The Kainuu Orienteering Week brings Finland's top orienteers to Joutenlampi in Kajaani
Published: 24.11.2023
Aino Mänkärlä won the 55th Kainuu Orienteering Week's D21E category at Kuhmo and Jämäsvaara in summer 2023. (Photo: Touho Häkkinen)
The upcoming 56th edition of the Kainuu Orienteering Week is expected to be a high level competition in elite categories.
The Kainuu Orienteering Week will take place from June 30th to July 5th next summer in Kajaani at Joutenlampi, where Kainuu Orienteering Week was last arranged in July 2012. At Joutenlampi, orienteers will have the opportunity to test their skills in the intricate terrain of ridges and contour lines, while maximizing running speed in the pine forest terrain.
Jarmo Kämäräinen, the chief of competition, notes that Joutenlampi will provide both recreational and competitive orienteers with diverse and fast-paced orienteering tasks in the swift terrain throughout the week.
"Route choices and the smoothness of orienteering at high speeds play a significant role," says Kämäräinen.
Eetu Savolainen was the fastest elite orienteer in H21E category at the Kainuu Orienteering Week 2023. (Photo: Touho Häkkinen)
The 56th version of this family-oriented orienteering event will gain additional excitement from elite orienteers showcasing their skills on the Joutenlampi terrain, aiming for a spot in the European Championship team and the World University Orienteering Championships.
The qualification races for the European Championships in Hungary in August 2024 will be held during the Orienteering Week in the main categories on the first three competition days, featuring middle and long-distance courses. The World University Orienteering Championships will take place in Bulgaria in August 2024.
Even though the terrain type of the Kainuu Orienteering Week does not perfectly match that of Hungary or Bulgaria, Joutenlampi offers comparable elements to Southern Europe. Steep slopes, firm ground, and good runnability provide the very good conditions for the qualification races.
Due to the qualification races, the elite categories of the Kainuu Orienteering Week are expected to attract a very high level of competition next summer, according to the event's secretary general, Jukka Liuha.
"At the moment, the Kainuu Orienteering Week can be described as an orienteering event where both beginners and elite orienteers run in the same terrains and partly on the same control points," says Liuha.
The event week next summer will kick off with the Kainuu Trail trail running on Saturday, June 29th in the Hossa National Park. In conjunction with the Kainuu Orienteering Week, the third edition of the week-long Kainuu MTBO Week will also be organized, starting with the Finnish Championships competition on June 30th in Kajaani's Vimpeli. Nearly all of Finland's top MTB orienteers are expected to participate.
"In Kajaani, we will be able to offer top-notch terrain for mountain bike orienteers at Vimpelinlaakso Sports Centre as well as in the Kainuu Orienteering Week competition terrain at Joutenlampi," says Liuha.
The Kainuu MTBO Week includes categories for both competitive orienteers and recreational orienteers who want to try the sport. The schedule for MTB orienteers is designed so that they can also participate in the Kainuu Orienteering Week competitions if they wish.
During the Kainuu Orienteering Week, there will also be sprint orienteering and various intermediate-day orienteering events available.
Four-time winner of the Kainuu Orienteering Week, Jani Lakanen, secured victory in the previous Kainuu Orienteering Week held at Joutenlampi in 2012. The following year, Lakanen went on to claim the silver medal in the Long Distance event in Sotkamo's Tipasoja at the World Orienteering Championships in Vuokatti. (Photo: Risto Haverinen)
