Latvians prevail against Estonian challengers in the first City Legends round

Original publication date: 27.03.2022

In Rogaining, where the team consists of 2 to 4 participants, the participants visit checkpoints with different point values (from 2 to 6) in the order of choice during a certain time limit, trying to accumulate as many points as possible. In the opening stage of the season, in very windy conditions, while also enjoying a little sun and snow, the search for checkpoints took place on both banks of Buļļupe. For the first time in the history of Riga Rogaining, the participants came to Daugavgrivas Island, took “neieņemamo” Daugavgrivas fortress and Komētfort on the seashore, found both the oldest and the modern Lielupe estuary in the sea, as well as saw Paula Jaunzemja boulder sculptures on the Vakarbulli coast, but the most resistant runners reached the Lielupes Balto dune. At the finish, everyone received beautiful commemorative medals, participated in the lottery of gifts prepared by Isostar, Garmin, Intervals.lv, Magnesia, Valmiermuižas alus and other supporters, and additionally the best three in each distance and group were awarded sponsors' prizes and diplomas.

In the longest distance of 6 hours, the closest to the maximum 200 points with 196 was the young duo Guntis Šmaukstelis and Kārlis Evertovskis (Meow, Meow) who celebrated the victory in the competition of more than 90 teams. Zigmunds Bībers and Alberts Jasāns (Let us have luck there) spent thirteen minutes less than them in the distance, but thus also earned six points less, while the third result (180 points) was shown by Mārtiņš Krūze with Edgaru Jurjānu (Naids), 17 points ahead and leaving the Estonians in 4th place from Karvajalad.

The best mixed or Mix team with the 7th overall result was Estonians Tonis Pīrsilds and Pille Vinne (O+), who had 159 points. Although they did not finish the last season with a victory at the end of November, in the women's competition last year's leaders Nora Baranovska and Marta Liepiņa (Vidzemniece) confirmed their status and started the new season as the first with 129 points. Meanwhile, Juris and Elīza Šleseri (RS1) were the best in the family competition with a round sum of one hundred points.

Among almost 100 teams in the 4h course, last year's overall winners “Riga Adventure team” (Valdis Čunka and Mārtiņš Ozoliņš) finished second with 120 points, ten behind the strong running trio “Intervals.lv” (Andris Ronimoiss, Dainis Limanāns and Viktors Saveļjevs). Two more teams were close behind, just two and four points short of second. Obstacle racers Kaspars Kalnbērzs, Sergejs Ļeta and Uldis Lamsteris (“Skaņka un divas džidiškas”) beat Auces aeroklubs to third with 118 points. Pāvels Demeščiks and Tatjana Antohina (“Strangers”) won the mixed category with 110 points, while Vita Skuja and Baiba Kaškina (“De Niro un Baltais zalktis”) won the women's category with 99. In the family category, Edgars Bole and his daughter Alise followed their victory in last season's finale with another win, scoring 64 points.

Rubens Šulcs, Mārtiņš Bērziņš, Latvian champion and European youth championship participant Austris Kalniņš were convincingly first in the 2-hour distance with 77 points. In a very similar fight for second place, Kaspars Adijāns and Uldis Pormeisters (LV Bardas) beat Jānis Lagzdkalnu and Mārtiņu Janosnu (“Kā viņu tur sauca”) by one point. The best Mix team Kalvim Bricim and Zandai Abzalonei managed to get the fourth place in the overall standings with 59 points, while the high seventh place went to the most prolific scorer in the family team standings “Liedagi-35” (Fadejs and Everts Precinieki). In the women's competition, the new duo “Pilsētas žurkas” started the season with a win, Anetei Rožkalnei this time starting together with Valentīnu Romanovu and accumulating 48 points.

For MTB riders, the 3-hour distance was won by Rihards Šneiders and Marija Baranovska, who scored 119 and 103 points, respectively, but in the rogaining race, or O-Run competition, where this year, instead of the usual command distance, an optional distance in the classic rogaining battle with a 2-hour time limit, the first places were won by Jānis Dūka and Anita Užule, who ahead of Jāni Kalniņu and Madara Apsaloni by two and one point, respectively.

This was the first of a total of six stages of the season, which, apart from the capital, will also take place in Ķekava, Valmiera and Ogre. The next stage is in four weeks on April 23 in Ķekava.