The orienteers of Kankaanpää have organized twice the Jukola relay for adults – which is the biggest orienteering realy in the World and also one of the biggest orienteering events. For Nuorten Jukola relay, this is the first time in Northern Satakunta region.
Freezingly cold in Niinisalo 1975
In the year 1975 the Jukola relay happened in Niinisalo, Kankaanpää. The organizing club then was still Kankaanpään Urheilijat – doing all other sports in the same club in addition to orienteering.
The competition was held already in the end of May, and the weather was extremely cold, if we think about the time of the year. During the Jukola night it was even snowing a bit. The competition center was situated in the Niinisalo presidio. Part of the terrain was dry pine forest, in which it was possibly to run very fast. The other part of it did demand more both orienteering skills and physical abilities. Small open rocks between swamps and spruce forests.
The winner was Alavuden Urheilijat. The three best teams were all Finnish. Alltogether 475 teamd took part in the competition. Women did not have their Venla relay that day. Instead, there was an individual competition for female orienteers.
The terrain of the Nuorten Jukola 2014 can be seen on the map of the Jukola relay 1975 – just in the other end of it. There are some hills, in which orienteers did run already 1975 and will run again this summer. The old map you can find here.
Fast running in Jämi 2004
The next Jukola held in Northern Satakunta was in Jämi, Jämijärvi (the neighbouring town to Kankaanpää) 2004. It was not only Kankaanpään Suunnistajat, but also Ikaalisten Nouseva-Voima as a second club taking the responsibility to organize the event.
This time, too, part of the terrain was dry pine forest and part of it consisted of small swamp and rock areas creating a kind of mosaic on the map. Never in the history of the event have the speeds of the runners been so high. Also the weather was ideal – not cold at all, but not too hot either.
There had been a huge increase in the number of people taking part in the competition. In the men’s relay there were 1314 teams (each consisting of seven members) and in the women’s Venla relay 796 teams (each having four members).
The winner of Jukola relay was Kalevan Rasti. Halden SK from Norway was the second and Finnish Delta third. In Venla-relay Sweden took douple-victory by Ulricehamns OK and Hellas. The first Finnish team Tampereen Pyrintö was just 7th.
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