PWT ITALIA At Jukola 2024
Anyone who has tried orienteering at least once knows what Jukola is: it is the largest orienteering relay event in the world. It has over 50 years of organizational experience, with the first Jukola having been held in 1949. Every year, the race takes place between June 13th and 19th in Finland, drawing around 17,000 to 20,000 participants, plus about 1,500 organizers, and then the audience and invited guests, estimated to be at least as numerous as the participants. A total of around 35,000 people: these are huge numbers considering that Finland has a very low population density – 16 inhabitants per square kilometer, compared to Italy’s 195 – and orienteering is a (relatively) small sport for the rest of Europe.
Here’s how the race works. Teams are composed of seven athletes, usually men (but not necessarily), each running their respective leg one after the other. The race starts at 11 PM – yes, it’s during the night – and ends when the last competitor finishes, usually around 5-6 AM. As you known, during summer the sun in Finland never really sets, except for just a few hours: for spectators it is particularly thrilling to watch the first runners start at sunset, follow them through the night with short naps in between (no one really sleeps), and see the first team arrive the next morning.
When talking about Jukola, another relay competition is also implied: this one is called Venla, which is no less important; it’s the women’s relay, run during the day before Jukola. In Venla, participating teams are composed of five athletes, necessarily women this time.
The names Jukola and Venla are part of Finnish popular tradition. In fact, the idea of the event is tied to the story from a novel by Aleksis Kivi, a national author, from 1870: The Seven Brothers (Seitsemän veljestä) – it is the first book published in Finnish (until then, people only read in Swedish). The story is about seven brothers who grow up on a farm called “Jukola.” They refuse in every way to integrate into society, often getting into trouble and refusing to learn to read and write. All seven are interested in a girl from the village, Venla, but their mother, due to their reputation, prevents them from approaching her. Frustrated and tired of that life, they sell their property, Jukola, and retreat into the wilderness to build a new home, but they face numerous obstacles, including their house burning down and being chased by bulls. These challenges teach them a lot and mark a turning point in their lives. The brothers work hard to repay the debts they have accumulated and gradually try to reintegrate into society. They recover Jukola, organize a party to reconcile with the locals, and the eldest brother, Juhani, is allowed to ask Venla to marry him. Over time, all the brothers become honest citizens.
The Jukola relay, essentially, aims to replicate what happens in the novel. The fable of the Seven Brothers is part of the common popular tradition throughout Finland, just like the Jukola relay itself. The curious thing is that many of the runners are not properly orienteers; many Scandinavian firms, in fact, promote this event among employees and pay their entry fee: it thus becomes a proper team-building event, which helps workgroups break away from their usual routine, challenge themselves, and foster a more human relationship that brings serenity and benefit once back in the office. It’s a brilliant idea.
Behind each edition of Jukola, there are years and years of preparation; every detail must be meticulously planned, and many of the infrastructures in the arena are built specifically for the event. It provides economic benefits not only to the organizing committee but also to everything around the event itself: the municipality, catering businesses, all the sponsors.
This below is an example of how the competition center is organized. This year’s edition was held at an old military airport. Even the Army is involved in the organization.
How the locals perceive Jukola
Organizing, participating in, and especially achieving a good result in this event has become, for the Finns, almost a matter of honor: “I would say that Jukola is the most important relay for Finns. Some consider it more important than the World Championships, but for most, it is certainly the most significant race after the World Championships and World Cups. For Finnish clubs, it is very important and that’s why we prepare very well: we go years in advance to the relevant terrains to train,” says Hanne Hilo, a 22-year-old orienteer from Finland and part of the national team.
Promoting our events and highlighting our sponsors is one of the reasons that brought us to Jukola. It can be compared to a sort of large orienteering fair; in the arena set up for the event, there is an area reserved specifically for exhibition stands, promoting their activities and events. Among these was also the gazebo of Park World Tour Italia, with its athletes and team managers, and with stocks of flyers, roll-ups, and Piave cheese accompanying chats with all the people who stopped by for information. PWT Italia events have a very positive reputation, especially in Scandinavia: the sun, good food, smiles, and wonderful places are excellent reasons to try orienteering in a place like Italy, all empowered by the good organizational quality of the training and races we put on.
Our Jukola
We at PWT Italia have been participating in Venla as a team since last year, although many of our athletes have participated in the relay in the past with their own Scandinavian teams. This year, given everyone’s various commitments, the trip was very short: leaving Bergamo on the evening of Friday, June 14th, and returning to Italy on Sunday morning; a whirlwind visit of just 30 hours. Despite the long journey and various transfers to reach the event location, the stress of arriving on time, and the very few hours of sleep, we still wanted to participate and bring visibility to our team and the events we have planned for the coming years.
PWT Italia registered a team for the Venla race, which, as mentioned above, is run during the day and can only be attended by women. Caterina Dallera, Annarita Scalzotto, Giulia Dissette, and Jessica Lucchetta: the names of the four girls who challenged themselves in the Finnish terrain, along with other 1,400 teams. The team enjoyed the support of team manager Gabriele Viale, and president of FISO Veneto Mauro Gazzerro.
Running on Finnish terrain is one of the most stimulating and at the same time challenging experiences for an orienteer, given the very particular and different terrain configuration from what we are normally used to. This, in addition to the fact that there was an endless stream of athletes in the forest (meaning you could not find yourself alone in the forest), runners of varying speeds, of all ages and all levels, from beginners to world-class elites. It is a unique experience, something beyond the orienteering we are used to. Running as fast as possible in an unknown forest, looking for control point hidden somewhere, continuously under pressure, and forced never to stop to avoid obstructing the flow of people you find yourself immersed in. It’s as chaotic and exciting as it sounds. The PWT Italia athletes finished the race in 208th place (out of 1,400 teams), not a big result, but one they certainly aim to improve soon.
Jukola in Finland is one of the few events we promise to honor every year. So, we are looking forward to the Jukola 2025 edition in Mikkeli. Stay tuned!