JK 2026 countdown
We hope that most of you already know that SOA is hosting the JK Festival of orienteering this Easter – and we hope that most of you will be coming along to experience it, and to help us put on a great show!
The dates are Friday 3 April to Monday 6 April, with all days taking us back to high quality orienteering areas that have not been used for a decade or more.
Entries
First of all, please remember to enter the individual competitions, and to tell your club captains about your availability for relay day. We are keen to see a strong showing from Scottish clubs across all days! So far individual entries are coming in at a pleasing rate. Please be reminded that the early bird entry rate runs for just over one more week, until Sunday 1 February. More details are at the JK website, or you can go directly to the SIEntries site
Merchandise
Also now on offer are the JK 2026 orienteering tops, available in both mesh and regular designs with profits going to the Scottish Junior Orienteering Squad. These have an attractive design based on the scenery of Highland Perthshire with Schiehallion (birthplace of contours!) and Loch Rannoch referenced in the design, as well as the iconic Scottish thistle.
The tops have been very well-received and are proving popular – order by 11 February to have your top ready for collection at the JK weekend.
Lend a hand in advance
With the JK being an ‘all SOA’ undertaking, it has no single ‘lead club’ with overall responsibility for delivering the event or for the primary roles on a central team. We are very grateful to those SOA members who have put their hand up to take on some of the larger jobs, and have already been putting in much work over recent months. Things are starting to take shape nicely but we do still have some vacant roles (not all large!) for tasks required in advance of the weekend, so if you can spare a little time to help ease what we are asking of those already involved, that would be most valuable and most appreciated! If you feel able to offer some time over the next couple of months, then please get in touch with Jon Cross at jk26coordinator@scottish-orienteering.org.
Staging the competition days themselves
For staging the four days of competition over JK weekend itself, we are following a similar model to the tried-and-proven Scottish Six Days model. Each member club within SOA has been asked to help provide the volunteer assistance on particular days, with that assistance being coordinated via a contact from each club. Many of you will have heard from your club contact already, but if not then we are sure you will soon! Everyone at SOA and from the JK team would like to stress how much the help and support from the whole Scottish orienteering community is valued – we are well aware that the role of volunteers is fundamental to delivering a successful JK.