PRESS RELEASES
MEDIA BULLETIN 01.03.2024
Next summer, Kajaani will be filled with participants in the Kainuu Orienteering Week - record-breaking numbers of participants are expected in the events organized by the Kainuu Orienteering Week
The second registration step for the 56th Kainuu Orienteering Week, to be held next summer at Joutenlampi in Kajaani, ended yesterday with record numbers in the event's history.
– The upcoming summer event will most likely be one of the largest in Kainuu Orienteering Week history, exclaims chief of competition Jarmo Kämäräinen.
"A total of 1608 orienteers have already registered for the competition classes, which is a record number for this registration step since the Kainuu Orienteering Week held in conjunction with the Vuokatti World Orienteering Championships in 2013," continues Kämäräinen.
– When anticipating the total number of participants for the entire event, the number of participants in the competition classes has a significant impact on the overall attendance, says Jukka Liuha, the secretary general of the Kainuu Orienteering Week with over 14 years of experience.
Recreational orienteers in open courses register only in the very last registration steps at the end of May, and the majority register on-site during the event. However, the number of participants in the competition categories has significantly correlated with the overall number of recreational participants in the event, Liuha explains.
"Based on the current registration numbers, it is estimated that the upcoming summer week will host around 4500 orienteers, which means that approximately 6500 people, including spectators and support staff, will come to Joutenlampi in Kajaani to spend a week of orienteering and leisure," Liuha happily reports.
These anticipated figures mean that the Kainuu Orienteering Week will become one of Finland's largest sports tourism events in 2024, bringing tourism revenue of over two million euros to Kainuu and the surrounding area of Kajaani. It remains to be seen if the upcoming summer Orienteering Week will become the second-largest orienteering week after the World Championships, currently held by the 2007 Kainuu Orienteering Week in Sotkamo with 4885 orienteers.
In addition to the competition categories, a record number of 288 individuals have registered for the recreational orienteering courses of the Kainuu Orienteering Week, according to Minna Rönkkö from the competition office. The previous record was set in 2019 with 177 recreational orienteers in this phase, so this has been surpassed significantly. The leap year's additional day may have influenced some participants to register at this stage, taking advantage of the lower price, as this February registration phase normally ends on the 28th, Rönkkö speculates.
Also, a record number of 132 individuals have registered for the Kainuu MTBO Week from June 30th to July 5th.
In this second registration step, participation has been confirmed by 132 individuals, surpassing the previous record from 2022 in Puolanka with 114 participants," says race director Mika Häkkinen. "It looks quite promising, and I believe we will achieve our goal of 250-300 mountain bike orienteers, especially with the SM Mass Start race on Sunday, June 30th, in the magnificent terrains of Vimpelinvaara, attracting later registrations from SM competitors and also enticing newcomers to the recreational orienteering side," anticipates Häkkinen.
Furthermore, the Kainuu Trail trail running event starting the Kainuu Orienteering Week on June 29th is currently breaking records with 260 registered trail runners, anticipating a rush of 500-600 runners in the scenic trails and landscapes of Hossa National Park.
"This is a fantastic development for both Kainuu and Kajaani, as well as for us event organizers, finally returning to the tourist numbers we had in Sotkamo 2019 just before the COVID-19 pandemic," Liuha concludes with relief.
More information:
Chief of competition, Jarmo Kämäräinen +358 40 7268 983, jarmo.kamarainen@gmail.com
Secretary general, Jukka Liuha, +358 44 7679 533, jukka.liuha@rastiviikko.fi
Competition and accommodation office: Minna Rönkkö, +358 44 512 3517, info@rastiviikko.fi
Kainuu MTBO Week, Mika Häkkinen, +358 40 7459 032, mika.hakkinen@pihkafit.fi
Website: www.rastiviikko.fi
MEDIA BULLETIN 02.04.2023
Matti Heikkinen becomes a patron of the Kainuu Orienteering Week 2023
Cross-country skiing world champion (2011) and current Head Director of the Finnish Olympic Committee's High Performance Unit, Mr. Matti Heikkinen, has promised to be the patron of next summer's Kainuu Orienteering Week.
“We are very pleased to have Matti Heikkinen as the patron of our Kainuu O Week," Event Director Mrs. Eija Juntunen says excitedly.
- With a background in Kuhmo, as an influencer at the national level and also a nature enthusiast, he certainly is the most suitable for the task. Event Director Juntunen continues that Matti gladly agreed to become a patron because he appreciates the work done in Kainuu for decades in organizing a second oldest orienteering and holiday week in the world, both competitively and in terms of tourism.
Finland's biggest orienteering and holiday week will be organized for the 55th time on July 2-7, 2023 in Jämäsvaara, Kuhmo. 4,000-5,000 orienteers and spectators are expected to arrive at the event during the six days of the event: 1,300-1,500 orienteers will participate in open orienteering courses of different levels, 1,600-1,900 orienteers will participate in competition categories, 250-350 MTB orienteers will participate in Kainuu MTBO Week, and 1,000-1,500 spectators will be expected as public and orienteers' maintenance teams.
More information:
Event Director: Eija Juntunen, +358 44 326 6039, kilpailunjohtaja@rastiviikko.fi
Secretary General: Jukka Liuha, +358 44 7679 533, jukka.liuha@rastiviikko.fi
Websites: www.rastiviikko.fi / www.kainuutrail.fi
MEDIA BULLETIN 02.06.2022
Kainuu Orienteering Week brings more than 25 000 visitors to Puolanka
54. Kainuu Orienteering Week - the whole family’s orienteering and holiday week is held in Puolanka, Luhtakangas-Äikänvaara area on 3-8 July 2022. The competition centre is located near Pyssylampi, 9 km from Puolanka to Hyrynsalmi. Kainuu Orienteering Week’s third entry period closed on 31 May 2022. The current amount of pre-registered participants predicts that next summer’s week is again going to be a big mass event after a couple of gap years, since the 6 to 7 day long event week’s total number of visitors is going to be more than 25 000 visitors. During Kainuu Orienteering Week there will also be the history’s first Kainuu MTBO Week on 3-8 July. Kainuu Orienteering Week is the biggest orienteering event in Finland after the Jukola Relay.
The current number of registered participants predicts that in competition categories there will be 1 600-1 800 different persons and in open course categories 1 400-1 600 different persons. Therefore the total number of orienteers will be 3 000-3 500 different persons. In addition to the orienteers, around 1000 spectators are expected to attend the event. To Kainuu MTBO Week has now pre-registered nearly 200 MTB orienteers, so totally 250-300 MTB orienteers are expected on site, when the open course categories of MTBO Week are also taken into account. In addition, spectators of 150-200 people are expected to attend. A total of 600-800 visitors are expected to attend the Kainuu MTBO Week races in Puolanka municipal centre, in KOW rest days’ sprints and in prize-giving ceremonies for KOW winners. The majority (95%) of participants come to Kainuu from other parts of Finland and abroad.
- We still have the late registration period valid until Monday evening 13 June and for the open courses you can still register until that date at a slightly lower price, says Martti Köngäs, Chief of Competition. However, most of the open course orienteers still register on-site at the event, so it will be interesting to see what the final number of participants will be.
The 54th Kainuu Orienteering Week will begin with the second Kainuu Trail trail running event in Hossa National Park on 2 July 2022.
- The current number of registered participants predicts that about 400 trail runners will start to Hossa’s magnificent sceneries from all around Finland and the world, says the Chief of Competition Jukka Liuha. Currently, there are participants from 9 different countries and we still have registration open until the event day’s morning.
- The last cheaper entry step closes 20 June, Liuha tips for runners looking for the great needle paths and trails of Hossa.
Kainuu Orienteering Week 2022 program:
Saturday 2.7.2022:
- at 06-23: 2. Kainuu Trail Hossa National Park (Finland) -trail run (Hossa national park)
Sunday 3.7.2022:
- at 10-13: Kainuu MTBO Week, 1st stage (Puolanka centre / Honkavaara)
- at 13-19: KOW 1st Stage (Competition centre Luhtakangas)
Monday 4.7.2022:
- at 11-14: Kainuu MTBO Week, 2nd Stage (Honkavaara, Puolanka)
- at 13: Prize-giving ceremony for the winners of the KOW 1st stage (Puolangan tori)
- at 14-17:Open sprint orienteering event (Puolanka centre)
Tuesday 5.7.2022:
- at 11-17: KOW 2nd stage (Competition centre Luhtakangas)
Wednesday 6.7.2022:
- at 11-14: Kainuu MTBO Week, 3rd stage (Paljakka)
Thursday 7.7.2022:
- at 11-17: KOW 3rd Stage (Competition centre Luhtakangas)
- at 18-19: Prize-giving ceremony for the winners of the KOW 2nd and 3rd stages (Puolangan tori)
Friday 8.7.2022:
- at 10-16: KOW 4th Stage (Competition centre Luhtakangas)
- at 13-16: Kainuu MTBO Week, 4th stage (Luhtakangas, KOW Competition centre)
For more information:
Chief of Competition: Martti Köngäs, +358 44 761 3886, +358 50 572 0152, kilpailunjohtaja@rastiviikko.fi
Secretary general: Jukka Liuha, +358 44 7679 533, jukka.liuha@rastiviikko.fi
Communication manager: Sanna Sutela, +358 40 487 5511, sanna.sutela@gmail.com
KOW office (accommodation facilities), +358 44 512 3517, info@rastiviikko.fi
Website: www.rastiviikko.fi / www.kainuutrail.fi
MEDIA BULLETIN 18.03.2022
Russian and Belarusian participants in events under Kainuu Orienteering Week association
Kainuu Orienteering Week association (in Finnish the Kainuun Rastiviikko ry) strongly condemns the war started by Russia in Ukraine and follows the recommendation received from the Finnish Orienteering Federation (March 9, 2022) on how the member clubs of the Finnish Orienteering Federation should operate in their own proceedings:
(1) Participation of Russian and Belarusian participants in events under the Kainuu Orienteering Week association, such as the Kainuu Orienteering Week and the Kainuu Trail, is prohibited.
(2) Russian and Belarusian orienteers who compete in Russian or Belarusian orienteering clubs are not allowed to participate in Kainuu Orienteering Week.
(3) Russian and Belarusian orienteers may participate in the Kainuu Orienteering Week representing a Finnish club if the athlete of that country:
(a) holds a permanent residence permit or a visa entitling the holder to work; or to study in Finland, and
b) has been a member of the Finnish Orienteering Federation before March 4, 2022.
The decision is valid until further notice.
Kainuu Orienteering Week association, the Board of Directors, in March 16th 2022
Kainuu Orienteering Week association’s events
54th Kainuu Orienteering Week 3 - 8 July 2022
2nd Kainuu Trail Hossa National Park (Finland) 2nd July 2022
More information:
Chairman, Marko Horneman, puheenjohtaja@rastiviikko.fi, +358 400 187 656
Websites: rastiviikko.fi / kainuutrail.fi
MEDIA BULLETIN 30.4.2021
53rd Kainuu Orienteering Week and the 1st Kainuu Trail Hossa National Park (Finland) trail running event will tried to be organized in the beginning of July 2021
The world's second oldest orienteering week 53rd Kainuu Orienteering Week will be organized with exceptional arrangements in accordance with the coronavirus situation at the beginning of July on July 4-9, 2021 in Suomussalmi. The competition centre is the Haverinen ski centre area. Competition areas are around the Haverinen ski centre and the terrain consists of fine and fast-moving pine forest terrains.
The 1st Kainuu Trail Hossa National Park 3.7.2021, which will be held for the first time, will also be organized with special arrangements in accordance with the coronavirus situation on Saturday, 3 July 2021 in Hossa National Park. The competition centre is the Hossa Visitor Centre and trail runners will come to enjoy Hossa's finest trail trails and attractions.
- We have been closely monitoring the situation with the coronavirus for the past year, and at the same time, have been considering a wide range of options for the safe organization of competitions. We have also been concretely preparing a health safety plan for the competitions since the autumn of last year, says Jukka Liuha, Secretary General of Kainuu O-Week and Event Manager of the Kainuu Trail.
- The possibility of organizing competitions has been explored many times over the past spring, but only now in the last month has the general epidemic situation started to ease and organizing events like our competitions in early July would seem safe, Liuha explains. We are also prepared for the fact that we will not be able to organize events if the coronavirus situation gets worse and national restrictions are tightened again, but at the moment the situation looks quite good.
- After discussing the possibility of organizing the competitions last week with the Kainuu region's health authorities and key partners in Suomussalmi, we are now continuing to prepare for the competitions as planned, Kainuu O-Week's competition director Pirjo Neuvonen opens. We have already planned strong restrictions and different actions for the arrangements of competitions in order to ensure the health of the participants, the volunteers and the local residents as good as possible.
- We will inform the special actions for the safe arrangement of the competitions during May-June in our bulletins, website, social media and newsletters, as well as in the preliminary instructions sent to all participants by email, Neuvonen and Liuha summarize.
More information:
www.rastiviikko.fi
www.kainuutrail.fi
MEDIA BULLETIN 20.3.2020
Kainuu Orienteering Week and Kainuu Trail event arrangements continues normally
Kainuu Orienteering Week union, Suomussalmen Rasti union and the Kainuu Orienteering Week 2020 organizing committee together decided this week that this summer´s Kainuu Orienteering Week event´s arrangements continues as normal as possible despite the coronavirus (COVID-19) situation. 53rd Kainuu Orienteering Week event is aimed to organize 28 June – 3 July 2020 in Suomussalmi, Finland.
- At the moment we are planning the event in the normal timetable so that we are able to organise the Kainuu Orienteering Week with the same quality standards as the earlier years, says the chief of competition Pirjo Neuvonen. Of course, we are watching with a clear eye the COVID-19 situation and what the Finnish Government will decide during the near future, Neuvonen continues.
Kainuu Orienteering Week union´s brand new trail running competition the Kainuu Trail 2020 event arrangements are also going forward until further notice. The 1st Kainuu Trail Hossa National Park Finland trail running race is intended to organise (day before Kainuu O-Week) on saturday 27th June 2020 in the Hossa National Park.
- Kainuu Trail preparations are going on and we are so far continuing arrangements as planned earlier but at the same time we are carefully monitoring the coronavirus effects into our event, says the event director Jukka Liuha.
- In both events we are taking care of participants health and safety when preparing the events, Liuha (also known as a Secretary General of the Kainuu O-Week) continues.
The Finnish Government has decided restrictions to control coronavirus (COVID-19) epidemic in Finland. These restrictions are so far valid until 13th of April.
We will share more information about Kainuu O-Week and Kainuu Trail arrangements in the end of April.
Kainuu Orienteering Week union
Suomussalmen Rasti union
Kainuu Orienteering Week 2020 organizing committee
Kainuu Orienteering Week 2020 program:
Saturday 27.6.2020: Kainuu Trail Hossa National Park (Finland) trail running event
Sunday 28.6.2020: Kainuu O-Week 1st stage (Competition Centre Haverinen)
Monday 29.6.2020: Open sprint orienteering event (Jätkänpuisto park, Suomussalmi)
Tuesday 30.6.2020: Kainuu O-Week 2nd stage (Competition Centre Haverinen)
Wednesday 1.7.2020: Rest day (program in Hossa National Park)
Thursday 2.7.2020: Kainuu O-Week 3rd stage (Competition Centre Haverinen)
Friday 3.7.2020: Kainuu O-Week 4th stage (Competition Centre Haverinen)
More information:
Chief of competition: Pirjo Neuvonen, +358 44 761 3886, kilpailunjohtaja@rastiviikko.fi
Secretary General: Jukka Liuha, +358 44 7679 533, jukka.liuha@rastiviikko.fi
Webpages: www.rastiviikko.fi / www.kainuutrail.fi
