A sea of lights lit up the Jukola village as the men charged on their way. Photo Jukka Lämsä
A June-evening was only reaching dusk, as the rounds of a heavy machine gun of a tank sent the Jukola-relay’s teams on their way. The whole population of the Jukola village had gathered around the marked route, guiding the competitors from the start to the forest, to cheer them underway.
A line of headlamps lit the whole terrain as the line moved as an unstoppable onslaught first to the starting point and from there to the first control points. Most of the orienteers had already lit their bright lamps, but a few men moved onwards with help of a small lamp, meant only for reading the map.
Altogether 1756 teams began the race. From the front lines charged among others last year’s winner Kalevan Rasti, IFK Lidingö, Halden SK, Hiidenkiertäjät and Vaajakosken Terä.
The first leg is 13,8-13,9 kilometres long. During the first leg the dusk switches to darkness. The first men are expected to changeover about 20 minutes past midnight. The victors are expected to finish on Sunday morning at 7.10.
