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Share  Tweet Thursday 18th April 2019

The UK’s Biggest Annual Orienteering Festival this Easter Weekend

Thousands are set to travel to Southern England for the Jan Kjellström International Festival of Orienteering this Easter weekend (19 April to 22 April 2019).

The event is open to top International elite athletes who will be competing for top medal positions. The event is also looking to attract and encourage families and individuals of all fitness levels and abilities from across the country to take part and soak up the festival atmosphere of the event this year.

France's Thierry Gueorgiou (Kalevan Rasti Club). Credit Rob Lines

The full programme of this year’s UK Annual Orienteering Festival includes:

Date

Format

Location

Friday 19/04/2019

Sprint Race

Aldershot Garrison

Saturday 20/04/2019

Middle Distance

Windmill Hill, Frimley

Sunday 21/04/2019

Long Distance

Cold Ash, Hermitage, Newbury

Monday 22/04/2019

Relays

Minley, Fleet

Three of the four competition areas over the weekend are very close together near to Farnborough / Aldershot. The Long-distance race on the Sunday is near Newbury (an easy hour’s drive away).

Friday’s Sprint race and Saturday’s Middle-Distance race are International Orienteering Federation (IOF) World Ranking Events. In addition, all three individual days will form part of 2019’s UK Elite Orienteering League and the UK Orienteering League. All four days will use Emit touch-free punching.

The JK event is named after Jan Kjellström (born 1940, died 1967) who was an orienteer from Sweden who played an important role in the development of the sport of Orienteering in Great Britain. Kjellström, a son of Silva compass founder Alvar Kjellström, travelled to Great Britain to promote the sport. There, he helped to accelerate developments in orienteering competition, mapping and coaching.Orienteering is a family sport as well as for top international competition. There will be taster courses suitable for beginners of all ages and abilities.
 

Credit:  Active North Photography
Cat Taylor in the Long distance. Credit: Rob Lines

Di Smith, JK2019 Event Coordinator, said: “We are looking forward to welcoming top International athletes compete for the top medal places across the weekend. We are also looking forward to seeing many families and individuals taking part, with courses planned to suit all ages and fitness levels.”

There are entries to the JK2019 from a total of 27 countries. Organisers are delighted to see entries from as far as New Zealand, Australia, South Africa and China. The top ten numbers of entries are from: UK, Ireland, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, USA, Finland, Denmark, Latvia, Spain.

Jennie Taylor, Communications Officer at British Orienteering, said: “This event generates a real boost to the local economy with people travelling from overseas and across the UK to enjoy top quality orienteering.”

Relay on Day 4. Credit: Rob Lines
Credit: Rob Lines

Orienteering is an outdoor sport. The aim is to navigate in sequence between control points, using a map, and decide the best route to complete the course in the quickest time. The sport of orienteering is for everyone at different entry levels.

The organising team are looking forward to welcoming competitors to some great terrain.

For more information and to enter visit the JK website.

Credit: Chris Spencer, ActivNorth 
Credit: Rob Lines
Credit: Rob Lines
Competitors discussing their races.  Credit:  Rob Lines
Credit:  Rob Lines
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