Competition instructions

43rd Venla Relay

The competition will start as a mass start on Saturday, 21st August 2021 at 13:45. Runners must register their Emit card details no later than 20 minutes before the start of the race. After the Emit card has been read and reset runners proceed to the warm-up area. After this, instructions given in the section “Start” will be followed.

The courses include approximately 1200 meters of marked route. All legs have forking. The finish line for the Venla Relay will be closed at 22:15. Note that the sun sets at 21:30 so that in the final stage you may need a lamp in the terrain.

72nd Jukola Relay

The competition will start as a mass start on Saturday, 21st August 2021 at 23:00. Runners must register their Emit card details no later than 20 minutes before the start of the race. After the Emit card has been read and reset runners proceed to the warm-up area. After this, instructions given in the section “Start” will be followed.

The courses include approximately 1200 meters of marked route. All legs have forking. The sun sets on Sat 21.8. at 21:30 and rises on Sun 22.8. at 5.13. The finish line for the Jukola Relay will be closed at 15:00.

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 www.suunnistusliitto.fi and on the competition’s information board.

Competition Terrain

The competition center is located on the Mäntyvaara race track close to the city center. The competition area is dominated by a large, mainly gently sloping hill area Vennivaara, the highest point of which rises even higher than Ounasvaara, one of Rovaniemi’s most famous landmarks. There is an altitude difference of about 130 meters between the lowest and highest point of the terrain.

The terrain is diverse. The dry boreal forest of the southern part of the terrain, the vast marshlands and, in some places, the lush ditches and young forests change to the north into the rugged terrain of western Lapland with its flat bare rock.

In terms of woodland, the area is a typical Lapland coniferous commercial forest. The fast terrain is mainly boreal forest and rock soil, which is slowed down by swamps, lush areas and stony ground in some places.

The structures of the TV production in the terrain are not marked on the maps and the filming control points are not marked in the control descriptions. In the terrain, TV photographers may run with the camera. In addition, the relay can be filmed with TV production camera drones or from camera car.

Competition Map and Control Descriptions

The competition map is in the scale of 1:10 000, with a contour interval of 5 meters, description ISOM2017. Mapped in 2015-2020 by Matti Kivelä. The size of the map is A3 in Venla relay. The size of the Map in Jukola Relay varies by leg. The map is enclosed in a plastic cover. The control descriptions are printed on the map. The control codes are printed next to the control numbers.

The specific map symbols on the competition map

During the competition weekend there is a warm-up training map available. The warm-up training areais located next to the competition center. The mapping, course markings and control descriptions are the same as the ones used in the competition. There is a flag and a code in the control points. Maps are sold €10/pc at the competition Information center starting on Friday 20th August at 10:00 am.

Out-of-Bounds / forbidden Areas

Out-of-bounds areas are indicated with purple criss-cross stripes on the competition map. A continuous line on the edge of an out-of-bounds area on the map means that there is also a continuous Stop tape in the terrain. All private yards, gardens and cultivated land are also forbidden to enter. In addition to these forbidden areas mentioned above, there are a number of small out-of-bounds areas in the terrain which are cordoned off with an out of bounds tape. These are not indicated on the competition map.

Out of bounds / forbidden area tape

Route markings

Controls and Punching

The actual race controls are similar to the model controls. Model controls are located at the competition information center and adjacent to the entrance gates. There are no reflectors on the controls. 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. The competition also requires competitors to punch in the finish and in the changeover, at the end of the finish and changeover lines.

Please be aware that in the terrain control points can be very close together and are very similar looking.  Please make sure you visit the correct control point that is marked on the map.

Last control points

The above figure shows the locations of the last control points. There is signposting from the last controls to the changeover and finish. Be careful that you visit the correct final control point.

Emit punching system

Punching in the competition will be carried out with the electronic Emit punching system. Instructions of how to use the system can be found close to the competition information center. Each team must have at least four (4) Emit cards in the Jukola relay and three (3) Emit cards in the Venla relay. The same card can be used in both the Venla relay and in the Jukola relay. Same card cannot be used in two consecutive legs or by two different teams in the same relay.

The team material includes an Emit card check slip for each member of the team. This must be attached to the Emit card. On this slip, the competitor must write the letter V (for the Venla relay) or the letter J (for the Jukola relay), your team number and your leg number. The backup slip should be attached to the Emit card with a small piece of thin tape.

The number of your Emit card will be read in the emit-tent on your way to the start / changeover area through the entrance gate “Suomen suurin kuntokoulu”. You have to insert the card into an Emit reset unit, which clears the card for your leg. After reset, the Emit card cannot be changed. If your Emit card cannot be read at the registration your Emit card will be replaced with a rental Emit card provided by the organizer. You are not 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 40 € for using the card. Your own card will then be given back to you.

Only a competitor with a competition number can access the start / exchange area. Competitors cannot leave the start / exchange zone after Emit reset. The emit reset point is opened 60 minutes before the start of the Venla / Jukola relay and is open during the relay. The reset point closes 30 minutes after the later restarts.

After finishing their leg, competitors will be guided to the Emit-punching check-out. 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.

All hired cards must be returned to the Info, each card of one team in the same bag as they were on receiving them. Unreturned or lost cards will be charged at 80€ each. If a card is hired only for the Venla relay it must be returned to the information center immediately after the Venla relay is finished.

Make sure that you use Jukola’s proper competition card. Only the original unregistered electronic competitive card is allowed in competitions. The last-minute rental fee for the EMIT card is 40€ / card. If you want rented Emit cards with the team material, you need to make a pre-booking via the registration system by no later than 6th August.

There are Emit card testing units at the information center and next to the emit check-in area. To test your Emit card, place it onto an Emit card testing unit which is provided with an LED light. If you see the LED light blinking, your card works. If the card’s battery is too low it may not be readable in the result service system. In this case the competitor will need to rent a new card before checking in at the entrance gate.

Competitors are also advised to test their emit cards in the model control points which are located at the information center and next to the entrance gate. 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 all the way into the bottom. 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. This will prove your visit at the control point in case of failure in the electronic system

Starts

The starts of both relays take place in the back of the race track. At the map-area the competitors are divided into start blocks of ten rows. There are 20 competitors in each row.

Figure of starting formation

The alignment in starting rows will be instructed by the announcer and the officials. Competitors will start moving to the line corresponding to their number 8 minutes before the start time. Competitors enter their own places from the side of the map divider at the end of the rows. The map dividers have corresponding numbers in their vests matching the rows’ numbers (e.g. 1-20, 21-40, etc.). Access to the map area is closed 5 minutes before the relay start. Late arrivals will receive their map at the front row after the start. Even more overdue competitors’ maps will be delivered to the changeover fence “Helppi point”, where they will be available 30 minutes after the start.

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 the competitor’s responsibility to check that the map is the correct one. The map is folded and it is strictly forbidden to unfold the map before the start signal. Opening the map too early will lead to the disqualification of the team.

The start will be signalled by a starting gun fired by the Finnish Defense Forces. You are not allowed to move forward before the gun is fired. Teams that false-start or make others to false-start will be disqualified. The handing of the maps and the actual start will be recorded.

The route from the start area to the K point (the actual starting point of the course) is signposted on both sides. There is no Emit punching at the K point. The runners of the first leg can explore the signposting of the start and warm up to the motordromes fence (approx. 200m).

Changeover

There are marked routes from the last controls to the changeover / finish line.  Incoming competitors will be split to separate lanes on the basis of their leg numbers. At the point of separation, choose the lane above which you see your leg number on an electronic screen. NB! The numbering of the lanes changes during the relay. The fastest teams of each leg will be guided to the rightmost lane. There will be organizers guiding the runners into the correct lanes but in crowded situations the runners must also check the right lane themselves.

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.

Figure of the placement of the maps at the map stands

NB! To unfasten the map, pull it upwards from the stand. Any other action may result in the breaking the map bag.

Take the map to the next runner of your team waiting at the changeover fence. 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.

If the next runner is not found in a reasonable time, the map should be taken to the help point HELPPI at the end of the changeover fence to wait for the next runner.

It is the competitors’ own responsibility to make sure they take the correct map from the stand. It is also the leaving competitors’ own responsibility to check they have received the correct map. If there is no map for your team on the stand, the incoming competitor should report this to the help point HELPPI located next to the changeover fence. A help point official will give the competitor a spare map ticket, which the competitor will take to the next runner at the changeover fence. The spare map point is located 400 meters from the changeover fence on the way to the K-point.

If you arrive at the changeover fence late, you must contact the officials at the help point HELPPI after you have gone through the Emit registration and reset. The officials will give you the correct map, handed to them by the previous runner.

Only competitors wearing bib numbers are allowed to enter the changeover area. Competitors enter the area through the entrance gate and Emit card registration and reset. The competitors arriving from the terrain for a changeover can be seen from a distance of about 300 meters. In the changeover 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 is a toilet and a water point in changeover area. There is also a first aid point located at the checkout gate.

A competitor who has come from the terrain for a changeover can leave the area only through the Emit checkout point. 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.Warm-up on the lane to the K-point is allowed only for the competitors of the first leg.

Closing of the Changeovers and Restart

Venla Relay

The changeover area will be closed on Saturday, 21st August at 18:15. Runners who have not started by then will take part in the mass restart. The mass restart for the runners of legs 2-4 will take place at 18:30 from the map stands. The runners participating in the restart will be required to register their Emit cards at the entrance gate no later than 15 minutes before the restart. After the registration and reset of the Emit cards the runners will go to the map stands about 5 minutes before the restart following the instructions given by the announcer and officials. False-starting teams will be disqualified. The finish line for the Venla relay will be closed at 22:15.

Jukola Relay

The changeover area will be closed on Sunday, 22nd August at 8:45 am.  Runners who have not started by then will take part in two separate restarts.

The restart for the 7th leg will take place at 9:00 am. This group has to be at the Emit card registration no later than 8:45 am. The runners of the legs 2-6 have to be at the Emit card registration no later than 9:15. The restarts for the legs 2-6 will take place at 9:30 am. During the first restart, the runners of the second restart will be guided to a warm-up area in the back of the race track.

The runners will go to the map stands about 5 minutes before the restart following the instructions given by the announcer and officials. In the restart the actual start will be guided by the announcer. False-starting teams will be disqualified.

Finish

In both relays all the last leg runners will run to the rightmost lane following the guidance. The positions of the first 30 teams in the results will be determined by the finish judge and the close calls will be judged by video recording. Emit cards of the team anchors in prize winning positions will be read in the finish area after the final Emit punch.

Other teams’ results will be based on the punching immediately after the finish line. The punching time is the time when the Emit card is removed from the punching unit. The finish punching is controlled by video recording. Other anchors than the those in prize winning positions continue along the marked path to the Emit checkout point for Emit card reading.

After the restarts, the finishing lanes will be rearranged to the leftmost lane. Finish line for the Jukola relay will be closed at 15:00.

Wailing Wall

The Wailing Wall, located in the vicinity of the entrance gate and the Emit checkout point, is open from Saturday, 21st August at 13:00 until Sunday, 22nd August at 16:00. The wailing wall is the place where disqualifications as well as other competition related issues are dealt with. If necessary, a team leader can be present when discussing possible disqualifications. Officials at the Wailing Wall will give instructions about summoning the team leader if needed. To report a rule violation or hand in a protest, teams should contact a member of the jury or the Wailing Wall. The protests and reports must be in writing and the persons leaving them must give their name and contact information.

Dropouts and Disqualified Teams

Even if dropped out or disqualified, a team may continue the race. The result of the team will be shown on the result board as a dropout or disqualified. The runners go through the changeover in the same way as others. However, if a dropout / disqualified team is less than 30 minutes behind the leading team, the team will be delayed at the next changeover so that the time difference to the leading team is at least 30 minutes. The map for the next leg of the team is removed from the map stand and replaced by a yellow card with the team’s number and race number. The incoming competitor must take the card from the map holder and give it to the next leg runner who should proceed to the help point HELPPI at the northern 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 through the changeover area along the marked route and proceed to the Emit checkout point. If the competitor is not able to do so, the team leader, or first aid worker, must contact the Wailing Wall to inform the officials about the situation and return the competitor’s map. A team is categorized as a dropout if the competitor informs about dropping out at the Emit checkout 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 help point HELPPI at the end of the changeover fence.

Results

During the competition, live results will be available on the results board, on the Napapiiri-Jukola internet site www.jukola.com/2021, and in the Jukola 2021- mobile app. If there is any confusion regarding the results, competitors should contact the Wailing Wall.

The drop-out and disqualified teams will be reported on the results board and also by the announcer in the case of leading teams. The official results will be published on the website after the competition.

Refreshment and First Aid Points

There are points for refreshment and first aid in the terrain. They are marked with purple map symbols following the specification for orienteering maps. At the refreshment points you can find water in addition to the official Jukola sports drink Dexal. At the refreshment areas there are also litter bins for the mugs, gel packages, and other possible litter. Respect nature and put your litter where it belongs.

If a competitor is supposed to need a lot of time to complete the leg, a drinking belt is recommended if the weather is hot.

Running order

Teams should register their running order using the registration service at registration.jukola.com. The same club-specific login details are used as when entering for the competition. The running orders for both relays must be registered by no later than 18:00 on Friday, 20th August 2021. The running order can be given as non-public. These running orders will be automatically made public on Friday,  28th August 2021 at 18:00 and can be seen thereafter on the Napapiiri-Jukola website.

If there is an urgent need to change the running order after the above mentioned deadline, the team has to contact the competition Information point with reasons for the change no later than thirty minutes before the start of the relay in question.

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. Only those born in 2006 or earlier are eligible to enter the competition.

Competition material for teams

Competition material can be collected at the Competition Info between 10:00 – 22:00 on Friday, 20th August and between 8:00 – 22:00 on Saturday, 21st August. Team material will be released upon presentation of the team’s pick-up ticket on condition that all payments have been made and the running order has been entered into the registration system. The pick-up ticket for the team material will be delivered to clubs by email at the beginning of August and can be downloaded from Napapiiri-Jukola website.

The team material includes the team’s number bibs and Emit back-up cards as well as the Emit cards rented from the organizers and number bib vests for specifically nominated teams. There is also a coupon with 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. Note that the material does not include safety pins for attaching the number bibs. Safety pins can be bought at the Information point and in the Jukola shop (1 € / 4 pins).

Competition Numbers

The competition numbers (bib numbers) are based on the results of Venla and Jukola relays in 2019. If a club has several teams, the first team of the club will wear the smallest of the club’s bib numbers. The bar code in the number bib must be undamaged when entering the start / changeover area.

The bib number must be wholly visible throughout the leg. Please attach the number bib carefully to the chest with four safety pins.

The teams selected to wear GPS tracking devices shall wear a number bib vest. The vest must be wholly visible and not be covered during the competition. The vests will be distributed to the teams with other competition material in advance.

GPS Tracking

A GPS tracking system will be used in both relays on all legs. If a team refuses to carry the device, the team will be disqualified. Approximately 30 teams will carry the device on each leg of both relays.

The GPS device will be given to the runner at a special GPS point at the entrance gate to the start / changeover area. The runner will be guided how to wear the device. The runner must wear both the device and the number bib vest (with a pocket for the device) all the time after they have been put on until they are returned to the organizer after the Emit checkup after the leg. The GPS device has to be put on at the latest 15 minutes before the runner starts their leg. During the race, the organizer may change the teams that carry the devices.

Competitors’ Own GPS Devices and Phones

Competitors may only use personal GPS devices that do not have a map display. Devices that transmit live GPS data are strictly forbidden (apart from the organizers’ GPS devices). Recorded GPS data cannot be used in order to improve competitors’ performance in the competition. Recorded route data can be uploaded to the internet or other services only after the restarts of Jukola relay have taken place.

A competitor may carry their own personal mobile phone in case of emergencies. The phone must be switched off in the changeover area as well as during the competition itself, and it can only be used in emergencies. It is forbidden to photograph the map during the relay.

Coaches and Team Supporter Personnel

Coaches and team support personnel are not allowed to enter the start, changeover, and finish areas. All the required assistance and support can be given in the areas provided for the public.

Interviews and Photo Shoot

Competitors can be interviewed after the competitor has exited the Emit checkout point or later at the Media Centre. There will also be a separate media event for the top teams in both relays as soon as possible after the finish. The relevant teams will be informed about the media event.

Prize Ceremonies

The top 25 teams in the Jukola and Venla relays will be awarded medals and plaques. Honorary awards will also be given to the best teams in both relays. The award ceremonies will take place on the festival stage.

The Venla relay ceremony will take place on Saturday, 21st August 2021, starting at 19:00. The Venla teams to be awarded will be asked to arrive next to the stage, in reserved places, by 18:50.

The Jukola relay ceremony will take place on Sunday, 22nd August 2021, starting at 09:30. The Jukola teams to be awarded will be asked to arrive next to the stage, in reserved places, by 09:20.

The teams to be awarded are not allowed to carry any advertising banners or other advertising materials. The club’s own banners and badges are permitted.

Message of the Jukola Relay

Following the tradition, the message of the Jukola relay will be read after the finish of the winning team.

Returning of the Maps

The maps of both relays can be collected from 9:30 on Sunday, June 21st August from Competition Info. The team material of each club’s first team includes a coupon against which the club or the team can redeem their maps.

Teams requesting the maps to be sent by mail will need to submit a postal address in advance and pay a 10 € fee. An additional postal fee will be added to the list price for large and international deliveries.

Changes to competition instructions

Competition instructions along with potential changes will be published on the competition info board and on the Napapiiri-Jukola website.

Competition officials

Competition Manager, Martti Anttila
General Secretary, Sami Leinonen
Communications Manager, Johanna Sarriola
Map and Course Manager, Harri Mäki
Course setters, Mikko Rapakko, Harri Mäki, Kimmo Määttä ja Jyrki Itkonen
Technical Advisor, Jaakko Lajunen
Course Controller, Juhani Jetsonen

Jury    
Chairman Ari Kukkonen, Vehkalahden Veikot
Juha Paanila, Navi
Jouni Lipponen, Keravan Urheilijat