Orienteering Festival comes to Blaenavon

Posted on: Wednesday 13 April 2022

Thousands of competitors will be heading to Blaenavon on Easter Sunday as part of a four-day orienteering event in Wales, which starts this Friday.

The Jan Kjellström International Festival of Orienteering is Britain’s biggest orienteering event and takes place each year over Easter weekend.

Orienteering is an outdoor adventure sport, where the aim is to navigate between checkpoints or controls marked on a special orienteering map. There is no set route, so the skill and fun comes from trying to find the best way to go.

The  JK International Festival is a competitive form of orienteering, with a challenge of completing the course in the quickest time.

Around 2000 orienteers from both the UK and abroad will compete in a sprint, middle race, long race and relay in towns and cities across Wales as part of the event.

The event schedule is as follows:

  • 15 April 2022 - Sprint event at Swansea University
  • 16 April 2022 - Middle race at Clydach Terrace
  • 17 April 2022 - Long race at Pwll Du
  • 18 April 2022 - Relay at Caerwent

A spokesperson for Torfaen Council, said: “We are pleased this event is coming to Torfaen again, having been held in the borough in 2014.  We have been working closely with all local partners and event organisers during the planning of the event to ensure it will be a well-managed and successful occasion.

“Although the local area is expected to be busier than usual on Sunday, experienced event volunteers will be working hard to ensure disruption to local residents will be kept to a minimum. There are no plans to close roads in the area, although a temporary light controlled crossing will operate on the B4248 at Garn-Yr-Ew close to Garn Lakes on Easter Sunday to ensure the safety of the competitors when accessing the event.

“We hope it gives local businesses a much-needed boost and we wish all the participants luck.”

A spokesperson from event organisers British Orienteering, said, “We are indebted to the landowners, The Duke of Beaufort and Walters Mining and their tenants for the use of the land, to Blaenavon World Heritage Site Commons Management Group and Blorenge Commoners for their support, to Garn-Yr-Erw residents and the Welfare Hall Association for the use of their Recreation Field and to Torfaen Council for their continued support”.

For more information about the event and orienteering in general, visit: https://www.britishorienteering.org.uk/home

Last Modified: 13/04/2022 Back to top