Vuokatti-Jukola brings together a top orienteering relay weekend and culture in Kainuu

A diverse Jukola Culture Week will be built around Vuokatti-Jukola, which will be held in June 2027. During the event week, visitors in Vuokatti and Sotkamo will be able to enjoy culture, sport and nature experiences. According to Anu Korhonen, Cultural Coordinator for Vuokatti-Jukola, combining the traditional Jukola Relay with Kainuu’s local culture is a unique opportunity. – Nature and culture together offer a wealth of experiences. We can bring them together into a wonderful package for Vuokatti-Jukola, Korhonen says.   The host municipality of Vuokatti-Jukola, Sotkamo—selected as Finland’s most active municipality in 2025—has invested heavily in developing local culture in recent years. The idea for the Vuokatti-Jukola Culture Week was inspired especially by the local author Veikko Huovinen, whose 100th anniversary will be celebrated in 2027. T-shirts featuring a quote by Veikko Huovinen will be available for purchase in the spring through Vuokatti Sport and the Sotkamo municipal online store. – The idea of hindsight from The Thinker of Havukka-aho, Konsta Pylkkänen, fits well with the mindset of orienteers too, Korhonen notes. One of the goals of the Culture Week is to extend visitors’ stay through various side events. The detailed programme will be published in summer 2026 and will include highlights from other municipalities in Kainuu as well.

Pre-Jukola will be held in Sotkamo in the summer of 2026 as part of the Relay League

Pre-Jukola, which will be held in Sotkamo on June 27th, 2026, is one of the Relay League races. In total, seven competitions will be competed in the 2026 Relay League, of which three competitions will be held in the spring season before the Jukola and Venla relays, one competition in midsummer and two competitions in the autumn. – The competition program is built according to a familiar formula, but this time Pre-Jukola will be competed at the end of June in Sotkamo, just before the Kainuu Orienteering Week, says Timo Saarinen, the Finnish Orienteering Federation’s event manager and Relay League producer. According to Saarinen, the Relay League promises diverse terrain, and the aim is to seek a little variety in the competition concepts. – The starting point is of course the familiar three-leg relays, which get a lot of teams to the line and tight battles, Saarinen summarizes.