Competition info
Preliminary
Competition Centre
The Competition Centre of Retki Rogaining is at Luomajärvi Farm in the village of Luode. There will be road signs from Kuru and from Länsi-Aure on road number 332 to direct you to the centre. Please just follow the Retki-Rogaining signs.
Parking
There will be a car park on the fields at the farm, and along the road leading to competition centre. The car park is close to the competition centre, but make sure you have enough time to walk and carry your equipment from your car to the centre.
Accommodation
The teams can camp on the area shown by the organizers from Friday afternoon until Sunday afternoon.
For other accommodation possibilities, please contact local lodging providers, for example Seitsemisen Portti, info@seitsemisenportti.net, http://www.seitsemisenportti.net
Registration and material
The teams shall register after having arrived to the competition centre to gain competition material.
The registration is possible on Friday 19.00-22.00 and on Saturday 07.00-08.30. Each team will get number bibs, safety pins, EMIT-cards and other material used during the competition. The maps are given at 9.00 on Saturday morning.
Teams are responsible for the material they receive and there is a fee of 60 euro for a lost EMIT-card.
Timetable
Friday 15.8.2008
12.00 Road guidance ready
18.00-24.00 Office open - camping
18.00-22.00 Snack bar by local scouts open: coffee, bread, snacks..
19.00-22.00 Registration open
Saturday 16.8.2008
7.00 - 24.00 Office open
7.00 – 8.30 Registration
8.00 - 10.00 Breakfast by local scouts (fee)
9.00 - 10.30 Distribution of maps and other competition material
12.00 Start
16.15 Finish closes (4 h event)
18.00 Prize giving lottery (4 h event)
20.15 Finish closes (8 h event)
22.00 Prize giving ceremony (8 h event)
Sunday 17.8.2008
00.00-14.00 Office open
8.00 - 10.00 Breakfast by local scouts (fee)
12.30 Finish closes (24 h)
14.00 Prize giving ceremony (24 h)
Map
The map is in scale 1:40 000 and has contour intervals of 5 metres. It is actually a small magnification of a 1:50 000 topographic map.
The map is printed on two A3 sized papers. Each team member will receive his/her own pair of a map and a plastic map cover.
Some newer paths and roads are not marked on the map.
The stones shown in map are clear in the terrain but on the other hand all stones which seem to be large and clearly visible in the terrain are not marked in the map. As well the marking of open bedrock and steeps is in some cases varying but in general the appearance of the map corresponds well with the scale. Minor objects are not marked at all. In the national park there are a great number of ditches which have been filled and thus are difficult or impossible to spot in the terrain.
Open cuts are not shown in the map, neither are the burnt forest areas inside the national park area.
There are some restricted areas shown on the maps where it is not allowed to move outside marked paths and roads. Competitors shall not enter into yards or otherwise disturb local people.
There are some some houses which are not shown on the map.
Some of the trails marked in the map are officially marked trails in the national park or they are part of the Pirkan Taival trail network. This marking is not indicated in the map.
Course
There are a total of 67 controls. Teams may visit the controls in any order.
Teams are not allowed to plan the course inside any of the farm buildings.
Most parts of the competition area are farm and forestry lands and parts are protected areas – Seitseminen National Park. It is characterized by a labyrinth bogs, small lakes, eskers and rocks. The elevation differences are relative small, the highest point is round 200 metres above the sea level and some lakes are at 126 metres elevation.
Controls
The controls are marked with an orange-white flag and a reflector. There is also EMIT-unit at each control. There is model control at start area.
Theh controls are numbered from 20 to 110. The first digit indicates tens of points of the control e.g. control 24 gives 20 points. Controls with three digits are worth 100 points e.g. 110 gives 100 points.
Control descriptions will be given on a separate sheet of paper. Refreshment controls are shown in the control descriptions. Some of the refreshment controls are located in court yards.
Punching
The EMIT timing system is used. Emit card(s) must be cleared before start. Team must punch one and only one card at each of the controls they wish to gain points. In case of a lost Emit-card it is possible to receive new one from the competition centre but the controls on the lost card must be visited again to gain the points.
Teams in the 24-hour event will receive two Emit-cards, and the teams in 8-hour and 4-hour event just one Emit-card. An Emit-card can record 48 controls. Therefore the teams in the 24-hour event must use one card for the first 12 hours and another card for the second 12 hours. The card which is not in use should be stored in a backpack to ensure it won't register the controls.
Teams are responsible for clearing the Emit-card at start area. If the card is not cleared it does not record any controls.
Visiting controls
All team members must stay together, i.e. within 20 metres from each other during the whole race. The behaviour of the teams is monitored during the event. Competitors are not allowed to rest within 100 meters from controls unless the control is a refreshment control. Competitors are not allowed to spoil or damage controls, refreshment controls or any other structures built by organizer.
Refreshment controls
There will be springs or water containerd at refreshment controls. Competitors are not allowed to spoil, use excessively or use the water for washing at refreshment controls. The taps must not be left running.
Start and finish
>Theh start and finish are located in the farm area. Competitors shall finish at latest on Saturday at 16.00 (4h), Saturday at 22.00 (8 h) or on Sunday at 12.00 (24h).
For missing the time line, a team gains 10 penalty points for each starting minute. Teams finishing more than 15 minutes late will be disqualified and stated as late arrivals. In the 24 hour competition team finishing more than 30 minutes late will be disqualified and stated as late arrival.
Obligatory equipment
For your own safety each team must carry a mobile phone in a waterproof package and a first aid kit with emergency blanket, first aid gauze (pack or two rolls), plaster and sports tape. Each competitor must have a whistle, a water container, some food and a cap, spare undershirt and windproof jacket.
Meals during the competition
During the competition competitors can eat and drink in the restaurant tent. There will be bouillon, bread, pickled cucumber, potato chips, raisins, bananas, water, juice, tee and coffee served. In the morning there will be porridge served.
Competitors are advised to bring with them sports drinks and nutrition which they are used to use during this kind of events.
First aid
Each team must have a first aid kid. At the competition office will be firist aid equipment foro injuries, but not to take along.
In the case of emergency
If your team faces am emergency during the competition, you must notify the organizers of the event immediately for further assistance, if it is needed. If the emergency is life threatening, you must call 112, the common emergency number.
If it is a less hazardous emergency, please call the organizers at 045 6307851. There is a 24 hour service at this number. Please register this number on the mobile phone which you carry with you during the race.
You may call 045 6307851 also if a checkpoint has been vandalized, there is no water at a water post or you come across another technical problem along the course.
Toilets
There are toilets at the competition centre. In the terrain there are no toilets by the organizer but there are toilets along the marked paths in the national park area.
Shower and sauna
There is a washing possibility after the race.
Meal after competition
There will be warm meal served for two hours after the competition is over in the restaurant tent.
Prize giving ceremony
Prizes will be awarded 2 hours after the finish of each event in the competition centre area. In the 4-hour event there are no prized depending on success but a lottery. In other classes the best teams will be awarded. During the ceremony there will be also some lottery prizes for participants and to receive such a prize you have to be present in person to collect the prize.
Special rules for competition centre
Competition centre is at Luomajärvi farm and its surroundings. All disturbance of animals, crossing through the rangeland and bringing own pets in the area is strictly forbidden. Parking possibilities at the area are limited.