New IOF Competition Rules: Significant changes with some comments

New IOF Competition Rules for 2014 have been published. There are no wild card for current WOC champion in Long and Middle anymore in new rules. What are other innovations?

The last O-competition in 2013

Today I ran my last Orienteering race in the season 2013. That was a local competition in my home-city Barnaul (Siberia) - 7,1 km, 27 controls. Snowfalls are coming. I hope to make 2-3 O-training session more before it should be impossible.

New PB 5000 m 16:56

Today I ran 5000 m at stadium. Time is 16:56. It was just test-race in the beginning of preparation to new season. I ran alone. Time schedule is:

The last season for Matthias Merz, Matthias Leonhardt (Müller) and Simone Niggli

I am really sad when such great runners stop their careers. Of course, it is part of life and new stars are coming. But every top athlete is unique person with unique way in Orienteering. And world Orienteering loses when they retire.

The end of cross-country running season

At Friday and today were last races of my cross-country running season. At Friday I participated in regional cross-country competition among runners from militaries, policy and firefighters. Today was regional competitions among students. Courses length is 3 km in both cases but with different profiles. I was running in men heats.

Top coaches in elite Orienteering: case of Simone Niggli

Simone Niggli (Switzerland) is a legendary athlete. She won incredible 23 WOC gold medals, 10 EOC gold medals. Simone has one the biggest number of Word Cup events victories in sport history. Swiss runner won World Cup events 63 times (Annemarie Moser-Pröll from alpine skiing - 62; Marit Bjørgen - 59). She has dozens victories in other international competitions (Tiomila, Venla, World Games, JWOC, WRE, etc.).  Also Swiss athlete is 8 times overall World Cup winner (for now 23/09/2013). Simone Niggli tells about her coach Vroni König-Salmi.

Victory in the National Running Day: 7,7 km - 26:00

22 September is the National Running Day in Russia. 80 cities and towns participate in running initiative this year. In total 491 thousands runners entered to competition. I was running in my home city Barnaul (West Siberia) at the distance 7,7 km road running. I won competition with quite good time - 26:00 (3:23 min/km).

Victory in Altai region cross-country running championships (3,3 km - 10:57)

Today morning I won in Altai region cross-country running championships. Distance was 3,3 km. Weather was perfect (sunny and dry) and good surface without big climbing. My result is 10:57.