10Mila 2014: All You Need To Know!

10MILA countdown: One day left until one of the main highlights of the spring season for an orienteer: 10MILA. Kalevan Rasti, Halden, Lidingö, Hiidenkiertäjät, Kristiansand, Vaajakosken Terä, OK Linné and Södertälje are the biggest favourites among the men. Halden, OK Tisaren, Domnarvet, Tampereen Pyrintö and Pan Århus are some of the top teams among the women.

The men’s relay has a very interesting twist this year: The last leg is the shortest leg – only 8.5 km.

Second last leg more important

Instead the second last leg is long (15.4 km). This makes the second last leg more important than it has been. Teams now need to decide if they shall set their biggest star on the second last leg to not lose the initiative – or on the last leg to decide the relay in the end. Good move by the 10Mila organization! In addition the “Long night” comes at the 6th leg instead of the 4th – and the start is earlier, making the first two legs being run in daylight.

Useful links:

• PM (preliminary) and 10Mila webpage
• Online services – including live results, live webTV (webTV costs 150 SEK = 17 EUR) and free web radio
• The WorldofOLive Twitter account will follow 10Mila closely
• WorldofO 10Mila LiveBlog – live from the start of the women’s relay
• GPS-tracking will be shown only in the webTV (no separate links)

Relay information: Legs & leg lengths

All legs except for the 4th leg and the 6th leg are forked

As always in 10Mila – 10 legs for the men – 5 legs for the women:

• The men run from 8.5 km (10th leg, forked) to 17.0 km (6th leg,”Långa natten” – the long night, unforked). All legs except for the 4th leg and the 6th leg are forked. Leg 3 to 7 are run in darkness – the 8th and 9th in dawn/daylight, and the last legs in daylight. Start is at 19:30 CET – finish at 06:46 CET.
• The women run from 5.0 km (third leg, unforked) to 9.2 km (last leg). All legs except for the third leg are forked. Start is at 14:30 CET – finish at 18:36.

The Teams & The Favourites

Some teams have entered their running order on the 10Mila page, but many teams wait until the last chance to make their teams public due to tactical reasons. Even the running orders already entered may be changed. The last change to deliver the running order is Friday at 21:00 CET. Reserved may be deployed (only) in case of illness or injury.

Last year (see infographic below) the fight for being Top 2 in the men’s relay was decided on the 5th leg. Here Halden and Kalevan Rasti got a gap to the other teams. Halden was alone in the lead from leg 5 and all the way until the last changeover – but Kalevan Rasti with Thierry Gueorgiou decided the race on the last leg.

Last year’s winner Kalevan Rasti is the biggest favourite in the men’s relay this year again. According to unofficial info (1. Kiril Nikolov, 2. Juuso Metsälä, 3. Jere Pajunen, 4. Hannu Airila, 5. Aaro Asikainen, 6. Philippe Adamski, 7. Adam Chromy, 8. Thierry Gueorgiou, 9. Fabian Hertner, 10. Jan Prochazka), Kiril Nikolov will start the show for Kalevan Rasti. Except for Adam Chromy who is “only” Junior World Champion, the last 54 runners on Kalevan Rasti’s preliminary team setup are all World Champions (Hertner is still waiting for his WOC gold medal, thanks Lukas for the comment).

The winner from 2012, Halden, is tipped as the second strongest team. The running order is not yet made public. Other favourites are Lidingö, Hiidenkiertäjät, Kristiansand, Vaajakosken Terä, OK Linné and Södertälje.

In the women’s class, Halden is the favourite along with OK Tisaren, Tampereen Pyrintö and Pan Århus. We will wait for official running orders before speculating more about the teams.

• 10Mila startlist and running order

Live services: How to follow the race

There are a number of Live services available to follow 10mila 2014. If you have 150 SEK to spend, a combination of webTV, live results and the WorldofO LiveBlog is probably the best way to follow the event.

• Online Web-TV (costs 150 SEK) and Web Radio (free – Swedish or Finish)
• 10Mila Android, iPhone and Windows Phone Apps
• Live GPS tracking will  only be available via Web TV (and not in GPSSeuranta) during the event – full tracking is usually made public after the event. Tracking is planned for all legs in both men’s and women’s relay.

• Replay of LiveBlog 2013, Replay of LiveBlog 2012, Replay of LiveBlog 2011, replay of LiveBlog 2010 and LiveBlog 2009. From the 2010 edition; Thierry Gueorgiou: – It feels good. We have been so frustrated so many years. Now it feels really good. There is no better feeling than running in front. It just felt like an easy training on a Sunday morning. This year we were very well prepared. It is one of the last goals of my career. So now it is only left the long distance at the WOC.

Terrain

The competition area (see old map) is the same as used for the O-Ringen in 2009. The area is mainly covering a military training area. The training area is crisscrossed by a dense trail system with several detailed sections. Within the area there are also traces of motorcycling tracks that are so small that they are not mapped. All courses will to some extent get to the ridge Soåsen, a substantial hill that is next to the arena. Normal abundance of marshes, cultivated land and areas with thicker vegetation. Runnability is good to very good. The forest consists of mixed forest. Women’s and youth’s relay courses as well as some of the men’s shorter courses in addition to the Soåsen ridge will also go through relatively flat terrain, while the longer men’s courses will reach more hilly terrain.

Interview #10mila course setter up! RT @10mila2014: Nu finns intervjun med banläggaren till herrstafetten ute! [..] http://t.co/IuZztLcfRH

— WorldofO Live (@WorldofOLive) May 1, 2014