Course Setter's Statement

This is my second year as the course setter for the Halikko Relay. I've tried to learn from last year's experience while also testing some new ideas. In orienteering, the terrain places clear limits on the types of courses and challenges that can be effectively offered, and that's true again this year.

For the Halikko Children's Run, we are using mostly a different part of the terrain than the one for the Halikko Relay. The terrain is very well-suited for the event: it offers good runnability with clear, supportive features. The courses are designed for the skill level of the 12-year-old category, but based on last year's experience, even younger kids who have been running direct courses will manage the challenges.

The terrain for the Halikko Relay is typical of southwestern Finnish forests. Given the relatively short courses, I've aimed to provide continuous orienteering challenges, resulting in a middle-distance style of orienteering.

The third leg is designed for the skill level of the 14-year-old category. The course from last year serves as a good reference for the level of difficulty. The remaining courses are, as stated in the competition invitation, "demanding orienteering courses appropriate for H/D16-class runners".

Since this is no Kärryvaara, I've interpreted the guidelines to mean that the courses can be about as difficult as the terrain allows. However, every terrain has its moments, and it might be a good idea to take a map-reading stop somewhere before ending up at the wrong forking control.

Each leg has a unique course, but apart from the third leg, the courses are roughly of equal difficulty. GPS tracking will be shown for several legs, but the courses have been designed so that viewing GPS tracking won't give a significant advantage to orienteers on later legs.

I want to also give a few remarks for competitors. The competition center is located on an old landfill, where the edges are somewhat difficult to traverse. There is a particularly steep section at the beginning of the route to the K-point, which competitors starting in the mass starts should be aware of in advance. When entering the forest, it's advisable to stay near the front of the pack or to maintain a reasonable level of patience, even if the group's pace slows down for a moment.

CORRECTION: The route to K-point for the opening leg of the Children's Halikko run and the Halikko relay has been modified so that the steep section is removed for them. For other legs, the route to K-point still include that section.

Some competitors will approach the spectator control quite close to the last control, and vice versa. To stay on track, even if the noise from the crowd briefly disrupts your focus, it might be a good idea to check the competition instructions to see if your leg passes through the spectator control. It's also helpful to familiarize yourself with the locations of these controls in advance.

Good luck in the competition!

Course Setter, Halikko Relay
Tuomo Mäkelä