The Canadian orienteering championships won't be held in Whitehorse this year, but they may as well be with the number of Yukoners that are taking part.

Twenty-eight orienteers from the territory are set to compete at the championships, which get underway on Friday and run through Sunday in Williams Lake, B.C. The local orienteers represent a full range of ages and abilities including eleven juniors entered on shorter courses, four locals entered in elite men's or women's classes, and a number of masters athletes.

In past years, usually just a handful would attend Outside competitions.

'Last year, we had nationals up here, so I think a lot of the enthusiasm (this year) is because people got to experience it in Whitehorse and realized it's a fun event,' explained Pippa McNeil, one of the top female orienteers in the territory, in an interview Tuesday. 'Getting a chance to try nationals first hand, I think it created a lot of enthusiasm and comfort.

'Plus, they're being held in Williams Lake. Relatively speaking, that's pretty close, so a lot of people can combine the championships with their family holidays.'

McNeil also pointed to the fact that Brent Langbakk, one of the top male orienteers in the territory and even the country, started the junior program again last year. While it was started specifically because the Yukon was hosting nationals, McNeil believes the interest was raised once again and on a permanent basis for juniors.

'A lot of the juniors from last year really wanted to go back and actually, a bunch of them have gone to the national junior training camp (near Kamloops) for a few days this week.'

This is the first time the Canadian championships will have been held in the Williams Lake area, and the locals are hoping to do quite well in the races.

There are four girls in the W-12 (women 12 years old and younger) category Dahria Beatty, Holly Bull, Kendra Murray and Galena Roots and many of the Yukon medal winners from last year's championships are returning. That list includes Logan Roots, Rhiannon Jones, Justine Scheck, Lee Hawkings, Karen McKenna, Juri Peepre and Nesta Leduc.

In the elite categories, national team members McNeil, Langbakk and Pam James are all focusing on having solid races as they work on final preparations for the world championships in Japan, in August. James is the defending Canadian champion in both the short distance and classic distance disciplines while McNeil won silver and bronze medals last year.

Masters athlete Ross Burnett is running up a couple of categories to compete in the elite age group in the short distance race.

'There's not as many people as when they were right in town, but I would say the people who are going will definitely have a good chance,' said McNeil. 'I would expect medals from all categories.

'Within the Canadian field, the Yukon's actually becoming a bit of a powerhouse.'

Plus, said McNeil, the terrain in the Yukon is so great that if you learn to navigate the woods around Whitehorse, you can handle yourself anywhere. And the terrain in Williams Lake is not expected to be much different from the territory, so the transition should be fairly easy for the Yukon orienteers they may even have a slight advantage over their competitors to the East.

Other local orienteers hitting the terrain in Williams Lake are: Phaedra Beatty, Greg Bull, Logan Bull, Kerstin Burnett, Beth Hawkings, James Hawkings, Afan Jones, Sarah Locke, Barbara Scheck, Alex Peepre, Barbara Phillips, Charlie Roots and Susan Tineves.

McNeil and Langbakk will be leaving from Williams Lake for Japan immediately following the competition, to prepare for the worlds. They'll be taking in a training camp with the Japanese national team during the month they are there before competition. James will be returning home for a couple of weeks before heading overseas at the end of July.

McNeil said she wanted to spend a lot of time in Japan before the championships because it's going to be very different terrain than what she's used to. It's supposed to be 'incredibly hilly' there, she said, pointing out that international orienteering rules call for no more than a four per cent climb over the course.

'But they've actually made an exception (for Japan) and bumped it up to a six per cent climb,' she explained. 'So we're trying to prepare as best we can.

'I think a lot of people won't have been there before though. Last year's championships were held in Sweden, which is considered the mecca for orienteering. This is going to be very new for a lot of people.'

McNeil said she can't speak for everybody as to what their goals are at the world championships, but she thinks all three of them would love to make a final. Last year, she and James both missed out on the final by one place in the sprint.

'Brent and Pam are going to be in the relay as well. I think one of our goals (in the relay) is always to beat the Americans, but also one of our goals this year is to get the best results ever in the relay.

'Canadians have been in the finals before, but you have to have the best race on the best day.'

Meanwhile, six Yukon orienteers will also be competing in the World Masters Games in Edmonton later in July. Over 21,000 athletes from 84 countries will compete in 27 different sports in this major Games from July 22 31 and orienteering is one of the five largest individual sports.

Barbara Scheck is competing in the W45-49 age category, Locke in the W50-54 category, Leduc in the W70-74 category, Ross Burnett in the M45-49 category, Juri Peepre in the M50-54 category, and Lars Fossum in the M60-64 category. This event also doubles as the world masters orienteering championships.

'The world masters being in Canada is a pretty neat thing,' said McNeil. 'I have no idea how our team will do because I don't really pay attention to the world masters scene, but I certainly know Canadians have made finals in the past. I would expect Ross to do well of course, having been on the national team for years.'

As for the popularity of orienteering at the World Masters Games, McNeil said a lot of that is 'probably because people do it until their about 90. She pointed to local competitor Leduc, who is still going strong.

'Nesta, she's 71 and she's going to be participating. She's amazing.'