Vurderingsløp Tiomila (2017-04-05)

Long and dark night race to try to qualify for the Old Boys Tiomila team, I started first which meant that I saw very few people:

Slow & careful to #1, I hesitated about 50 m before the control because I didn't think the contours matched what I saw in the terrain, but then I decided I had to be in the right place and found it just where I though it should be.

To #2 I considered following the big paths, either right or all the way around left, but decided to keep much closer to the line. This was a very good idea, because the main paths were all very muddy and I found several smaller (unmapped bike) paths which I could follow for parts of the distance. This should correspond to the usual elephant track running which both Tiomila and Jukola are famous for! As I passed the halfway point I first spotted a light behind me, that was the young guy who had started 2 min behind, he caught me just before the control.

Towards #3 he seemed quite satisfied to let me stay in front so I did so until we had passed the Dokkemosen marsh, at that point another young guy, Isak Jonsson, caught us both and he led the way into the control. We made a small mistake inside the circle, going through a passage between two knolls which we all thought was the one leading directly to the control but in reality we were about 20 m too far north and had to turn back left to find the marker.

Towards #4 I had the lead again for a short while but Isak punched first again, and as soon as we started the hillside climb I had to let them go, and I did not see anyone else during the rest of the race.

I ran a safe route to #5, picking up the big path, turning uphill on the smaller one and then contouring directly into the control which I hit perfectly.

I made a tiny wobble into #6, entered the circle 10-15 too far east.

My route to #7 was probably close to optimal, except for the very end where I had intended to stay above the double cliffs, but when I got there I saw a reflex marker from above. This turned out to be something left behind from another organizer, on the small knoll just west of the north end of those cliffs. I understood at once where I was and found my own control easily.

#8 was a bit more difficult, but when I turned right around the final knoll the control turned up exactly where expected.

I made my only real mistake halfway towards #9 where I started up the wrong path but a quick compass glance told me to turn around. 30+ sec?

I used a minute longer than the fastest splits to #10, they probably ran underneath the first small cliffs and then avoided my 15 sec mistake inside the circle.

To #11 I first intended to go straight until I hit the path and then take that around but due to the green I instead cut back north-west and then I just ran along the paths almost to the control.

Relatively easy to #12, but the climb was tough!

Very careful down the hill to #13 and then the last control: I really didn't want to end the race with a stupid mistake at the very end. This was smart because according to the split times almost half the guys missed one or both of these!