Finally, it’s time for the highlight of the 2025 international orienteering season, when the World Orienteering Championships begin in Kuopio, Finland on Tuesday.
274 athletes from 45 nations are ready to compete for the most prestigious titles in the world of orienteering over three forest distances during the week.
In the technically and physically demanding Nordic terrain, world champions in middle distance, long distance and relay will be crowned on Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday respectively.
Qualification for the middle distance will take place on Tuesday, with the top 15 in each heat qualifying for Wednesday’s final.
Defending champions are ready
It will be a completely different challenge than the last forest World Championships, which were held in the Swiss Alps in Flims Laax two years ago.
Back then, Tove Alexandersson (SWE) and Matthias Kyburz (SUI) won the middle distance, Simona Aebersold (SUI) and Kasper Fosser (NOR) the long distance, while the relay gold medals were hung around the necks of the Swedish women and the Swiss men.
Sweden’s Tove Alexandersson, Hanna Lundberg and Sara Hagström celebrate their relay WOC gold in Switzerland 2023. Photo: Thomi Studhalter
Among others, a strong home team is expected to get involved in the top fight and showed good form as recently as this autumn when Miika Kirmula won the long distance at the World Cup final in Kuopio, and both Finnish relay teams came in third place.
At the most recent World Cup races in Sweden two weeks ago, there were victories for Kasper Fosser, Max Peter Bejmer (SWE) and Tove Alexandersson (both middle and long), while the Swiss women and Swedish men won the relays.
Great TV coverage
A great experience awaits all spectators: Both those following the championships from the arenas in Finland and from home on the TV screen, where a high-quality TV production awaits, making it possible to follow the races up close.
The broadcast can be followed on eight TV channels and of course IOF TV and langrenn.com (for Norwegian viewers):
These are YLE (Finland), NRK (Norway), SVT (Sweden), SRG (Switzerland), ERR (Estonia), ORF (Austria), CzTV (Czechia) and TV8 Mont Blance (France).
On IOF TV you will be in the best of hands with Katherine Bett and Jonas Merz guiding the viewers through the races in English. Kjell-Erik Kristiansen takes care of the Norwegian commentary on langrenn.com.
Tickets are 9/25 EUR for one/all three races.
Photo: Timo Mikkola
This is the fifth time that Finland has hosted the World Orienteering Championships. The most recent was in Vuokatti in 2013 and Finland actually also hosted the first ever World Championships, in 1966 in Fiskars.
Go to IOF LIVE for start lists, GPS-tracking, maps and photos
WOC 2025 program
All times: EEST (UTC +3)
Tuesday, July 8
Middle qualification
09:00 First start M
11:10 First start W
Wednesday, July 9
Middle
13:40 First start M
15:33 First start W
14:30-18:20 TV Broadcast
Thursday, July 10
Long
10:54 First start W
12:24 First start M
14:10- 18:20 TV Broadcast
Friday, July 12
Relay
13:20- 17:30 TV Broadcast
13:28 Mass start W
15:30 Mass start M
WOC 2025 homepage – WOC 2025 Facebook – WOC 2025 Instagram
Front photo: Joni Solonen