Pre-race favorite IFK Göteborg lived up to expectations by claiming victory in the 47th edition of the Venla Relay with authority, finishing nearly nine minutes ahead of second-place OK Linné. The best-performing Finnish team was Tampereen Pyrintö, which secured fourth place thanks to a strong anchor leg.
The prestigious relay was held in Tikkala under exceptionally demanding conditions. The terrain proved to be one of the toughest in recent memory — dense undergrowth, steep hills, and unrelenting heat pushed even the most experienced orienteers to their limits.
The relay got off to a surprising start when Norwegian club Frol I.L., wearing bib number 614, led the field into the first exchange thanks to a strong run by Goril Rønning Sund. Among the Finnish athletes, Tampereen Pyrintö’s Lotta Karhola delivered the best performance on the opening leg. Known as a reliable relay runner, Karhola handed over just 28 seconds behind the leader.
Running for IFK Göteborg, Danish national team orienteer Malin Agervig Kristiansson arrived at the exchange in sixth place, 1 minute and 45 seconds off the lead — a gap that the team would steadily close over the remaining legs.
“I was nervous and had to fight to hold my performance together. I’m not satisfied with how I ran, even though I did manage to close the gap to the lead toward the end,” said Kristiansson, competing on a winning Venla team for the first time.
Among the other top teams, OK Linné had a challenging start, coming in 26th at the first exchange. Kalevan Rasti’s French recruit, Cécile Calandry, struggled with mistakes in the demanding terrain and handed over in 47th place, 4 minutes and 7 seconds behind the leaders.
The second leg reshuffled the standings significantly. National team orienteer Simona Aebersold brought IFK Göteborg into the lead midway through the leg. On the long route after the halfway point, Aebersold made an excellent route choice, increasing the gap to the chasing teams to over two minutes. The Swiss athlete, in top form, held the lead all the way to the exchange, where IFK Göteborg’s advantage over OK Linné — who ran a steady leg — had grown to 3 minutes and 4 seconds.
The best-performing Finnish team on the second leg was Tampereen Pyrintö, as Venla Taulavuori reached the exchange 10 seconds ahead of both Rastikarhut and Kalevan Rasti. However, Pyrintö’s gap to the lead had grown to 7 minutes and 4 seconds. Kalevan Rasti also improved its position during the leg.
On the third leg, Sara Hallström, running for IFK Göteborg in Swedish colors, delivered a strong performance. Over the five-kilometer course, she extended the team’s lead even further.
The anchor leg sealed IFK Göteborg’s victory, as Sanna Fasth ran a confident and fast final stretch. The team, already winners of this spring’s 10Mila relay, added another major title to their season — claiming victory in both of the sport’s most prestigious relays.
“Winning 10Mila and the Venla Relay are the most important achievements after the World Championship relay — and now I’ve done both. It’s been a great year for me, and we have so many strong athletes on our team. I feel incredibly lucky to be part of this group and to experience these victories,” said Agervig Kristiansson.
Tampereen Pyrintö’s Anni Haanpää brought her team to the final exchange as number 8, making them the second-best Finnish team overall.
Text: Paula Lehtomäki
Main image: Kimmo Hirvonen
Translation: Pirjo Ålander