Event Invitation

The international orienteering relay competitions, the 75th Jukola Relay and the 46th Venla Relay, will be held in Kauhava 15.-16.6.2024. The event organizers are Kauhavan Wisa and Lapuan Virkiä.

The competition instructions for the Lakia-Jukola competition, as well as the event programme and a “Guide to Lakia-Jukola” will be published as electronic versions. All competitors are asked to download these beforehand.

75. Jukola Relay

An orienteering relay competition with seven legs for teams from orienteering clubs and other associations. The winning team will be awarded the challenge trophy ”Havuoksa, rauhan viiri” (“conifer branch, a pennon of peace”), donated by the Kaukametsäläiset association.

Forking is used in all legs. The sun sets at 11:38 p.m. on Saturday, 15th of June and rises at 3:19 a.m. on Sunday, 16th of June. The race starts with a mass start at 11.00 p.m. on Saturday, 15th of June 2024

46. Venla Relay

An orienteering relay competition with four legs for women’s teams from orienteering clubs and other associations. The winning team will be awarded the challenge trophy “Venlan avaimet” (“Venla’s keys”) donated by the Kaukametsäläiset association.

 Forking is used in all legs. The race starts with a mass start at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, 15th of June 2024.

General information

The event is regulated by the rules of the Suomen Suunnistusliitto (the Finnish Orienteering Federation (FOF)). The rules of FOF are available on the FOF website at www.suunnistusliitto.fi. It is forbidden to use spiked shoes, but shoes with studs are permitted. GPS trackers will be allocated to chosen teams and must be worn throughout the competition. The chosen teams named by the organizers will use numbered vests.

The embargoed (forbidden) area can be found on the Lakia-Jukola’s website: https://jukola.com/2024/en/training-ban-area/

Competition Map and Punching System

Offset printed orienteering map with a scale of 1:10 000 and a contour interval of 2,5 meters (ISOM2017) will be printed in February 2024. Mapped by Jussi Silvennoinen and Timo Joensuu. Maps are sealed in plastic. The electronic Emit punching system will be used.

Eligibility to Participate

Participants are not required to obtain a Finnish Orienteering Federation license. It is the responsibility of the clubs and the competing members to ensure that all personal data is correct. Both men and women can participate in the Jukola Relay, including any women competing also in the Venla Relay.

The teams of associations (meaning teams other than orienteering clubs) are allowed to have no more than two first class orienteers aged between 17 and 39 years. To women this applies only when competing in the Venla Relay, not in the Jukola Relay. Only teams affiliated to organized orienteering clubs are eligible to compete for podium positions or points for the challenge trophy.

Foreign orienteers in particular are reminded of the fact that they are allowed to compete for only one club in Finland during the competition season (1st January – 31st December). 

Only competitors born in 2009, or earlier, are allowed to compete in the relays.

Registration and Payment

The registration process opens on December 1st, 2023 on Lakia–Jukola’s website https://jukola.com/2024/en/. The contact person for the club will do the enrolment and pay for the teams in the electronic enrolment system.

Registering the teams happens as follows:

• The contact person for the club creates a personal Jukola-account on the website jukola.com
• The contact person logs in to the enrolment system with his/her Jukola-account
• The contact person enrols the teams and pays for the teams and extra services the same way as before

NB: Invitation link and detailed instructions for enrolment will be sent through e-mail in November 2023 to all the clubs and associations who participated in Porvoo Borgå Jukola 2023.

Each team must have at least four (4) Emit cards in Jukola relay and three (3) in Venla relay. The same Emit cards may not be used by two different teams in the same relay. However, the same Emit card can be used in both the Jukola and the Venla Relays. Emit cards can be rented from the organizers. Renting an Emit card costs 20 euros per card until May 10th, 2024, after this date the price will be 40 euros per card. The amount of rental cards required must be indicated in the registration form when making the entry. Numbers of Emit cards do not need to be reported in advance, as they will be registered into the electronic result system at the competition centre when runners enter the start and changeover area.

The schedule for registration, entry fees and other payments made in advance are shown in the table below. Payment must be made online at the time of an entry or a reservation. If a reservation is not paid within the date range of the price category when the reservation was made, the fee of the next price category will be charged.

All clubs are asked to check all the details carefully when entering a team and paying. Once the registration has been paid, all changes require extra work from the organizers and if changes need to be made, a fee of 20€/change will be charged.

Entry fees

A team has the right to cancel their participation before May 10th, 2024 at 11.59 p.m. The entry fee will be returned, but the processing fee of 20€ per a cancelled team will be charged. If a team cancels its participation after May 10th, 2024, the entry fee will not be returned. Participation and cancellation of extra services can be made by sending an e-mail to the general secretary, to the email address pauli.makela@jukola.com

Starting order of the teams registered before May 10th 2024 is determined by the results from last year’s Jukola. All teams registered and paid later will find their starting position at the end of the starting list. The teams that are disqualified or did not finished in the Porvoo Borgå Jukola will be drawn at the end of the starting list. The organiser reserves the right to place teams that have been disqualified on smaller free starting numbers.

All questions regarding the starting lists should be sent to the technical advisor, to the email address teijo.oksanen@jukola.com

Other fees

Running Order

The running orders of teams are entered into the electronic enrolment system either during the entry or later. The running order can be entered as public or non-public; in the latter case, it will become public on Thursday, 13th of June 2024 at 6.00 p.m. The running orders for both relays, the Jukola and the Venla, must be entered into the electronic enrolment system by 6.00 p.m. on Thursday, 13th of June 2024. Late registration of the running order will result in a penalty of 100€. After this, changes can only be made in exceptional circumstances. More specific information on this will be published in June 2024 in the Competition Information on the website of Lakia-Jukola. Number bibs (note: no safety pins are provided by the organizers) and other team specific competition material will not be available until the running order has been submitted and all fees have been paid.

Accommodation

All accommodation located within the competition centre area has to be booked and paid for through the electronic enrolment system which opens at the same time with the registration, on December 1st, 2023. Accommodation will be confirmed after the organizers have received the payment. Prices for accommodation can be found from the table above (Other fees).

The camping area for tents is located on a field close to the competition centre and the size of each pitch is 10 x 10 m.

In addition, the organizers will provide non-heated team tents which can accommodate up to 16 people. These team tents are to be booked per tent. NOTE! The tents set up by the organisers will be available for reservation from 1.12.2023.

Parking and accommodation areas for campers and camper vans are located close to the competition centre. Places are limited and distributed in the order of registration. Places must be reserved and paid in advance through the registration system before May 10th, 2024. There is no electricity available for the campers and/or camper vans.

Please see other accommodation options on the website of Lakia-Jukola.

Wind Shelter Area

Competing clubs have an opportunity to book a place for a wind shelter near the changeover and finish area. There are approximately 500 wind shelter places. All competing clubs making an entry for at least four (4) teams (Jukola and Venla combined) will have the right to book three (3) wind shelter places. All the competing clubs that wish to have a wind shelter place must book it through the electronic enrolment system. The top 25 teams from Jukola 2023 have the right to reserve wind shelter places 1-50.

Competition Centre

The competition centre is located at Kauhava Airfield, about 4 km north from the centre of Kauhava. The competition centre opens on Friday, June 14th 2024 at 10.00 a.m. Facilities located at the competition centre include, for example, a canteen, first aid services and an information desk as well as shops and exhibition areas. No accommodation is allowed at the competition centre or at the camping areas before the official opening time of the competition centre!

Arrival

Detailed instructions for arrival and other information can be found in the “Guide to Lakia-Jukola” which will be published on the Lakia-Jukola’s website in May 2024. Road signs directing to the competition centre will be in place by June 14th, 2024, by 8.00 a.m. The driving instructions issued by the organizers must be strictly adhered to.

Information on other means of transportation to the competition centre will be published later at Lakia-Jukola’s website https://jukola.com/2024.

Parking and Parking Fees

All cars will be parked in the parking areas according to the guidance and instructions given by the organizers. Passenger cars will be parked at approximately 400-2500 meters walk from the competition centre. Parking areas for invited guests, media and disabled guests are located around 300-1200 meters from the competition centre.

Campers and caravans

See the “Accommodation” section above.

The bus stops for unloading and pick up of club buses

The stops (unloading and pick-up points) for the club buses are located in the competition centre in the immediate area near the accommodation areas. The parking area for club buses is located at the southern area of the airfield.

Showers and Changing Rooms

Changing facilities are not provided. There will be showers with warm water as well as a sauna (entrance fee €5) at the competition centre.

Photos and Filming

During the event, photos and videos will be taken. By registering and participating in the event, you confirm that photos or videos taken of you may be used for event-related marketing and other purposes. The material will not be sold or given to third parties in any other way.

Training

Pre-race trainings are available using the training maps of Lakia-Jukola. More information on trainings can be found on Lakia-Jukola’s website https://jukola.com/2024/en/competitors/training/ . Maps can also be purchased from the information desk in the competition centre from Friday, June 14th 2024 at 10 a.m. Training Outside the official training terrains is prohibited.

Competition officials

Competition director: Ilpo Pajula, ilpo.pajula@jukola.com , 040 026 4242
Jukola-office/ Secretary general: Pauli Mäkelä, pauli.makela@jukola.com , 044 047 3955
Technical advisor: (TA) Teijo Oksanen, teijo.oksanen@jukola.com, 050 526 1024

Welcome to 75. Jukola and 46. Venla relay!

• Lakia-Jukolan office, pauli.makela@jukola.com 
• Info: lakia@jukola.com
• Registration and detailed information, www.jukola.com/2024/
• The rules of FOF: www.suunnistusliitto.fi
• Training ban area: https://jukola.com/2024/en/training-ban-area/