Registration for the 2024 Nuuksio Classic starts on Sunday Dec 10th. At the start of registration, we announce the big news: The event’s competition center and start and finish area will move to Solvalla Sports Institute near the Finnish Nature Center Haltia.
At the same time, we express our warm thanks to Hotel Nuuksio, which has provided Nuuksio Classic with an excellent setting, a homely atmosphere and strong support in the practical arrangements for the first 12 years of the race.
There are two main reasons for the change. First of all, the Haltia-Solvalla area opens up new opportunities for the development of the race in the long term. Secondly, we believe that the renewal will also motivate the organizing team for new top performances.
The bold, beautiful, renewed Nuuksio Classic
The location of the new competition center in the middle of Nuuksio is an advantage for Nuuksio Classic in many ways. We hope to be able to reduce the event’s carbon footprint even more, as both runners and the public can get to the venue more easily by public transport, and the driving distances required for organizing will be reduced.
The race route will remain almost unchanged, but the dynamics of the route will change: the slowest and most energy-consuming sections will be run at the very beginning with the new starting point, and the second half of the route will have an easier trail surface.
However, you have to leave some energy for the last kilometer as well. The route now has a nice final uphill: The Solvalla ski slope is climbed just before the finish line. Arriving at the finish at the Solvalla sports field makes it possible to cheer for the runners at the finish line significantly longer than before.
The youngest participants of the race will be delighted by the dense trail network near Solvalla. We now have the opportunity to offer two different distances to the Nuuksio Mini Marathon. 2.5-3 kilometer and 5-6 kilometer runs are planned. The shorter route is aimed at trail kids aged 8 and under.
For the development of the race, it is particularly interesting that there are plenty of trails nearby that are outside the Nuuksio National Park. Thanks to that, we can also offer adults opportunities to get to know trail running on a short trial route without using up the participant quota granted by Metsähallitus for the national park area. The planning of the short distance for adults is just at the beginning. More info to come later.
New energy for the event preparation
Nuuksio Classic is organized entirely by volunteers. The core team of the event felt that in recent years the event has been carried out in proven good old ways, but at the same time there has been a bit of a repetition and doing things as they’ve always been done.
With the change, we want to inspire and engage the organizing team, and we also hope that new team members will join us to create unforgettable experiences for the participants.
The event’s new location also enables close cooperation with other operators in the Nuuksio area. Finnish nature center Haltia and Solvalla sports institute stand out as partners in particular.
With local partners, we get to implement new interesting things in connection with the event. Plans include e.g. a trail running program for Haltia’s visitors, which hopefully will be reflected in the event’s audience numbers, and interesting side programs for runners.
A range of accommodation services
There are several different accommodation options in the Solvalla area for those runners who want to spend the night in the race center before the run or stay for recovery after the run. By staying at the race venue, the event experience is the best possible. Highly recommended!
The three closest ones are
Solvalla Sports Institute offers affordable accommodation, which can be booked directly from the institute at the event special price by mentioning Nuuksio Classic. There are single and double rooms and a few family rooms for 4-5 people.
Haltia Lake Lodge is your choice if you want to stay in high-quality, environmentally friendly rooms right next to the competition center. Haltia Lake Lodge is worth visiting in itself, so staying there makes for a perfect Nuuksio Classic experience. The lodge’s specialty is glamping tents, where nature and quality meet in a unique way.
The Tentsile tent hovering between the trees is an exciting way to stay for the adventurous runner. Tentsile accommodation next to the main building of the sports institute, with the view of lake Nuuksion Pitkäjärvi, can be booked through Retkipaikka.
Welcome to the renewed Nuuksio Classic!
