Route to Christmas: 2015

Route to Christmas: Day 1 2015


The first day of Route to Christmas 2015 takes us to Czech Republic – and to guide us towards the challenges to be met at the European Championships in Czech Republic 2015, we have one of the best Czech orienteers Jan Prochazka. This leg is one of the best examples on the way towards EOC 2016 In some days of the 2015-edition of Route to Chris

Route to Christmas: Day 2 2015


A long leg in one of the most beautiful races this year: Today’s leg in Route to Christmas is presented by Aleksandr Kratov – and is a leg some of you might have taken a look at already. The leg is the long leg (leg 8) in the H21E course from picturesque World Cup Long distance in Arosa at October 2nd 2015. It was one of the most beauti

Route to Christmas: Day 3 2015


Helena Jansson offers us a very interesting long leg in tough Swedish terrain for today’s leg in Route to Christmas. The is the 8th leg in the D21E course from the Swedish Championships Long 2015 at September 13th. For me the whole race was a bit special, since it was my first long-distance race in about a year an a half Helena first gives a

Route to Christmas: Day 4 2015


Today’s leg in Route to Christmas is from Norwegian Championships Ultralong 2015 – the 5th leg in the H21E course . [Did you vote for Course of the Year 2015 yet? More than 2.500 Euro prizes for voters – vote here!] The Norwegian Championships Ultralong has often been stages in wilderness in the mountains with few paths and great

Route to Christmas: Day 5 2015


Today we visit Italy and the legendary Venice orienteering meeting – MOV – in Route to Christmas. To disturb less tourists (and to scare the few who are roaming the streets at night more?), this year’s edition was held as a night orienteering race. The date: November 14th.  Venice is the same at night as in the day: It is like

Route to Christmas: Day 6 2015


Today Route to Christmas travels to Germany to a long, complex leg at the Junior European Cup. The 4th from JEC Long in the H20 course at October 10th 2015 is the chosen one. Up or down? Going straight is not an option! We are ready for day 6 in this year’s Route to Christmas – and thanks to this tip from Aaro Julkunen we got the 6t

Route to Christmas: Day 7 2015


A 3200 meter long leg in Lithuania is what meets you in Route to Christmas on December 7th. The chosen leg is the 2nd leg in the H21E course from Pavasario Taure (Spring Cup) organized at April 25th 2015. Help me! Have you got good ideas for Route to Christmas? I’d really like to get as many countries as possible into Route to Christmas – bu

Route to Christmas: Day 8 2015


Today’s leg in Route to Christmas is the major leg of “The Course of the Year 2015” – the M21 course in the World Championships Long distance in Scotland. Accompanying today’s Route to Christmas is an analysis of the leg by World Champion on this very course Thierry Gueorgiou – and Frederic Tranchand who ran th

Route to Christmas: Day 9 2015


Today’s leg is an absolute gem from France: France is a country with lots of interesting technical orienteering – this is also a perfect stage for interesting route choice legs. In today’s edition of Route to Christmas we visit the Nationale Sud-Est 2015 race organized on the Mazayes map in Clermont-Ferrand. The race date was 

Route to Christmas: Day 10 2015


Day 10 of Route to Christmas takes us to a long leg in the Russian Championships in a terrain which looks like a lot of fun to run in: Areas with big stones makes the orienteering tricky in parts. 10 Days – 10 Countries: Sweden, Norway, Switzerland, France, Czech Republic, Russia, Lithuania, Scotland, Italy, Germany. Possible runner-ups: Aust

Route to Christmas: Day 11 2015


Today we visit Finland for a night orienteering leg – and this time we take a look at the women’s class. The chosen race is the Finnish Championships Night organized at September 26th 2015 – and the chosen leg is the 5th leg. Even with the strong headlamps available today, night orienteering is a lot more challenging, and most

Route to Christmas: Day 12 2015


Today’s leg in Route to Christmas is a classic hilly, continental route choice leg from Austria. We have now traveled through 12 countries, and are half way to Christmas. The chosen leg is from the Austrian Championships Ultralong – and the same leg was ran both in W21E and in M45. How much climb can you take – and how far around

Route to Christmas: Day 13 2015


A leg in the gold mining area of the Australian Championships Long 2015 is the most suggested leg for Route to Christmas this year – this should be perfect entertainment for a Sunday in December.  Most of the deep erosion features were made by high pressure water jets which washed loose gravel that was then processed to extract the gold The

Route to Christmas: Day 14 2015


Day 14 in Route to Christmas takes us to Denmark – and a long leg with many route choice options. The chosen leg is leg 25 in the M21E course from the Danish Championships Long organized at September 13th 2015.  Denmark is country number 14 in this year’s Route to Christmas – thanks to Johan Aagaard for the suggestion! Danish Joh

Route to Christmas: Day 15 2015


Learning how to take optimal routechoices in Estonian terrain is in the back of the mind of many elite runners with the World Championships coming up in Estonia in 2017. Today’s leg in Route to Christmas addresses that – the chosen leg is the 6th leg in the M21E course from Euromeeting 2015 Long at September 26th 2015. As Estonia will h

Route to Christmas: Day 16 2015


For today’s leg in Route to Christmas we travel to a very interesting sandstone area in Czech Republic. The chosen leg is leg 10 in the M21 course from Prague Easter organized at April 4th 2015. Thanks to Dag Lofthus for the tip. The terrain was very nice. A bit slippery on the steep hills and some small areas with fallen trees. Hans Petter M

Route to Christmas: Day 17 2015


For day 17 we travel to a really cool terrain in Ukraine. This course is actually from a training three days ago (December 14th) by a group around Oleksandr Kratov (Cherkassi Training Camp).   Marshes are different from Scandinavian marshes – most often completely covered by high reed – so when you enter one you need to be really care

Route to Christmas: Day 18 2015


One of the absolute highlights in this year’s edition: CISM Long in Korea with a complex leg with many route choice options. Today’s leg in Route to Christmas is leg 2 in the Long course from CISM Long 2015 at October 8th 2015. About 1000 meters of climbing!!! 8.9 km straight but 13-14 km of running (Gernot Kerschbaumer) Thanks to the

Route to Christmas: Day 19 2015


Today’s leg in Route to Christmas is from the Women Elite course in the Swiss selection long distance race for the second World Cup round – organized May 14th 2015. The chosen leg is the 9th leg. To match the WOC -81 winners’ speed per km, the selection race winners should have run their courses in 79 min (men) and 72 min (women)

Route to Christmas: Day 20 2015


Today’s leg in Route to Christmas is Edgars Bertuks’ pick of a routechoice leg which he remembers particularly well from 2015. Bertuks is one of the top runners who was challenged to pick a leg for Route to Christmas in this year’s edition of Route to Christmas. The chosen leg is the 2nd leg from the World Cup Long distance in Ha

Route to Christmas: Day 21 2015


Today the Swiss elite orienteer Baptiste Rollier has been invited to take us to a leg he found memorable in 2015. This takes us back to where we started in this year’s Route to Christmas – to Czech Republic and the Czech Championships Long distance. This time leg 6 in the M21E course is chosen. According to the Czech runners the type

Route to Christmas: Day 22 2015


Today we visit Hungary for a very long and hilly leg in Route to Christmas. The chosen leg is the 2nd leg in several of the courses in the Hungarian WOC and JWOC Long distance selection race organized at April 26th 2015. Thanks to Aron Less for the tip. There are always some very interesting long and hilly legs coming from Hungary – in additi

Route to Christmas: Day 23 2015


Today we travel to Italy to an area close to where the World Championships was organized in 2014. The chosen leg is leg number 9 in the M21 course in a regional race on September 13th 2015 (but still with good competition). The tip about the leg – including an illustration with routes and split times for selected runners – is provided

Route to Christmas: Day 24 2015


The World Championships in Sweden next year is the main focus for many elite athletes – and this is terrain which may feature many interesting routechoice legs. At the last day in this year’s edition of Route to Christmas, we visit terrain that is relevant for next year’s World Champs. The chosen leg is from Halden – namel