| Event Manager | Janne Virtanen |
| Secretary General | Eero-Antti Lonka |
| Communications and Media | Janne Salmi |
| Map and Course Manager | Marko Virta |
| Result Service | Niko-Petteri Salo |
| Technical Advisor | Heikki Peltola (Finnish Orienteering Federation) |
| Course Controller | Ilkka Saarimäki (Angelniemen Ankkuri) |
Chairman of the Jury: pj. Juha Heimala (Lappeen Riento)
Members of the Jury: Petri Paukkunen (MS Parma) and Ingela Mattsson (PIF)
Competition Rules and Instructions
The rules of the Finnish Orienteering Federation (FOF) apply together with the instructions given by the organizers. The FOF rules for orienteering sports can be found in Finnish at http://www.suunnistusliitto.fi/. The final competition rules for Louna-Jukola will be published on the results board and on the Louna-Jukola website not later than 10 a.m. on Saturday, June 13th, 2015.
Competition Terrain
The competition terrain is located in Paimio, south of Turku–Helsinki motorway all the way to the border of the municipality of Sauvo. The terrain area is embargoed from competition and training until Louna-Jukola. The embargoed area is shown on Louna-Jukola website.
Among others, Jukola Relay 1972 was held on the terrain area. Part of the area was used for Fin5 orienteering week in 1997.
The area consists mainly of bare-rock terrain typical of southwestern Finland. Runnability is above the average. In addition to bare-rock hills, predominant terrain types are heath forest and a rather extensive, overgrown sandpit area including ponds. Some marsh areas also exist.
In some parts of the area there are plenty of logging areas and different-aged planted forest that slow running. The relief is moderate. Take caution on the steepest slopes! The highest and most dangerous cliffs are cordoned off from above with a white and/or red-and-white tape with text ”Jukolan viesti – STOP”.
In the terrain, there are TV production related constructions not marked on the competition map. TV controls are not marked in the control descriptions. You may come across with organizers running with a camera in the terrain.
Competition Map and Control Descriptions
The competition map is a six-colour offset printed orienteering map with marked bare rock areas. The map scale is 1:10 000 and the contour interval 5 metres. Mapped and drawn in 2013–2014 by Jussi Silvennoinen, updated in 2015 by Eero-Antti Lonka. The map was printed in March 2015.
The size of the map in the Venla relay is A3, and in the Jukola relay A3 or A2, depending on the leg. The map is enclosed in a plastic cover. The control descriptions are printed on the edge of the map. The control codes are also printed next to the control numbers.
Kilpailumaastosta on olemassa aiempia suunnistuskarttoja. Kartat ovat nähtävillä Louna-Jukolan internet-sivuilla sekä kilpailukeskuksen tulostaululla.
Out-of-Bounds Areas
The pictures below show the markings for out-of-bounds areas both in the terrain and on the competition map. A sample of the out-of bounds tape can be seen on the model controls in the competition center.
Tape for forbidden area
As a rule, out-of-bounds areas are indicated with vertical stripes in purple on the competition map, as shown in the picture above. A continuous purple line on the edge of an out-of-bounds area on the map means that there is also a continuous do-not-go tape in the terrain.
Purple diagonal crosses (X) are printed over some of the roads on the map. This means that entering that road area and using it as a route during competition performance is forbidden.
All settlement areas and cultivated land (black dots on yellow) are forbidden to enter.
In addition to the previous, there are small out-of-bounds areas (e.g. bird nests) in the terrain cordoned off with a tape on the spot. Due to their small size they are not indicated on the competition map.
Running order
The teams register their running order using the registration service on the Louna-Jukola website. The same club-specific login details are used as when entering the competition.
The registration service can be found at: www.jukola.com/2015/kilpailuinfo/ilmoittautuminen
The running orders for both relays must be registered by Friday, June 12th, 2015 at 6:00 p.m. The running order can be given as non-public. These running orders will be automatically made public on Friday, June 12th, 2015 at 6:00 p.m.
If there is an urgent need to change the running order after the above mentioned deadline, the team has to contact the Info at the latest one hour before the start of the relay in question (Jukola / Venla) with written arguments. The Technical Advisor will approve or disapprove the changes after considering the given arguments.
The running orders can be found on the Louna-Jukola website on Friday, June 12th, 2015 at 6:00 p.m. and onwards as well as on the result board in the competition center on Saturday, June 13th, 2015 at noon and onwards.
The person who has entered a team in the relay is responsible for giving correct information regarding the team members as well as for ensuring that the age limit is being followed properly (competitors must be at least 15 by the end of this year).
Team-Specific Material
The team-specific competition material can be collected at the Info from 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. on Friday, June 12th and from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. on Saturday, June 13th. The person who comes to collect the material must present a printout of a coupon e-mailed to the club in the beginning of June. In addition, all the fees have to be paid, and the running order has to be registered.
The material includes a number bib and an Emit card backup slip for each member of the club’s team or teams. There is also a coupon against which the club can collect a fresh set of competition maps after the relay. (There is only one such coupon per club, usually included in the material of the club’s first Jukola team.) If a team has hired Emit cards from the organizer, they will also be included in the material. Note that the material does not include safety pins for attaching the number bibs to the runners. Safety pins can be bought at the Info and in the Jukola shop (1 € / 12 pcs).
Competition Numbers
The competition numbers (bib numbers) are based on the results of the Kuopio-Jukola 2014. If a club has several teams, the first team of the club will wear the smallest of the club’s bib numbers.
The bib number must be wholly visible throughout the leg. The competitor must protect the bar code on the number bib from damage until it is read at the entrance gate. Removing the number bib deliberately during the leg will lead to disqualification of the team. Please attach the number bib carefully to the chest with four (4) safety pins; it will be checked at the entrance gate.
Emit punching system
Punching in the competition will be carried out with the electronic Emit punching system. There are instructions about the system near the model controls. Each team must have at least three Emit cards. A card used in the Venla relay can be used in the Jukola relay. A card cannot be used in two consecutive legs. A card cannot be used by two different teams in the same relay.
The team material includes an Emit card backup slip for each member of the team. This must be attached to the Emit card. On this slip, you must write the letter V (for the Venla relay) or the letter J (for the Jukola relay), your team number and below that your leg number.
The Emit card numbers are not needed at the team’s registration. The number of your Emit card will be registered when you have passed the entrance gate (marked with the text “Suomen suurin kuntokoulu”) and your card is read for the results service. Thereafter you will have to insert the card into an Emit reset unit, which clears the card for your leg. After that the Emit card cannot be changed.
If your Emit card cannot be read at the entrance, you will be given an Emit card provided by the organizer. You will not be allowed to compete with a broken / unread card. After finishing the leg, you must return the organizer’s card to the Info, where you will be charged 10 € for using the card. Your own card will then be given back to you.
After finishing their leg, competitors will be guided to the Emit-punching check-up. There the data of the card will be read. If there are any problems with the punching data, the competitor will be guided to the Wailing Wall.
A team can hire Emit cards in advance at 10 € per card. The hired cards will be included in the material provided for the team. Emit cards can also be hired during the competition at the Info. All hired cards must be returned to the Info in the same bag as they were on receiving them. If a team has hired multiple cards they must be returned together. Hired cards not returned will be charged at 80 € each.
Emit Card Testing and Punching Instructions
There are Emit card testing units next to the Info and to the entrance gate (“Suomen suurin kuntokoulu”). To test your Emit card, place it onto an Emit card testing unit. If you see a red LED light blink, your card works. If the red light doesn’t blink, the card’s battery has run down or is about to run down. If so, get yourself another Emit card before going to the entrance gate.
If your Emit card is low on battery, it cannot be read into the result service. In such case the organizer will provide you with a hired Emit card, as explained above.
You can rehearse punching in the model controls, which are situated next to the Info and to the changeover area’s entrance gate. NB. Please practice the punching without the backup slip. The actual controls, the changeover and the finish all have the same kind of punching as the model controls. For the electronic punching to work properly, the Emit card must be put onto the control unit in the right way. Press the card gently but firmly onto the control unit. Because of its shape, the Emit card fits to the control unit one way only. When the punching is done properly, the backup slip in the Emit card will be marked with a pin, in addition to the electronic mark in the actual card.
A hint: the Emit card backup slip can be attached with a small piece of tape onto the Emit card, so that it holds even in rainy weather.
Ban on Spike Shoes
Wearing spike shoes is forbidden. Shoes will be controlled at the entrance gate and when leaving the changeover area. Using spike shoes will lead to disqualification of the whole team. Dobb shoes meant for orienteering are allowed (shoes with metal studs on their soles).
GPS Tracking
A GPS tracking system will be used in both relays, Venla and Jukola. The organizers will decide which teams will carry the GPS device. Approximately twenty fastest teams will carry the device in each leg. If a selected team refuses to carry the device, the team will be disqualified.
The GPS device will be given to the runner after passing the changeover area’s entrance gate, at the Emit-reading point, which has a special GPS point. The runner will be guided how to wear the device. The runner must collect the GPS device at the latest 15 minutes before their start / changeover. Collecting the device is the responsibility of the runner. The device is returned to the organizer after the leg, in the special GPS point at the Emit checkup. In the course of the relay, the organizer may vary the teams that carry tracking devices.
Competitors’ Own GPS Devices and Phones
A competitor may use only such own GPS devices that do not have a map display. However, such device or data recorded to such device cannot be used in order to improve one’s performance in the competition. A competitor may carry a mobile phone to be used in emergencies. The phone must be switched off in the changeover area as well as during the competition, and it can only be used in emergencies. It is forbidden to photograph (or otherwise record) the map during the relay.
Marked Routes
There is a marked route all the way from the start and changeover area to the K-point (the start point, indicated with a purple triangle on the map). Similarly, there are marked routes from the last controls to the changeover area and the finish. When competitors have passed a bridge to the finish / changeover area, they will be split to separate lanes on the basis of their leg numbers. At the point of separation, choose the lane above which you can see your leg number on an electronic screen. NB! The numbering on the screen changes during the relay. The fastest teams in each leg will be guided to the leftmost lane.
Start
The start of the relay will take place behind the map-stand rows in the changeover area. The access to the start area is through the entrance gate (marked with the text “Suomen suurin kuntokoulu”). Competitors go through Emit card registration and Emit-reset. After the Emit card registration, you cannot leave the area. There are toilets and a tap for drinking water in the area. There are separate instructions for the later restarts below, in Jukola- and Venla-specific instructions.
The Venla relay will start at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, June 13th, and the Jukola relay will start at 11:00 p.m. on Saturday, June 13th. In both relays the entrance gate will open one hour before the start. The competitors must be at the entrance gate at the latest 20 minutes before the start.
What to do in the start area:
Follow the orders given by the announcer and the officials on the spot. About seven minutes before the start, go to your place in the start grid. After that point, the start area cannot be entered anymore. Your place is indicated by your team number on the ground. You must approach your place from North-West end of the row. There are number plates at the ends of the rows, showing which row should have which teams in it.
You will be given a folded map by an official. When you get the map, you must make sure that the map has got your team’s number on it. It is always the competitor’s responsibility to check that the map is the correct one, both in the start and in the changeover. The folded map is sealed with a tape. To unfold the map before the start signal is strictly forbidden. Opening the map too early will lead to disqualification of the team.
If you arrive in the start area late, you can get the map from an official after the starting signal.
The Finnish Defence Forces will fire the starting gun. Do not move forward before it. A false start, or causing someone else to false start, will lead to disqualification. The area is under video surveillance throughout the whole starting process.
There are separate instructions with drawings for the start in the Jukola booklet and on the Louna-Jukola website.
The route to the K point (the actual starting point) is narrow. Please be careful in the first leg and in the later restarts! The competitors of the first leg can familiarize themselves with the start’s marked route until the crossing of the road (550 meters from the changeover).
Controls and Punching
In the competition center you can find model controls close to the entrance gate and to the Info. The actual controls in the terrain are similar to these model controls. Please familiarize yourself with the model controls and try the Emit punching in advance, so that you have no problems with it during your leg. The Jukola relay controls for legs 1–5 are provided with reflectors.
The controls have to be visited in numerical order. The control’s number and code are printed on the map next to the control symbol. In addition, on one side of the map you can find more specific control descriptions. On some of the controls the control code is different than the Emit control unit code. So if you have an Emit card with display the card may show a different code than the control code.
Please note that you will have to punch also in the finish and in the changeover, at the end of the finish and changeover lines. To not punch there will lead to disqualification of the team.
In the picture below you can see the position of the last controls. You can also see which legs have which of the last controls. From these controls there will be a marked route to the changeover / finish. Make sure you punch at the right last control!
The control with code 333 (a black X on the map) is a triangular ad stand with Jukola Relay logos. Please familiarize yourself with this control in advance, from the spectator area next to it.
Refreshment and First Aid Points
There are points for refreshment and first aid in the terrain. They are marked with purple symbols on the map according to the specification for orienteering maps: a mug stands for refreshment point and a cross for a first aid point. In the refreshment points you can find water and sport drink Dexal. There you will also find litter bins for the mugs, gel packages and other possible litter. Do not leave any kind of gel packages or other litter in the terrain!
There are officials in the first aid points throughout both relays. These officials are in direct contact with the competition center. There is a first aid crew as well as a tap for drinking water in the finish and changeover area. In the competition center there are also an actual first aid station and a standby ambulance.
Changeover
There are marked routes from the last controls to the bridge that leads to the changeover. After the bridge you will have to choose the correct lane. Choose the one above which you can see your leg number. (See also section “Marked routes”.) NB. The runners of the fastest teams in each leg will be guided to the leftmost lane.
Having arrived in the changeover area, punch your Emit card and hand over your map to an official. Then go to the map stands and get the map for the next runner of your team. Check that the map is the correct one: it has got your team number and the number of the next leg. To unfasten the map, pull it upwards from the stand.
The bib number must be visible all the time in the changeover area. Take the map to the next runner of your team. There are guide signs on the changeover fence indicating at which section of the fence the changeover has to take place, depending on the team’s number.
You are responsible for taking the right map from the stand. The wrong choice will lead to disqualification. If there is no map for your team on the stand, contact the official standing at the right end of the changeover fence. The official will be wearing a yellow vest with the text “Varakartat” (reserve maps). The official will give you a coupon, which you will hand to the next runner of your team. With this coupon, the runner will get the correct map during the marked route to the starting point (K-point). The point where the new map is given (“reserve map point”) is about 550 meters away from the changeover fence. The official at the changeover fence will contact the officials at the reserve map point to inform the need of the map.
Only competitors wearing bib numbers are allowed to enter the changeover area. Competitors enter the area through the entrance gate marked “Suomen suurin kuntokoulu” and go through Emit card registration and Emit reset. The competitors coming from the terrain for a changeover can be seen from the changeover fence about 300 meters before the changeover takes place. In the area there are also online terminals that can be used to find out when and where the team member currently in the terrain last visited an online control. There are also toilets and a tap for drinking water in the changeover area, as well as a first aid point.
If you arrive at the changeover fence late (so that the previous runner has already left), you must contact certain officials (after you have gone through the Emit card registration and reset). You can find these officials at the end of the changeover fence, under a noticeboard with the text “Myöhästyneet” (competitors late). The officials will give you the correct map, handed to them by the previous runner.
A competitor who has come from the terrain for a changeover cannot leave the area without visiting the Emit card data extraction point, where the card is read for the results system. The changeover times and the positions of the teams are based on the changeover punching. The changeover punching area is under video surveillance.
Please pay attention to other competitors on both sides of the changeover fence! Avoid warming up in places where you might block runners already competing.
Finish
There is a marked route from the last control of the last leg to the bridge after which you will have to choose the leftmost lane according to signs. All last leg runners in both relays are guided to the leftmost lane. The positions of the first 50 teams in the results will be determined on the basis of crossing the finish line. Other teams’ results will be based on the punching immediately after the finish line. The finish punching is controlled by video recording.
After finish punching the competitor hands over her/his competition map to the officials. The Emit cards of the anchors of the teams that are to be awarded will be read immediately after the finish line, whereas the rest of the anchors will have to follow a marked route to the Emit card data extraction point.
Results
The results can be followed in real time on the Louna-Jukola website. Leg-specific results are published on the results board in the competition center.
If there is a confusion regarding the results, please contact the Wailing Wall close to the Emit card data extraction point. Information about drop-out cases and disqualifications is available on the results board and also announced by the speaker if the case concerns one of the leading teams. The official results will be published on the Louna-Jukola website after the competition.
Wailing Wall
The Wailing Wall can be found close to the Emit card data extraction point. It’s a place where drop-out cases and disqualifications as well as other problems concerning teams are dealt with. The Wailing Wall is open from 1:10 p.m. on Saturday, June 13th, to 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, June 14th. If need be, the leader of the team in question will be summoned by means of a loudspeaker announcement to discuss possible disqualification proposals. The Wailing Wall is also the place to report a rule violation or hand in a protest.
Drop-out and Disqualified Teams
In spite of being dropped out or disqualified, a team may continue the race as if it were a real relay. However, if such a team is less than 30 minutes behind the leading team at a changeover, the team is delayed at the next changeover so that the time difference to the leading team is at least 30 minutes. In these cases, the next leg competitor has to contact the officials at the notice board (“Keskeyttäneet / Drop-outs”) at the end of the changeover fence. There the competitor will be given a map and a permission to start when 30 minutes from the changeover of the leading team has passed.
If possible, a dropped-out competitor must return to the changeover area along the route marked for the changeover / finish and then go to the Emit card data extraction point. If the competitor is not able to do so, the team leader must contact the Wailing Wall, inform the officials about the situation and return the competitor’s map. A team is categorized as a drop-out case, if the competitor informs about dropping out at the Emit data extraction point.
In the case of an injury in the terrain, the map is given to the first aid personnel. These teams will also be listed on the notice board at the changeover fence.
Coaches and Team Supporters
Coaches and people who want to help teams or individual competitors are not allowed to enter the start, changeover and finish areas. They are able to operate from areas provided for the public.
Wind Shelters for Clubs
A club can only pitch a wind shelter on a site booked in advance and marked by the organizer. The organizer reserves wind shelter sites for the clubs whose Jukola or Venla results in 2014 were among the best ones (the first 50 Jukola teams and the best Venla teams). The remaining sites – as long as there are any left – will be given on the basis of the booking order. Wind shelters must not block the paths in the area.
Accommodation and making any kind of fire on the wind shelter area is strictly forbidden. The ban on making fire also applies to all kinds of stoves for camping or backpacking. Making holes to and otherwise damaging the asphalt on the kart racing track is forbidden. The organizer reserves weights for pitching the wind shelters.
Interviews and Photo Shoot
Interviews with competitors can take place after the competitor has visited the Emit card data extraction point or later at the Media Centre. There will also be a press conference for the best teams in both relays as soon as possible after the finish. The teams will be informed about the press conference.
Prize Ceremonies
The top 25 Jukola teams and the top 20 Venla teams will be awarded with medals or plaquettes in prize ceremonies. Honorary awards will also be given to the best teams in both relays. All prize giving takes place on the festival stage.
For the Venla relay, the ceremony will take place in the Jukola Festival starting at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 13th. The Venla teams to be awarded will be asked to be seated next to the stage by 7:20 p.m. For the Jukola relay, the ceremony will start at 9:30 a.m. on Sunday, June 14th. The Jukola teams to be awarded will be asked to be seated next to the stage by 9:20 a.m.
The teams to be awarded are not allowed to carry any advertising banners or other material. The club’s own banners and badges are permitted.
Returning of the Maps
The maps of both relays can be collected at the Info from approx. 9:00 a.m. on Sunday, June 14th. The team-specific material of each club’s first team in the Jukola Relay includes a coupon against which the club or the team will be given its maps. In addition to each competitor’s personal course, the maps show all controls as well as the forking diagram.
All maps of the club can also be posted. For this, an address has to be given and a fee of 10 € to be paid at the Info in advance. An extra charge according to the price list at the Info will be applied if the parcel is large or has to be posted abroad.
Traditional Message of the Jukola Relay
According to a tradition, the message of the Jukola Relay will be read by a member of the winning team. The message will be read and its receiver announced in a place indicated by the organizer immediately after the winning team has arrived to the finish.
Special Instructions for the Venla Relay
| Leg length (km) | Climb (m) | Estimated time (min) | Changeover / finish time | |
| 1 | 8.0 | 130 | 51 | 14:51 |
| 2 | 5.9–6.0 | 75 | 40 | 15:31 |
| 3 | 6.2 | 70 | 41 | 16:12 |
| 4 | 8.8–8.9 | 160 | 59 | 17:11 |
| Total | 29.0 | 435 | 3 h 11 min |
All legs include appr. 1,200 metres of marked route. All legs have forking. Legs 2 and 3 are recommended for competitors born in 1999–2000.
Start of the Venla Relay:
The start will take place at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, June 13th, as a mass start for the first leg. The competitors must go to the Emit card registration point at the latest 20 minutes before the start. After the registration and the Emit card reset, the competitors go to the start area, where they act as described in the Start section.
Closure of the legs and the restart:
Normal relay changeover will be closed at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 13th. A restart for legs 2–4 for the teams that have not done all their changeovers by then will take place at 6:45 p.m. at the map stands.
The competitors in the restart must go to the Emit card registration point at the latest 20 minutes before the restart. After the registration and the Emit card reset, the competitors go to the map stands about 5 minutes before the start, following the orders given by the announcer and the officials on the spot. A false start will lead to disqualification.
The finish for the Venla Relay will be closed at 10:00 p.m. However, the total time will be determined for all the teams that finish the race in a due manner.
Special Instructions for the Jukola Relay
| Leg length (km) | Climb (m) | Light conditions | Estimated time (min) | Changeover / finish time | |
| 1 | 13.8–13.9 | 365 | dusk/dark | 80 | 0:20 |
| 2 | 12.3–12.4 | 285 | dark | 73 | 1:33 |
| 3 | 15.7–15.8 | 405 | dark/dusk | 94 | 3:07 |
| 4 | 8.1–8.2 | 205 | dusk/light | 45 | 3:52 |
| 5 | 8.5–8.6 | 215 | light | 46 | 4:38 |
| 6 | 12.6–12.7 | 320 | light | 70 | 5:48 |
| 7 | 14.5–14.6 | 355 | light | 79 | 7:07 |
| Total | 85.9 | 2,150 | 8 h 7 min |
All legs include appr. 1,200–1,550 metres of marked route. All legs have forking. The sun sets at 10:58 p.m. on Saturday, June 13th, and rises at 4:01 a.m. on Sunday, June 14th. Legs 4 and 5 are recommended for competitors born in 1999–2000.
Start of the Jukola Relay:
The start will take place at 11:00 p.m. on Saturday, June 13th, as a mass start for the first leg. The competitors must go to the Emit card registration point at the latest 20 minutes before the start. After the registration and the Emit card reset, the competitors go to the start area, where they act as described in the Start section.
Closure of the legs and the restart:
Normal relay changeover will be closed at 8:45 a.m. on Sunday, June 14th. There will be two restarts for the teams that have not done all their changeovers by then. The first one, taking place at 9:00 a.m., is for competitors on leg 7. The second one, taking place at 9:20 a.m., is for competitors on legs 2–6.
The competitors in the restart must go to the Emit card registration point at the latest 20 minutes before the restart. After the registration and the Emit card reset, the competitors on leg 7 go to the map stands about 5 minutes before the start, following the orders given by the announcer and the officials on the spot. The competitors on legs 2–6 are guided to a waiting area. After the first restart at 9:00 a.m. competitors on legs 2–6 move to the maps stands, following the orders given by the announcer and the officials on the spot. A false start will lead to disqualification.
The finish for the Jukola Relay will be closed at 3:00 p.m. However, the total time will be determined for all the teams that finish the race in a due manner.
