This coming Saturday (11 October) the weekend streets of London will come to life as 400 competitors from across the UK and Europe descend on the square mile for London's first, and Britain's largest, urban orienteering event.

Amongst some of the Scots taking part will be some of Edinburgh's finest orienteers, with Becky Carlyle, Mhairi Mackenzie and Murray Strain all making the trip south. 

Urban orienteering sees the sport swap its traditional countryside location for city centres, and this event in the heart of London has captured the imagination of experienced competitors and newcomers alike. As well as the many Scots who are competing, some competitors are travelling from as far afield as Hungary, Italy, Poland, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland, helping make this the largest ever race of its kind in the UK.

For a sport more traditionally regarded as a countryside pursuit, London will provide racers with a stark contrast. Instead of forests or moors, competitors will race through a plethora of historic alleyways and dramatic architecture, ranging from the towering skyscrapers of major corporations to the labyrinthine walkways of the Barbican estate.

Murray Strain won January's Edinburgh race on home turf by 30 seconds from fellow GB International Nick Barrable, who is likely to be one of Murray's biggest threats in London.

Becky Carlyle is another returning her attention to orienteering, having just completed her first marathon in Geneva where she finished 5th woman, and 1st under 30, with a fantastic time of 3:15:31. The Edinburgh student is hoping that her legs will have recovered enough to give fellow student Mhairi Mackenzie a good race. Mhairi will be taking part in one of her first races since her 4th place at the World University Championships in Estonia this summer.

www.cityrace.org