Orienteering season 2020: A third of the participants are self-employed orienteers

The self-directed orienteering, which came alongside the traditional fitness events this summer, attracted interest in the Kontiolahti Athletes' orienteering events. A third of all participants collected dreadlocks in self-directed orienteering.

With Corona, the orienteering summer of 2020 was special. Group events were cancelled, and a new concept, self-oriented orienteering, was born alongside the traditional fitness events.

In self-guided orienteering, the participant buys and prints his orienteering map online. The crossings are in the terrain for several days, not just during one evening as in traditional fitness crossing events. In this way, the exerciser can collect ticks when it best suits his schedule.

—We organized five fitness events with a total of 639 orienteers. A third of them went around the tracks on their own, says Seppo Turpeinen, chairman of the Kontiolahti Sportsmen's Association's orienteering department.

Because the self-service crampons have no markings, the orienteer's performance is not recorded in the results service, but each participant clocks the time for himself if he wishes.

Is self-directed orientation here to stay?

At Kontiolahti Athletes' events, the check marks were for self-guided orienteers in the forest from Sunday to Wednesday. The traditional fitness orientation event, which offers a timing service and the possibility of stamping, was organized on Tuesday evenings.

Turpeinen is not going to predict what the future of self-guided orienteering will be.

—Some consider the possibility of doing it yourself very good, and the price of seven euros for a map is affordable compared to many other hobbies. The possibility of self-employment will possibly be available in the future.

Kontiolahti wins silver in the WC

Corona has caused that some of the competitions scheduled for the beginning of the season have been moved to autumn.

By the beginning of September, only one SM competition has been held. At the Finnish middle-distance championships, Turpeinen brought Kontiolahti the silver medal in the 65-year-old category.

—There were about 90 participants, of which 50 made it to the a-final. Next weekend, the long-distance championships in Kankaanpää will be held, and at the end of September, the Finnish night orienteering championships organized by Kalevan Rasti will be held in Liperi's Pärnävaara.

More information: Seppo Turpeinen 050-5234276