Course setters’ and course controllers’ thoughts

The WRE competition is also a Middle Distance Finnish Championship Competition. The Competition is held in the terrain of Öjbergets’s Winter Sport Center in Vaasa. The area is used for different kind of sport activities, competitions, hobbies and outdoor activities. The first orienteering map of the region has been made in 1975. The map has been since then updated and re-mapped several times. During the decades there has been many national orienteering competitions in the area. The biggest of them was Nuorten Jukola in 2009. The competition terrain is versatile, detailed costal terrain where the smaller stones have been left out of the map. Heathers slow down the running pace on the marsh part of the terrain. In the area there are small trails made by deers and some fallen trees that are not on the map. The competition area is quite small and there is a lot of controls in the woods which requires orienteerers’ concentration.

The terrain of the qualification race

The terrain of the qualification race gives a good glimpse of Eero-Antti Lonka’s mapping work. Because of the size of the area, courses have been planned near to the limits of the rules. We believe that the small featured terrain makes a good qualification race for all classes. The highway on the South of the area is forbidden (embargoed) area and it is marked on the with a band in the woods as well as the rest of the embargoed area.

The best and hardest parts of the terrain have been left to the finals. The terrain has some height differences. The terrain has plenty of small features such as knolls, big stones and small cliffs. Some groups of fallen trees that may have an effect on the route Choice are on the map. The difficulty of the course is planned that the network of trails can only partly be used. Also in the finals orienteerers’ full focus on orienteering is required.

We wish a good and fair competition for all!

Best regards

The course setters and course controllers