Course of the Year: Top 15 as of now

Sweden, Norway, France, Latvia, Hungary, Portugal, Finland, Switzerland and Czech Republic. 9 countries among Top 15 – and more than 500 votes have been given for “Course of the Year 2018″ so far. Below are the courses which are in the Top 15 so far, arbitrary sorted. A tight fight in the top – so nothing is decided yet…

Still not devlivered your vote? Do so here:

• Vote for Course of the Year 2018 here!

Below you find Top 15 in “Course of the Year 2018″ as of Friday 30th 2018 in randomized order. Voting is open until Monday December 3rd.

Overall Top 15: Swedish champs Long 2018

Suggested by Ruslan Glebov and Macrus Millegård – as one of the real highlights of 2018.

 

Overall Top 15: WOC 2018 Long Men

Several suggested this course; one of them was “von”, nominating the course for being:

A very though course with a lot of good routechoices that decided the race.

 

Overall Top 15: OOCup 2018 Stage 4: M21E

The first course suggested was OOCup stage 4, suggested by Grep POP with the following comment:

Here a beautiful race on a wondeful terrain, stage 4 of OO’Cup in Ain (France) last July. What more and what best for orienteering?

Several others also suggested this course – and also Day 3 of OOCup was suggested.

Overall Top 15: JWOC middle distance Men 2018

Tamas Baras was one nominating this map with the following comment:

I would like to suggest the Middle distance final from JWOC, Hungary. It is an amazing terrarian. I have never seen anything similar before. These juniper labyrinth are quite challenging for the experienced runners as well. You have to read the map carefully, and navigate without mistakes. It is easy to get lost there.

 

Overall Top 15: III Meeting de Orientacao Dao Lafoes

Suggested by Marika Teini in one of the interviews with the following description:

The course I enjoyed the most this year was a WRE race in Portugal in February,  III Meeting de Orientacao Dao Lafoes. The terrain was a nice combination of fast parts with good visibility and more detailed rock formations and green areas. Though there were no longer legs, you should have a good plan for each leg to avoid bushy areas and cliffs and to execute legs smoothly. I generally like courses with relatively many controls in detailed terrains, because then you have to be sharply focused all the time and it’s a lot about smooth but offensive execution.

Overall Top 15: Norwegian Champs Ultralong 2018 – H21

Suggested by Eva Jurenikova and Isak. Here is the nomination text from Isak:

I would like to suggest the norwegian champs ultralongdistance in Høydalsmo. Amazing 20 km course for the mens elite without barely any path running. Also incredible surrondings with open mountain terrain. The 2 km leg to the 16. control is truely one of a kind and also has several possible routechoices.

Overall Top 15: EOC Long 2018: M21E

Chris was one of the readers suggesting EOC Long, with this nomination text:

I’ll go for a real tough long distance with route choices deciding the race: EOC Long Distance

 

Overall Top 15: World Cup final Czech Republic Middle 2018

Suggested by many; one of them was Daniel Fehervari with this text:

I think the best course in the year. The World cup middle distance at Czech Republic. I ran this terrain 5years ago. Very beautiful and got a lot of really good route choice possible in this terrain.

and David Botond by this text:

I suggest the world cup final, Middle distance from the Czech Republic. This is the best world cup race I have seen this year. This lime stones are increadible, the course contains lots of interesting route choices, even the best runners made several mistakes.

 

Overall Top 15: World Cup Long Norway 2018 – M21E

The World Cup Long in Norway was suggested by Eva Jurenikova with the following text:

The long distance from the World Cup in Skolleborg, Halden, Norway. I was test-running the women’s course early in the morning before the actual race, tired and still sleepy, making a lot of mistakes, and I was immediately thinking, that I should run it again later, to fully enjoy both the wild terrain and the orienteering challenges. It is not so easy to set a course with many route choices in Östfold terrain, most of the time you run close to the line, but here the course setter Öyvind Helgerud managed to find several legs where you have to think carefully about the route choice.

Overall Top 15: O-Ringen 2018 Stage 4

Kirsi and Ruslan Glebov where among the ones choosing this course. Here is what Kirsi wrote:

Extremely beautiful terrain and great long distance courses with varying challenges.

Overall Top 15: JWOC Sprint 2018 – M20

HTC suggested this course with the following nomination text:

I nominate the JWOC sprint course from Kecskemet. Big contrast. Fairly simple terrain, with a high level, challenging course.

Overall Top 15: Finnish Champs Long 2018

Many suggested this course – among others Arttu Syrhäläinen with the following nomination text:

One of my favourite terrains in Finland near by my childhood home. Great job by coursesetter Mika Ahola- classic long distance course with some really nice long legs ( 8-9 great leg for roadtoXmas).

 

Overall Top 15: KM Ultralong Troms 2018

Eva Jurenika suggested this course also, this time with the following text:

A course which I wish I would run is district championships ultra long distance in Norway (organised by IL Bull Tromsö in September). Beautiful nature and interesting orienteering terrain, which I believe would be appreciated by most orienteers. The H21 course offers some interesting route choices, you do not just run straight. I have spent quite a few time studying the course and thinking about what route choices I would take.

Overall Top 15: 10mila 2018 Leg 4

Color suggested 10Mila 2018 with the following text:

My suggestion is 10Mila Leg 4. Technical terrain at night, long, maybe slight rain..

 

Voting closes Monday December 3rd

When voting you will notice that it is not easy to set up a “Top 5 List”, as none of the courses are perfect and there are a lot of courses to choose from! Still – do your best, and help the courses and course-setters you think deserve it towards the top! Please take a look at our sponsor prizes below – with a total value of more than 6000 Euro – before voting – as you can choose which one you’d want to win when voting.

• Vote for “The Course of the Year 2018″ here
• See all the nominated maps here (or as a slideshow)
• Intro article: Submit your suggestions to “Course of the Year 2018″
• Interview Isia Basset 
• Interview Ruslan Glebov
• Interview Marika Teini
• Interview Milos Nykodym
• Interview Kamilla Olaussen
• Interview Tim Robertson
• Article: Last chance to add suggestion

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Rules

The following rules are given for “The course of the Year 2018″.

• The course must have been run in competition or training in 2018 (an exeption for courses in December 2017 as they were not covered in last year’s contest)
• Suggestions are submitted as a comment to this post – including link to the map with course in a quality which is good enough for the readers to understand the course and the challenges involved. Please add information about location/date if that is not clear from the link provided. Also include which sponsor prize you are interested in if you win (please do check out the sponsor prizes and choose one, it is much nicer to win something you really want!).
• You must give a reason for why you think this course deserves to be named “The course of the Year 2018″ (or why it is the best course you run/set this year). All reasons are valid. Examples can for example be “varied orienteering challenges”, “extremely technical orienteering”, “high fun-factor”, “fantastic map”, “spectacular orienteering”, “fantastic nature” – a combination of these – or a totally different reason. To get all the way to the top you should probably have a combination of reasons…
• The course may be any foot-orienteering discipline – e.g. a long distance, a middle distance, a sprint distance. It may also be a technical training course – like e.g. a corridor orienteering exercise.
• There will be a voting process among the readers of “World of O” in order to name “The course of the year 2018″. This is your second chance to win sponsor prizes!

Prizes from our Sponsors

Prizes from our Sponsors always makes it more fun! There will be a prize for the first one suggesting the course which ends up becoming “The course of the Year 2018″, and prizes drawn among the ones suggesting and voting. All prizes are transferable to other persons (you don’t have to travel yourself).

Event sponsor: WMOC 2019 Public Race. July 4th – 12th (Latvia)

• Prize offered: Competition + accommodation package for 2 persons including: 5 races (two sprints in Riga, 3 forest races),  accommodation 8 nights with breakfast in twin/double room, 4-12 July 2019 . Total prize value: EUR 820.
• Watch the world’s best master runners in action and find out how good you are in the same terrains! Be equally prepared for a maze of narrow streets in Riga and a fast run in a perfect dune forest. Watch out – it may be 8 nights! And, certainly, enjoy the sun and beach immediately after your run! Read more: www.wmoc.2019.lv

Event sponsor: 52nd Kainuu Orienteering Week (KOW), June 30th – July 5th 2019 (Finland)

• Prize offered: 4 packages, each consisting of 2 free participations for the whole week in any class (competition classes or open courses) at Kainuu Orienteering Week 2019. Total value up to 800 EUR. Transferable to other persons.
• Open and International Orienteering Week in Finland, Sotkamo, Tipasoja (WOC2013 terrain)
• More information: Kainuu Orienteering Week is the Finlands’s biggest orienteering week and the world´s second oldest orienteering week, as it has been held annually since the year 1966. Kainuu O-Week is held in the Kainuu region of Finland and traditionally the event is held in the beginning of July the week 27. In 2019 Kainuu Orienteering Week will go back to perfect pine forrest and moor terrains of the WOC2013 events. Come to enjoy the orienteering and holiday week for the whole family in the great sceneries and terrains and pure and beautiful nature of Kainuu region in Finland. First entry period will be closed on 30th of november 2018. For more information see www.rastiviikko.fi.