Jukola...next year

Posted by Mike...

One of my goals for the last 15 years was to compete in the so-called "Olympics of Orienteering". Race in the 5 Big Races of Orienteering: Tiomila, O-Ringen, World Orienteering Champs, World Rogaine Champs and Jukola. I've raced in Tiomila in 1993 and 2006. Took part in the O-Ringen in 1979, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986 and 1997. Raced in the all of the World Orienteering Champs held in Scandinavia since the early 80's (1983/JWOC, 1989, 1997, 2004 and soon 2006) and raced in the World Rogaine Champs in 1998 and 2004. The final 'ring' in my "Olympics of Orienteering" is Jukola. Despite many chances to do it I never have ... but 2006 was going to be the year. I was to run the anchor leg for Umea OK and hopefully make up for my disaster in the Tiomila a few months ago. Unfortunately a nagging knee injury that I've had for the last two months has got to the point that rest was needed. I ran injured through the spring races, including the World Cup in Estonia, and if I wanted to run WOC in August I would need to rest. This was an easy decision to make as Jukola was also the same weekend as Starr's 40th birthday so the Wadd Squad took off to Paris for a weekend celebration (see future blog entries on that).

Anyway back to Jukola. For those that don't know Jukola is the largest orienteering relay in the World - and quite possibly is now the largest orienteering event in the World with over 13,000 participants. Check it out at www.jukola2006.net. There were two North American club teams at Jukola this year. The Greater Vancouver Orienteering Club became Canada's first club to enter a team (a coed team that finished in the middle of the 1300 team pack), but the Cambridge Sports Union (CSU) from the Boston area finished a very impressive 204th! CSU is the group that inspired the formation of the GHO Canada GHO training group and hopefully their excellent performance will inspire other clubs in North America to enter teams in Jukola.

Why?
Well because large relays such as Jukola provide the perfect 'team' or club goal for a fun social event that involves lots of club members. Of course if you are going to take part in such an event you will want to do as well as you can and the goal of doing as well as you can leads to the need for club training - hopefully lots of hard and fun training. This means that the club needs at least 7 fit people to do the race - and more like 10 when you factor in possible injuries, sicknesses, etc. It also means that this should inspire each team member to push harder to get a better result and that you are working together for a common goal - and not against each other as in a team trial or individual championship. When adventure racing was my main sport in 2001-2003 I trained very hard to avoid being the 'weak-link' on the team but also to make sure I made my AR team's top team. So with something like Jukola - if you are number 7 in the club then you are just as valuable as the top person in the club and if you want to be among those top 7 you better train hard to make it. It is the club's responsiblity to inspire the training, do the recruiting and build up the depth. I'd even go as far as to say that until North American orienteering clubs get serious about athletic development and big team races, then North America will not make major gains at the World level in orienteering. We need groups of athletes training and racing together throughout the year. Pushing each other and helping each other get better. Having a big race like Jukola as a goal only makes it easier and more importantly FUN. Heck if minor hockey clubs and ringette teams travel across the World to gain experience as a team - then why not orienteering clubs? They are successful in fundraising. So why can't we be?

Currently we place a lot of focus on the World Orienteering Champs. We choose 6 men and 6 women and they represent the country. What is the goal for the person ranked #19 or 20 in the country? They know at the start of the year they likely won't medal at the North American Champs or make the Canadian team. They certainly could set a goal to move up in the rankings but that takes a lot of work on your own. But if they were ranked #5 in their club and the club needed 7 people to form a relay team then that person has a goal and the club needs them. And who knows that person could someday make the Canadian team because of that extra inspiration and by getting that chance and training more.

For the last two years me and the GHO Canada GHO group have been trying to get everyone's schedules together and enter a team at Jukola. We wanted to be Canada's first club team. Well that one is now taken by GVOC and good on them for taking that step this year. This year we changed our plans and went to and won the US Relay Championships. Not exactly a Jukola-like atmosphere. So it has to be Jukola...next year.

The goal? Try to better the CSU performance and try to break the top 200? That won't be easy but regardless of the peformance training for and racing in major international relays will be my main orienteering goal after WOC this year. CSU's performance was awesome and it has inspired me to start fundraising and recruiting for the GHO Canada GHO team. Jukola..next year! That's for sure.

So, if you want to sponsor "Team GHO (your company here)" as we attempt to be the first North American club to crack the top 200 at the 2007 Jukola then email me today for a sponsorship package!