THE country's finest orienteers visit Lancaster on Saturday April 20 to compete in the British Sprint Championships at Williamson Park.

Supported by Lancaster City Council, the event kicks off at 12 noon when competitors will be set off at one-minute intervals and, with an aid of a map of the Park, will locate approximately 15 controls in sequence, with the quickest competing the course being declared the winner.

The start and finish will be by the steps of the Ashton Memorial with the two-kilometre course expected to take the winner 12 minutes.

In the women's race reigning British Night Champion, Sarah Rollins (Farnborough, Hants), is the firm favourite having been part of the select world elite that competed in the World Park Tour series.

The British Sprint Championships is part of the British Blodslitet Weekend.

On Sunday 21 April the British Blodslitet will take place at Simpson Ground near Newby Bridge.

This is a long distance race and will provide a gruelling test to the orienteers.

This is one of three world ranking events in the UK this year and entries have been received from Scandinavia and as far a field as Bulgaria.

Both the sprint championships and the British Blodslitet are part of the 12 event UK Cup series for the country's elite orienteers.

Local schools will be competing in a mini event starting at 10am as an introduction to the sport and as a precursor to the main event.