Finland will host next year’s European Ski Orienteering Championships in the city of Posio from March 19 – 23, 2025
The races in the north-eastern part of the country will at the same time serve as Junior World SkiO Championships and the European Youth SkiO Championships of 2025.
The ESOC program features a Sprint relay, Sprint, Middle and Long distance, and the same program will apply to JWSOC and EYSOC, except that instead of the Sprint Relay, a traditional relay will be held.
“We are excited to organize international ski orienteering competitions in Posio. It is a great honour to have received the most valuable ski orienteering competitions of this winter, and we want to thank IOF and the Finnish Orienteering Federation for this trust. Posio is a small and beautiful town in Finnish Lapland with 100% snow guarantee. The actual event will be a joint effort of all the townspeople. We wish everyone warmly welcome to Posio in 2025,” says Antti Häkämies, Event Director of ESOC 2025.
Finland is no stranger to hosting international championships and hosted the World Ski Orienteering Championships as recently as 2022.
“We are happy that the Finnish organisers from Posion Pyrintö have taken on the task of organising next year’s European SkiO Championships and we are certain that it is in good hands, considering the Finns’ extensive experience in organizing high-quality championships”, says IOF CEO Henrik Eliasson.
ESOC in Posio, Finland will be the last round of the 2025 Ski Orienteering World Cup.
It will start in Sjusjøen, Norway from January 9-12, continue in Ruhpolding, Germany from February 13-17 before it concludes in Finland in end-March.
Another major international Ski Orienteering Championship next year takes place in Turin, Italy, where the discipline is part of the FISU World University Games Winter 2025 from January 13-17.
Photo: Maria Hoskari of the Finnish National Team. By Timo Mikkola