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Introducing the Chapman Trophy: A Challenge for the Next Generation
Calling all under 25s…
A brand-new award has arrived at The OMM for 2025: The Chapman Trophy — a prize designed to inspire and celebrate young competitors taking on the challenge of self-reliant navigating in the mountains over 2 days.
Named in honour of Dave and Joan Chapman, the trophy is awarded to the top-performing Short Score team where both members are under the age of 25.
If you’ve ever been around the OMM event tent, you may have crossed paths with Dave Chapman. The distinctive cowboy hat, long hair and grey beard will give him away (he is the closest thing we have to OMM Gandalf). Dave completed his first OMM (back when it was the KIMM) in 1977. Since then, he’s started 28 races, finishing 26 of them, and spent 11 years as Race Director, steering the event through storms and pandemics.
Alongside him at every step has been Joan Chapman, a former teacher, a tireless supporter of the event and a passionate advocate for young orienteers. Together, they’ve taken OMM to new heights, helping to open up incredible, previously untouched terrain in places like the Black Mountains, Snowdonia, and Glen Artney.
Despite stepping down as Race Director last year, Dave and Joan are not finished with the OMM. They’re launching a legacy: the Chapman Trophy, a brand-new award created to celebrate and encourage the next generation of OMM adventurers.
The Chapman Trophy
For: Under 25s (both team members must be under 25)
Event Category: Short Score
Calling all under-25s…
Whether you’ve done the OMM before or you’re taking on your first-ever mountain marathon, if both team members are under the age of 25 and racing the Short Score: you’ve automatically entered the Chapman Trophy.
The only rule of The Chapman Trophy? You can only win it once. Each year, we want to pass the bog-bashing torch to a new generation of OMM-ers.
Meet The Chapmans
We caught up with Dave and Joan to ask them: Why they created this new trophy?
“We wanted to give newcomers something to aim for,” says Dave. “When I first started, most of the people I knew were from University Orienteering clubs. There was a real buzz, a community, and a bit of friendly rivalry. We wanted to recreate that.”
Their advice to aspiring trophy winners?
“Learn to navigate. Train with someone whose strengths complement your own.” Dave added, “And don’t make the same mistakes I did on my first OMM, like wearing steel-toe capped boots, forgetting a sleeping mat, or taking a leaky tent.”
How they support each other through an event weekend?
“The camaraderie is what keeps us coming back,” says Joan.
Although Dave is stepping back from Race Director duties, both he and Joan are still part of the core crew helping to run the event — from checking terrain to fuelling the hill team.
So if you spot the Chapmans this October, don’t be shy — go say hi. Thank them for the incredible work they’ve done, or maybe ask Dave for one of his infamous OMM stories (there are many).
Finally, what do you think this year’s course has in store for competitors?
“I’ve seen Graham’s courses, and experienced some of the terrain during the Hill Team recce, and I think that there is going to be a hard navigational challenge. The ground is still generally tough going, so picking the best route will be important.”
Be The First Name Engraved on the Chapman Trophy
If you’re under 25 and ready to put your skills to the test, the Short Score is calling your name. You can enter now and be in with a chance of winning. Alternatively, if you want to know a bit more about the event, what the short score event looks like and what kit you might need, follow the link to find out more.
Calling all under 25s…
A brand-new award has arrived at The OMM for 2025: The Chapman Trophy — a prize designed to inspire and celebrate young competitors taking on the challenge of self-reliant navigating in the mountains over 2 days.
Named in honour of Dave and Joan Chapman, the trophy is awarded to the top-performing Short Score team where both members are under the age of 25.
If you’ve ever been around the OMM event tent, you may have crossed paths with Dave Chapman. The distinctive cowboy hat, long hair and grey beard will give him away (he is the closest thing we have to OMM Gandalf). Dave completed his first OMM (back when it was the KIMM) in 1977. Since then, he’s started 28 races, finishing 26 of them, and spent 11 years as Race Director, steering the event through storms and pandemics.
Alongside him at every step has been Joan Chapman, a former teacher, a tireless supporter of the event and a passionate advocate for young orienteers. Together, they’ve taken OMM to new heights, helping to open up incredible, previously untouched terrain in places like the Black Mountains, Snowdonia, and Glen Artney.
Despite stepping down as Race Director last year, Dave and Joan are not finished with the OMM. They’re launching a legacy: the Chapman Trophy, a brand-new award created to celebrate and encourage the next generation of OMM adventurers.
The Chapman Trophy
For: Under 25s (both team members must be under 25)
Event Category: Short Score
Calling all under-25s…
Whether you’ve done the OMM before or you’re taking on your first-ever mountain marathon, if both team members are under the age of 25 and racing the Short Score: you’ve automatically entered the Chapman Trophy.
The only rule of The Chapman Trophy? You can only win it once. Each year, we want to pass the bog-bashing torch to a new generation of OMM-ers.
Meet The Chapmans
We caught up with Dave and Joan to ask them: Why they created this new trophy?
“We wanted to give newcomers something to aim for,” says Dave. “When I first started, most of the people I knew were from University Orienteering clubs. There was a real buzz, a community, and a bit of friendly rivalry. We wanted to recreate that.”
Their advice to aspiring trophy winners?
“Learn to navigate. Train with someone whose strengths complement your own.” Dave added, “And don’t make the same mistakes I did on my first OMM, like wearing steel-toe capped boots, forgetting a sleeping mat, or taking a leaky tent.”
How they support each other through an event weekend?
“The camaraderie is what keeps us coming back,” says Joan.
Although Dave is stepping back from Race Director duties, both he and Joan are still part of the core crew helping to run the event — from checking terrain to fuelling the hill team.
So if you spot the Chapmans this October, don’t be shy — go say hi. Thank them for the incredible work they’ve done, or maybe ask Dave for one of his infamous OMM stories (there are many).
Finally, what do you think this year’s course has in store for competitors?
“I’ve seen Graham’s courses, and experienced some of the terrain during the Hill Team recce, and I think that there is going to be a hard navigational challenge. The ground is still generally tough going, so picking the best route will be important.”
Be The First Name Engraved on the Chapman Trophy
If you’re under 25 and ready to put your skills to the test, the Short Score is calling your name. You can enter now and be in with a chance of winning. Alternatively, if you want to know a bit more about the event, what the short score event looks like and what kit you might need, follow the link to find out more.
Dave Chapman completed his first OMM (then KIMM) in 1977, going on to complete 26 of 28 started. Since then, Dave has been Race Director for 10 years, after serving his apprenticeship, making him a proud member of the OMM 40 Year Club. In his time on the Hill Team, he has negotiated some of the most challenging access agreements yet, allowing competitor's access to previously unexplored race territory.
Dave Chapman completed his first OMM (then KIMM) in 1977, going on to complete 26 of 28 started. Since then, Dave has been Race Director for 10 years, after serving his apprenticeship, making him a proud member of the OMM 40 Year Club. In his time on the Hill Team, he has negotiated some of the most challenging access agreements yet, allowing competitor's access to previously unexplored race territory.
If you have a story to tell, whether it’s from the OMM, another race or challenge or just how you use our kit, get in touch! Just pop an email to james@team-ark.com and who knows, you might just earn yourself some free kit!