The final preparations are well under way ahead of this year's Jan Kjellström
International Festival of Orienteering 2024!
The teams will be out over the next couple of days setting up the arenas ready to receive you for a cracking good weekend of top-quality orienteering.
The weather gods have been less than kind, so we recommend you put on your best O shoes that give you the best grip.
Please note that version 6 of the programme is the latest (and hopefully last) version to be published. It went live yesterday, so please check it out, especially if you are coming in a campervan on Day 4 as the parking instructions have been changed.
Please note that the embargo area for Day 1 has been reduced.
Loughborough is now an established, and still testing, area. Day 1 will be a World Ranking event (WRE).
PreO will take place in urban terrain and there will also be an opportunity for participants to try out Biathlon Orienteering at the event (this will also be available on Days 2 and 3 of the Festival).
Beaudesert has been used for many major events, though arena is a new location and the owners are a little nervous at what to expect. Please make this an enjoyable experience for them. We want them to invite us back!
The final day of the Festival will take place at Stanton Moor. Another testing area and also in a new arena.
If you are on social media, please do not forget to tag us in your posts via Facebook, X and Instagram @britishorienteering. The hashtag for the event is #TheJK2024.
Finally, thank you to everyone involved in the production of this event. We hope you have a great weekend!
The embargo area for Day 1 of the JK has been reduced.
The updated embargoed area can be viewed here.
An area of the South West has been removed which contains the Burleigh Court hotel. However, anyone staying there involved in the JK should drive out to the main road and re-enter the campus through the Epinal Way entrance to get to the event.
They should of course avoid entering the embargoed area at all times.
All the latest information about this weekends JK can be found on the JK website.
If you are interested in representing GBR, please read on!
The Foot O selection policies have been updated. Now included are the availability forms for athletes, which you should use to to declare your interest in being selected for GBR teams at international competitions this summer.
More details can be found here: www.britishorienteering.org.uk/Selection
Note that the process to select the World University Orienteering Championships (WUOC) team is different to the others, with different deadlines, so please read that part of the policy carefully if you are interested in racing for GBR at WUOC.
Half term in Bolton saw a new partnership form to help deliver Xplorer events whilst introducing and promoting club orienteering events to hundreds of new people.
The National Childbirth Trust (NCT), Bolton Council and South East Lancashire Orienteering Club (SELOC) teamed up to run two events over half term for families and young children in Queens’s Park, Bolton. Over 300 people attended over the two days keeping the volunteers on their toes throughout. Lorna Brooke, Anne Jeremiah, Keri Berry (NCT) and Caroline Barcham (SELOC) were on hand ensuring everyone got their maps and a crash course in orienteering, whilst also hearing about the opportunities there are for anyone to get involved in the club events running locally.
Commenting on the event Lorna Brooke (NCT), said: “The NCT is there to support parents in many ways from antenatal classes, to first aid courses and through the early years of becoming a parent. Activities such as Xplorer, pram walks and coffee mornings play an important role in supporting parents by running fun activities for young families, whilst providing the opportunity to meet other parents and share their experiences.”
Caroline Barcham (SELOC), added: “It was great to see so many people enjoying orienteering in Queens Park, there were lots of smiles and very keen families. Hopefully, following these events, we’ll see them joining up with SELOC and experience the wider world of orienteering.”
There will be another opportunity for families of all ages to experience two Xplorer challenges in Queens Park on Saturday 24th November, people can start the courses anytime between 11am and 1pm, collect your free maps from the Queens Park Café.
Anyone looking for further information about the NCT should Email: NNS.BoltonAndNorthWestManchester@nct.org.uk or visit: www.nct.org.uk
With anyone looking to find out more about orienteering in the area to contact SELOC on info@seloc.org.uk or visit their website www.seloc.org.uk.
Find more Xplorer events here.