- To plan courses is like arranging harmonies for good experiences, the course planning couple Unni Strand Karslen and Tom Arild Karlsen say. Now they look forward to WOC in home terrains from Aug 12th to 17th.
They never had to think twice, this was a challenge they would love to take on. And with the experience from planning the courses for the ultra-long autumn classic Blodslitet no less than 13 times, they were the number one choice for the creation of the courses on the long-distance. The race will be on Aug 14th.
- What are the main characteristics for a good course?
- Multiple route choices, and fair legs not decided by coincidences. Some parts of the course should consist of technical orienteering, Tom Arild Karlsen says.
Detailed knowledge of the terrain is crucial, so the married couple have been spending time in the terrain more than 30 times over the last 18 months, and that number is expected to rise to more than 50, according to Unni and Tom. The contestants will take on all sorts of terrain types. Typical Østfold terrain with all sorts of surface conditions and forests, this time in an area that has not staged orienteering races before.
Runners from 50 nations
Runners from at least 50 nations are expected, with around 100 female and 120 male contestants. The women’s course will be approximately 11k, and the men’s course around 16k. The winning times are estimated to between 70 and 80 minutes for both courses. The runners will start with a three-minute interval. The seeding system makes sure that the presumably best runners will go out last. Everything is set for an exciting race in the Mørk area, and right after the race you get to test your own skills in the spectator race.
