The world’s largest orienteering relay and Finland’s largest mass-participation sports event, the Jukola Relay, will be held in Kotka in 2026. Long-time entrepreneur from Pyhtää, Jyrki Metsola, invites both local and national companies to join a unique marketing collaboration.
The Pyhtää-based Jyrki Metsola has a long and steadfast love for orienteering, having joined Kymin Suunnistajat already in 1989 when he returned to his home region after his studies with his spouse, who was an orienteer: “It was self-evident that I would also join the Kotka-Jukola 2026 project, since I had been among those applying for the right to host the Jukola Relay in the Kotka region, even though I had been away from the club’s activities for a few years.“
As a former software entrepreneur, Jyrki saw that his extensive local as well as national business networks could benefit the organization of the world’s largest orienteering relay. Now, with almost exactly a year to go, his role has grown and he leads the entire sales team: “It is important that a project carried out mainly through volunteer efforts is also managed professionally, and that people can leverage their strengths and networks.”
Impactful storytelling together
Jyrki has been part of the Kotka-Jukola team for about a year and has so far held discussions about marketing collaboration with dozens of companies, noting that the work is only beginning. To the company representatives he meets, he emphasizes the uniqueness of the event: participants are on average highly educated and 57% are in decision-making positions.
“No other event brings thousands of Nordic business leaders to this region at the same time, and this will not be repeated anytime soon. It is worth making the most of the opportunity by leaving a lasting impression before, during, and after the event. At the same time, this is a true showcase for the entire region.“
Jyrki sees that the Jukola Relay’s brand and values align with those of many companies: “The event is well known and as many as 97% of visitors recommend it. The orienteering community also has purchasing power and a profile that supports value-based decision-making.“
Kotka-Jukola’s theme, Life from the Forest, speaks to the forest’s multi-layered significance as a physical, mental, and communal experience, without forgetting the forest as a source of livelihood: “In connection with the event, it is natural to have open and constructive discussions on current forest-related themes and on how carefully the event’s arrangements are reviewed together with forest owners, with responsibility in mind.“
When talking about marketing collaboration, Jyrki stresses that different-tier partnership packages are available, all built on the same principle: “This is not sponsorship, but marketing collaboration. We do not offer only traditional logo visibility, rather all partnerships are tailored and include multichannel marketing and storytelling that draws on the company’s own business and goals.”
Marketing collaboration is measurable, long term, and extends widely beyond the Kotka-Jukola event itself, so it can be integrated into a company’s annual marketing calendar.
Elites and enthusiasts on the same courses
The Jukola Relay has increased its participant numbers in recent years mainly through enthusiasts, as friend and company teams have discovered the event. Jyrki believes that the combination of physicality, the forest’s calming effect, and intellectual challenge makes it unique: “When you get the map in your hand, work and other worries fade away and you have to focus on the moment.”
Unlike many other sports, in the Jukola Relay the world’s best and ordinary enthusiasts compete on the same courses: “In almost all other sports, enthusiasts sit in the stands while the elites compete.”
The sport’s uniqueness is what excites Jyrki, even if the amount of work the project requires has been somewhat surprising: “On the other hand, I am no longer in full-time working life and I enjoy getting to work at the customer interface for a change alongside grandpa duties. And most importantly, the product I get to sell is excellent and inspiring.”
Get in touch when you want to become part of the Kotka-Jukola story!
Jyrki Metsola
tel. +358 400 427 796