Mikkeli’s orienteering club Navi has been working on the event for years.
Orienteering’s Jukola relay 2025 is contested in Mikkeli in the forest area between Tikkala and Vatila. The terrain has moderately large differences in height, covered slopes between hills and fast-moving commercial forest.
– The terrain is very good, versatile and demanding, says Mikkeli Jukola 2025 chairman of the organizing committee Juha Paanila.
Mikkeli’s Jukola competition center is in the factory area of the Suutarinen company. All the infrastructure needed for the event is ready there, including roads, municipal technology and data transmission connections.
Getting to the competition center is done by bus from the parking areas.
The goal is 40,000 visitors
The budget of the event is more than two million euros. According to Juha Paanila, the aim is to get the result to the plus side, but the prevailing financial situation is difficult.
The city of Mikkeli supports the event by, among other things, providing facilities and catering. There will be more than 1,300 people from Tako at the event.
The Jukola message is estimated to bring 7–10 million euros to the regional municipality. Cash flows mainly come from accommodation and living. During the event weekend, accommodations are booked within a radius of about 70 kilometers.
Before the corona pandemic, 20,000 competitors participated in Jukola, but after the corona, the number has dropped. In Mikkeli, it is believed that the number of 20,000 participants will be broken again in 2025. All in all, 40,000 visitors are expected for the event.
– In terms of orientation, it is going to be a very interesting and demanding competition. I believe that we will be able to organize really great orienteering festivals, says Juha Paanila.