The Internet pages of the Finnish Orienteering Federation are in Finnish, but this page provides information on the main activities of FOF as well as directions for where to find the most essential information on the Finnish pages.
Abstract
The Finnish Orienteering Federation supports Finnish orienteering clubs in offering high quality competitions, activities for children and fitness orienteering. In addition, the federation looks after orienteers’ interests, creates opportunities for expanding orienteering and takes care of both internal and external communication. FOF develops orienteering with the needs of orienteers, clubs, areas and interest groups in mind, while also taking changes in the environment of the activity into consideration.
FOF has over 400 member clubs, i.e. clubs which have orienteering activities. The clubs and links to their Internet pages can be found on the list.
Competitions for orienteering, ski orienteering, mountain bike orienteering and trail orienteering can be found on IRMA (online competition application), where registrations to competitions and links to the Internet pages of the competitions are included. Detailed IRMA-instructions for foreigners.
Finnish Championships are arranged in orienteering, ski orienteering, mountain bike orienteering and trail orienteering for many different classes and different distances.
The biggest orienteering event in Finland and in the world is Jukola Relay (Jukolan viesti), which takes place in June. There are seven legs in the men’s competition in Jukola Relay. The competition starts on Saturday evening and the winner finishes on Sunday morning. Women have their own Venla Relay (Venlojen viesti) on Saturday with four legs. Over 1,600 teams take part in Jukola Relay and over 1,200 in Venla Relay. The results and more information on Jukola Relay can be found on Jukolan viesti -pages.
Two orienteering weeks are arranged in Finland in July. Kainuu Orienteering Week (Kainuun Rastiviikko) is a four-day-event, and it takes place at the beginning of July in Kainuu region. Fin5 Orienteering Week (Fin5-suunnistusviikko) is a five-day-event and it is arranged in the middle of July in varying parts of Finland.
FOF follows its own extensive ethical fair play programme called Reilua peliä rasteilla. The aim is a long-term development of orienteering. The most important aspects of the fair play programme support e.g. activity according to everyone’s own aims, taking fellow orienteers and environment into consideration, and attaining mental and physical well-being through orienteering.
The Finnish Orienteering Federation aims to support orienteering clubs through educating, directing and providing materials and a network of contacts. The member clubs provide weekly orienteering training in the summer, and ski orienteering and indoor training in winter. Orienteering as a hobby offers children and teenagers new experiences and challenges in good company in nature.
Leimaus-leiri is a four-day orienteering camp for children between 8 and 18 years of age. The camp has been arranged since 1995. Youth Jukola (Nuorten Jukola) is a relay of seven legs for under 18-year-old orienteers, and it takes place in August.
Orienteering clubs arrange recreational orienteering mainly from April to October. More precise information on these events can be found in Rastilippu.
Finnish Orienteering Federation publishes a magazine called Suunnistaja (Orienteer), which comes out 9 times a year.
Finland’s aim is to be the best country in orienteering, ski-orienteering, mountain bike orienteering and trail orienteering in the World Championships. Profiles of Finnish top athletes in orienteering, ski-orienteering and mountain bike orienteering. Finnish teams can be found on Top orienteering pages (Huippusuunnistus). Extensive statistics on success in previous World Championships can be found on Media pages.