his fifth win of the year, in 41.48. for maximum points over the campaign. Lucas Baikie was 2nd on the night (45.26) enabling him to leapfrog James Fathers into overall silver.

Esme Kelly was 3nd on the night (45.36) but is the new Twilight Princess, for her first club series trophy win, as Alice McDaid and Rachel Kirkland made up the class podium athletes.

Helena Carey was the only athlete on the Novice course, finishing in 45.26, but this wasn't enough to overhaul Matthew Owen, who was absent, at the head of the class as she was 3rd overall. Bryony McLeod led through the first half of the season, but had to retire her campaign at Christmas, as she was eight months pregnant by that point.