New sports in Jaama Winter on April 6, 2024 - running and skiing are now on the program

The Jaama Winter event organized in 2021 and 2023 on Kontiolahti's maintained winter trails will be renewed in 2024. The biggest change is that mountain biking, which was previously part of the event, will no longer be a sport. Mountain biking will be replaced by cross-country skiing.

"The number of cyclists in the event has been small. Events need participants in order to organize them," says Kimmo Turunen from Jaama Winter's background organization Kontiolahti Outdoor.

Five kilometer run

The cross-country section of the event is aimed at Sunday skiers, exercisers and competitive exercisers. The ski trips are 10, 20 and 30 kilometers. They are skied on a run of about 5 kilometers near the Kontiolahti Biathlon Stadium.

"Both licensed skiers and fitness enthusiasts who enjoy testing their speed against the clock and other skiers can participate, even if they don't have a competition license. Most cross-country events are either cross-country trips or ski races. Now we are trying an intermediate model between these", says Turunen.

Running and skiing on the same day

Another change in the arrangements is combining two sports on the same day. Previously, during the Jaama Winter weekend, exercise was done on both Saturday and Sunday.

"In the background is the streamlining of organizational work. Talkoo people are hard to find. By focusing on one day, we aim to ensure that even small winter events like this can be organized at all," says Turunen.

INFO: Jaama Winter 6 April 2024

• Place: Event center Kontiolahti Biathlon Stadium. Running routes on Kontiolahti's maintained winter trails. Ski route around the biathlon stadium.
Distances: 10, 20 and 30 km in skiing. Running 10 and 20 km.
• Series: N/M, N/M15
• Event website