2 weeks to Go to the JK09!
The Jan Kjellström International Orienteering Festival has become a favourite for national and international runners over the years, dedicated to Jan Kjellström who single handedly brought orienteering over from Scandinavia in the 60's and introduced different styles of mapping and coaching to the British public.
He tragically died in 1967 in a car accident and this event is the commemoration of his efforts.
The modern event has taken it's twists and turns over the years and has had many international orienteering champions including runners from Scandanavia, Central europe and, of course, Great Britain.
This year the event is taking place in the North East around the areas of Northumberland and Newcastle.
The current format for the weekend is as follows:
Friday 10th April
SPRINT RACE around Newcastle-upon-Tyne City Centre.
Newcastle is a historic city famous for it's Brown Ale, ship building, football club, Great North Run and the Tyne Bridge. This sprint race will take into it's route intricate parkland terrain, busy city streets and exebition centres around the city centre. It should be fast paced and exciting orienteering and great to watch.
Saturday 11th April
MIDDLE/LONG DISTANCE around Kyloe Woods.
This is a UK Cup Race, Future Champions Cup, WORLD RANKING EVENT and Veteran Home International Selection Race.
Kyloe is an amazing forest filled with technical areas of rock detail combined with mixed undulating woodland which provides exciting route choices and challenges for the longer courses.
Sunday 12th April
LONG DISTANCE around Dechant Wood, Cockenheugh, Grensheen Hill and Shiellow.
This is a UK Cup Race, Future Champions Cup, WORLD RANKING EVENT and Veteran Home International Selection Race.
These areas overlap that of Saturday's orienteering event on Kyloe and is split up into fast, runnable moorland, rock detail, low undergroth in woodland and sandstone rock pillars which will be a test of all orienteering skills.
Monday 13th April
RELAY around Dipton Woods.
This is a UK Orienteering Relay League Race.
Dipton has been used for British Orienteering Championships many moons ago and consists of a plateau of woodland with subtle contoru detail. This gives way to a sloping woodland with a large path network for great catching feature opportunities.
Some big names are in the start lists including Jamie Stevenson, who has just announced his retirement from his illustrious international career, Graham Gristwood, Oli Johnson, Sarah Rollins, Grace Elson and Pippa Whitehouse ... just to name a few.
By the end of the weekend, the Elites will have raced all types of orienteering discipline possible on foot and we will know the crowned champion of the JK 2009.