The 2026 Australian Orienteering Championships were held in Tasmania over the Easter holiday weekend. Below is a brief report of each of the competitions, and list of WA athletes finishing in top 10. Full results are on Eventor, and more photos can be found on OWA Facebook page.

Event 1: Australian Sprint Distance Championships

The Sprint Distance Champs occurred on Friday 3 April at Hagley Farm School, west of Launceston. The map was a mix of terrain from intricate school grounds to open paddock and farmland, and included a map flip. Fences were used to create maze-like route choices, tricky barriers, and plenty of head-scratching moments. Hagley Farm School proved to be quite the orienteering map, keeping everyone on their toes from start to finish.

WA athletes put in some fantastic performances, with strong results both on and off the podium. Those finishing in the top ten are listed below.

W20E Amy Dufty - 6th
W35A Tash Thackray - 2nd
W50A Rachel West - 1st
W45AS Marlize Bosman - 9th
W55A Sandra Tarr 8th
W65A Anthea Feaver - 2nd
W70A Carol Brownlie - 5th
W80A Jan Fletcher - 7th
W Open B Carolyn Read - 1st

M14A Jonathon Drury - 9th
M16A Edmund Toomey - 1st, Quinn Lommers - 9th
M20E Joseph Coleman - 8th, Liam Dufty -10th
M20 Sport Tucker Ellery - 1st
M21 Sport Jaco Bosman - 4th
M45A Ricky Thackray - 2nd
M50A Craig Dufty - 7th
M55AS Michael Madden - 2nd, Matthew Coleman - 5th
M75A Rob West - 5th
M80A Mike Howe - 4th, Ken Brownlie - 6th

Results can be found in Eventor. 

Event 2: Australian Middle Distance Championships

The Middle Distance Champs occurred on Saturday 4 April at the stunning bushland of Hercules Creek. Competitors made truly herculean efforts, tackling a challenging mix of physical running and technical navigation. The terrain kept everyone honest, with beautiful Tasmanian bush, large granite rock features, and significant contours demanding constant map contact and smart route choices. 

There were plenty of stories about being "temporarily misplaced", followed by determined relocations and strong finishes - exactly what middle distance racing is all about! It was a proper test of both body and brain, and a great way to be out in the bush.

WA athletes finishing in the top ten are listed below.

W35A Tash Thackray - 2nd
W50A Rachel West - 3rd
W65A Anthea Feaver - 3rd
W70A Carol Brownlie - 5th
W80A Jan Fletcher - 3rd
W Open B Carolyn Read - 1st

M20 Sport Tucker Ellery - 1st
M21 Sport Jaco Bosman - 3rd
M45A Ricky Thackray - 7th
M50A Craig Dufty - 3rd
M55AS Matthew Coleman - 3rd, Peter O'Loughlin - 6th
M75A Rob West - 7th
M80A Mike Howe - 6th

Results can be found in Eventor.

Event 3: Australian Long Distance Championships

The Long Distance Champs occurred on Sunday 5 April at Robins Lawn Hill, delivering a true test of endurance, navigation and grit. The map was all about the hills, with more open Tasmanian forest luring runners into a false sense of security. While visibility opened up in places, the ground did not - with plenty of bushland underfoot in the form of fallen trees, logs, and endless sticks ready to slow down runners.

Route choice was critical, with the classic spur-gully terrain demanding full concentration. Losing map concentration for even a minute could mean losing valuable minutes (or more). This was a thinking person course, as much as a physical one. 

WA athletes finishing in the top ten are listed below.

W16A Neve Lommers - 10th
W20E Amy Dufty - 10th
W35A Tash Thackray - 2nd
W50A Rachel West - 9th
W65A Anthea Feaver - 1st, Rosalie McCauley - 10th
W70A Carol Brownlie - 3rd
W80A Jan Fletcher - 9th
W Open B Carolyn Read - 4th

M20E Liam Dufty - 9th
M20 Sport Tucker Ellery - 2nd
M21 Sport Jaco Bosman - 7th
M45A Ricky Thackray - 5th
M50A Craig Dufty - 5th, John Toomey - 9th
M55AS Michael Madden - 3rd, Matthew Coleman - 5th, Peter O'Loughlin - 8th
M75A Ian Fletcher - 9th
M80A Mike Howe - 4th, Ken Brownlie - 6th

Results can be found in Eventor. 

A huge congratulations to everyone who took on the challenge across all three days. 

Event 4: Australian Relay Championships

WA showed up in style at the Australian Orienteering Relay Champs. Decked out in fancy shirts and, thanks to some strong encouragement from Tash-80s-Girl and a generous amount of bling, they were hard to miss. WA teams delivered some fantastic performances across the board. With strong runs, smooth changeovers, and great teamwork, it all came together. The senior teams shone, taking two third places. 

WA relay results are given below.

W20E Kate Braid, Amy Dufty, Neve Lommers - 6th
W21AS Rachel West, Tash Thackray, Carolyn Read - 9th
W21AS Rosalie McCauley, Kimberley Clifton, Daisy McCauley - 11th
W55AS Jan Fletcher, Carol Brownlie, Lois West - 3rd
M20E Joseph Coleman, Lachlan Braid, Liam Dufty - 5th
M20E Chris Drury, Tucker Ellery, Edmund Toomey - 10th
M21AS Mark Lommers, Quinn Lommers, Peter O'Loughlin - 7th
M45A Ricky Thackray, John Toomey, Craig Dufty - 5th
M75A Ken Brownlie, Rob West, Ian Fletcher - 3rd 

Results can be found in Eventor.

Huge thanks to Tash for providing the detailed comments on OWA Facebook throughout the Australian Orienteering Champs.

Photos: (top) AOC lego; (bottom) Team Rosie, Kimberley and Daisy.