It is about time – Kuopio is ready to host the World Orienteering Championships 2025

It is a bit more than a year since the Swedes Tove Alexandersson and Martin Regborn sprinted their way to gold medals at the World Orienteering Championships Sprint in Edinburgh, Scotland. The last forest disciplines were in 2023 in Flims Laax, Switzerland where Tove Alexandersson (SWE) and Matthias Kyburz (SUI) won the middle distance, Simona Aebersold (SUI) and Kasper Fosser (NOR) the long distance, while the relay gold medals went to the Swedish women and the Swiss men.

Almost 300 athletes from 45 different nations have entered the WOC2025, which will be held in Northern Savonia, in the picturesque capital of the lakes district of Finland, Kuopio. This is the fifth time that Finland has hosted the World Orienteering Championships. The last one was in Vuokatti in 2013 and Finland also hosted the first ever World Championships, in 1966 in Fiskars. While the other two World Championships in Finland have been hosted by Tampere in 1979 and 2001. The Opening Ceremony in Tahko on Monday July 7 will kick-off the week, which culminates on Satuday for the relay in Puijo arena.

The start of the World Cup season in Idre, Sweden in June provided tough surroundings, where Kasper Fosser (NOR) and Tove Alexandersson (SWE) took clear victories in the long distance, Alexandersson also mastered the middle distance, with another Swede, Max Peter Bejmer in men. In the relay, Sweden and Switzerland took victories respectively.

A strong Finnish team aims at top performance in the home surroundings

A strong performance is expected also from the Finnish team, as Ida Haapala and Eetu Savolainen are competing in their current home town. Miika Kirmula won the long distance at the World Cup final in Kuopio last autumn, and both Finnish relay teams came in third place, so the ground is all set up for their best performance in front of the home audience.

The Finnish team for women in WOC2025: IIda Haapala, Venla Harju and Marika Teini and for men: Miika Kirmula, Akseli Ruohola, Eetu Savolainen and Topi Syrjäläinen.

Technically and physically demanding terrain

In the technically and physically demanding Nordic terrain, world champions in middle distance, long distance and relay will be decided on Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday. Qualification for the middle distance will take place on Tuesday at Tahko, with the top 15 in each heat qualifying for Wednesday’s final. The qualification competition takes place in the surroundings of Tahko ski resort, where the highest point of Tahkomäki is 201 metres above the nearby lake surface.

The landscape of the area on Wednesday and Thursday is characterised by significant relative elevation differences, high rocky hills and undulating terrain. Neulamäki rises 200 metres above sea level and 120 metres above lake Kallavesi. The terrain in Puijo for the relay provides small detailed areas with boulders and small cliffs and steep slopes, and the bigger elevation differences can make the race physically demanding.

WOC reaches a wide TV audience and arenas are close to the city center
There is good chance to follow the championship races even if you cannot be in Finland in the arenas in Kuopio. For those in Kuopio, the finals on Wednesday and Thursday as well as the relay on Saturday can be easily reached, as located near the city center.

IOF TV shows all finals on Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday. Furthermore, the broadcast can be followed on eight TV channels: YLE (Finland), NRK (Norway), SVT (Sweden), SRG (Switzerland), ERR (Estonia), ORF (Austria), CzTV (Czechia) and TV8 Mont Blance (France).

WOC 2025 Program
(All times EEST UTC +3)

Tuesday, July 8
Middle qualification
09:00 First start M
11:10 First start W

Wednesday, July 9
Middle
13:50 First start M
15:30 First start W

‘Thursday, July 10
Long
10:30 First start W
12:07 First start M

Saturday, July 12
Relay
13:28 Mass start W
15:30 Mass start M