The Fast-Paced Terrain on Day Three Set the Stage for Friday’s Pursuit Race

Published: 03.07.2025

Veera Klemettinen from Suunta Jyväskylä and Elias Kuukka from Tampereen Pyrintö will start at the front of the pack in the final day’s pursuit race of the Kainuu Orienteering Week 2025. Winners in the main classes and the elite classes for 16–20-year-olds will be determined on Friday in a pursuit format based on the combined results of the first three competition days.

Klemettinen, who has remained in the top two throughout the week, said she was pleased with both her orienteering performance and physical condition after three days of racing. She completed the 4.2 km course in 33 minutes and 17 seconds. Mira Kaskinen from Rastikarhut placed second, finishing 13 seconds behind Klemettinen.

Klemettinen, who ran a clean race, said afterward that like many of her competitors, she was left contemplating her route choice on a long leg.

With her speed, Klemettinen solidified her lead in the overall standings and extended her gap for the pursuit, as Saila Kinni of Tampereen Pyrintö will start 5 minutes and 44 seconds after her.

– "On Friday, I’ll focus on delivering my own solid performance and see where it gets me," Klemettinen said.

Aho Set for a Tight Pursuit Behind Kuukka

In the men’s main class, Elias Kuukka clocked the fastest time on the 6.7 km course on Thursday, finishing in 42:20. He attributed a few mistakes to lapses in concentration, though he felt his overall performance was more consistent than on Tuesday.

– "Physically it was tough, but I guess that’s how it should be. It’s also a sign we’re pushing hard enough when it starts to hurt."

Aaro Aho from Valkeakoski, who finished second on the third competition day, will head into the forest 45 seconds behind Kuukka. The familiar rivals are anticipating a fierce battle for the Kainuu Week title. Santeri Kirjavainen from Kalevan Rasti will start third on Friday, over 10 minutes behind Kuukka.

On Thursday, athletes tested their speed in the week's most runnable terrain. In the women’s main class, kilometer paces approached eight minutes, while the men’s leaders maintained a pace just over six minutes per kilometer.

Colombian National Team Orienteers Gaining Experience at Kainuu Orienteering Week

Colombian national team orienteer Santiago Isaza has been gaining more event experience at the Kainuu Orienteering Week in Sotkamo. He is also preparing and training for the World Orienteering Championships to be held in Kuopio.

At the event, Isaza has been involved in marking and checking control points in the terrain. He has also done test runs on the competition courses.

Isaza has been involved in orienteering for eight years. In Colombia, the sport is not yet very popular, with around a hundred active participants. According to Isaza, there is a particular lack of orienteering maps in Colombia, so promoting the sport also requires improving map quality.

Isaza already has experience in organizing competitions: last year he served as the event director for the South American Orienteering Championships held in Colombia. The event drew a record number of participants—250 in total—but had very few volunteer officials.

According to Isaza, it has been great to learn the Finnish way of organizing events at Kainuu Orienteering Week. He praises the well-organized nature of the event and holiday week, as well as the effective teamwork among the volunteers.

“This is something we can apply in Colombia as well. It’s been a great opportunity to learn a lot more,” he says.