Boldly GHO ... to Jukola in 2007!

Well the North American club 'bar' for Jukoka has been set and it has been set very high. The Cambridge Sports Union (CSU) from Boston came 204th out of over 1300 teams last weekend.

Can GHO better this placing?

Jukola is the World's largest orienteering relay with over 13,000 participants. Held in Finland in the middle of June it is an all night orienteering relay with an awsome party atmosphere. For the last few years GHO has tried to get a team together to take part in this epic relay for several years now. But so far - no team. The Greater Vancouver Orienteering Club (GVOC) entered a team this year to become the first Canadian club to enter a team.

So here is my challenge to GHO Canada GHO members:

Lets enter two teams for Jukola in 2007! (2 mens teams or one womens team and a mens

We can make this our club goal over the winter and a way for celebrating the hard work of organizing the NAOC this year. If you think the Flying Pig weekend was fun then this race will be unbelievable! We need people to commit so that we can start fundraising (and training). The race is June 16-17, 2007 and can be tied in with a World Cup race a few days earlier. The Norwegian O-festival the weekend later or countless other orienteering and/or adventure races and mountain marathons in Europe!

Email Mike at raid@dontgetlost.ca if you are interested and what you can do to help (fundraising, booking flights, training, create email list, recruiting, etc) in making Jukola participation a reality!

-Mike Waddington

Canadian Team

The 2006 Canadian WOC team was announced earlier today and there is a strong Hamilton connection. Mike Waddington was already pre-selected and he will be joined by former GHO runner Patrick Goeres. Two other ex-GHOers, Pam James and Brent Langbakk (both now living in Yukon), are also on the team as is Yukoner Justine Scheck. Justine will be starting at McMaster in September. Hans Fransson is one of two alternates for the Canadian team.

TNT Bender

What happens when Sweden's National day falls on the same night as a GHO Canada GHO TNT? A Bender of course! Barb Campbell, Simon Donato and Hans Fransson all took part in tonight's Old Mill 10K while others ran intervals in the beautiful Dundas Valley.

The party took place afterwards with beer, donuts, pizza and other great carbo loading stuff for the people preparing for this weekend's North American 24 hour Rogaine Champs.

Top row(L-R): Meridian, SuperWes1000, Coach Sudden, and TVP
Bottom row(L-R): Fossil, Hammer, Griz, Bender, Bash