More than 17.000 orienteers will set course for western Finland and one of the biggest orienteering competitions in the world, that happens this weekend.
Venla and Jukola relays are gathering more than 3.000 teams in total in Lakia, where they will fight for the win in the tradition-rich relays from Saturday afternoon and until early Sunday morning.
If you can’t be at the arena at Kauhava Airport, you will have great options to follow both relays from home on IOF TV with English and Swedish commentary.
The terrain is described as typical for this part of Finland: Open, rocky terrain broken up by fields with height differences ranging from 0 to 30 meters, small detailed and demanding to orienteer in.
IFK Göteborg (SWE) has won the Venla relay for the past two years but Stora Tuna OK (SWE) won this year’s Women’s 10Mila in May, so both must be counted among the top favorites to win the four-legged relay.
Venla Relay starts at 14.00 EEST (UTC +3) and features legs between 6,8 – 9,1 kilometers with 60-70 meters to climb and is expected to find the winner around 17.00.
Five consecutive wins for Stora Tuna?
Stora Tuna even has two chances to win a “double” after the club also won the 10Mila relay this year. The club from Swedish city Borlänge has won the past four Jukola Relays and can extend its record streak with another win this year.
23.00 is the start time for Jukola, where seven legs between 9,4 – 15,9 kilometers await with 100 – 200 meters of climb and the winning club is expected to cross the finish line at 06.40.
On IOF TV, you will be in the best of hands with Katherine Bett and Jonas Merz on the English stream and Per Forsberg and Sara Eskilsson on the Swedish. Anna Ojapalo does the interviews for both streams.
The ticket is 25 EUR for the entire broadcast spanning more than 11 hours from the Finnish forests.
Photo: Jarmo Koskela
Find links to start lists and live results on IOF LIVE
2024 Jukola programme
All times EEST (UTC +3)
Saturday
13:45 – 17:20 IOF TV Broadcast part 1
14:00 Venla start
17:00 First team to finish, Venla
22:45 – 07:15 IOF TV Broadcast part 2
23:00 Jukola start
Sunday
06:40 First team to finish, Jukola