Steven Hale, former member of the Great Britain’s national team, is course planner for the sprint relay 5th of June 2011 in Falun. The competition is one of four races in the event which is billed as a warm up for next year’s European Championships. Like the European Championships, the public races are expected to attract a large number of competitors.
• Why a sprint relay?
– Anybody who’s done a sprint race knows how challenging seemingly simple orienteering can be when performed at full speed. Combining this challenge with the extra stress and excitement of running man against man brings another dimension into sprint orienteering. At least that’s what we hope. Each team will consist of a pair of runners and each pair will run a total of four legs. This is certainly a format that has proved very popular in cross-country skiing.
• The relay is being held in an unusual area. Tell me about it!
– Over a thousand years of industrial activity has left its mark on the landscape around Falun Copper Mine. This landscape now provides us with a unique environment for sprint orienteering. Falun Mine is a Unesco World Heritage site. Run the race – experiece the history!
• What have prospective European Championship competitors to gain by running this relay?
– The terrain being used for the sprint and relay at next year’s European Championships will differ somewhat from this year’s race. However the mapper and course planning team are the same. The races are also being held at roughly the same time of the year so this will provide a good chance to experience the climate and vegetation. Don’t miss the chance either to try the local speciality, falukorv, a sausage traditionally made from oxen whose hide was used for making ropes in the mine!
