The NUTS Karhunkierros grew again – Simpanen broke his own route record
The NUTS Karhunkierros made history again in Kuusamo, as Finland’s largest trail running event attracted 3,859 participants to the breathtaking scenery of Oulanka National Park. The increase from last year was as many as 447 runners.
In sporting terms, the undisputed highlight of the weekend was Juuso Simpanen’s strong performance over 166 kilometres. Simpanen broke his own route record from 2021 with a time of 17.09.11, improving his previous record by more than 20 minutes. The average speed was a whopping 9.68 km/h. And this on a route with a climb of more than 2,400 metres.
– I set off at my own kind of brisk pace. This is a familiar race, so you know roughly the pace that suits you. It was a super success all in all, Simpanen said.
Simpanen had set himself a timetable, aiming for 17 hours and 15 minutes. He stuck to his plan throughout the journey, although the heat of the day presented some challenges with hydration.
– In the heat of the day I could have drunk a little more. This is a pretty traditional “problem” for me. My pace slowed down a bit before Oulanka (about 110 km) and a bit after that. Then when the weather started to cool down, I started to roll better,” Simpanen said.
Second placed Risto Mägi provided valuable resistance and helped Simpa to a tough time. Even at the turnaround in Hautamäki, Mägi was only three minutes behind Simpase. Finally, Mägi crossed the finish line in 19.08.39, almost two hours behind Simpase.
– It was really nice that Risto was so brave to start running and I got a little bit of a kick out of it. Especially as he didn’t have a GPS device, so I didn’t know the exact situation except at the service points, Simpanen praised his racing partner, who had originally signed up for the 55 km race.
Third place went to last year’s runner-up Antti Sirén in 19.36.09.
For Simpase, the basic trip was already his fifth in the Kuusamo dangers. Four times he was first, and only his first attempt in 2016 ended in a crash. He also still holds the 83 km course record (7.36.33) from four years ago.
– Pretty much, I try to think about what is the right load or stress level during the run. And listen to my body. In a way, the focus is always on the performance,” Simpanen described.
Simpanen is likely to run his next harbour race at the NUTS Ylläs Pallas event. Before that, at least the Peura Trail is on the agenda, but the planned 100 km run is apparently being replaced by a 50 km run.
All in all, the basic route proved to be extremely demanding again, and the drop-out rate speaks volumes about the challenge of the route. Just over half of all starters had to drop out. A record 353 participants took part.
Huopaniemielle scores on the first basic trip
The women’s 166 km race saw an impressive debut as Ulla Huopaniemi won her first basic race in 25.03.20.
However, the victory did not come easily. Huopaniemi suffered from stomach problems throughout the race, and the mental side of the race was perhaps more of a challenge than the physical.
– Perhaps the thing I was most nervous about was whether I could keep fit. I had stomach problems the whole trip. It was a bit of a struggle all the time, Huopaniemi, who is chasing the finisher’s flag for the whole UTTF tour, described.
Second place went to Marianne Nurmikumpu with a time of 26.35.48, more than one and a half hours after Huopaniemi. Third place went to Annika Varpe in 28.04.45.
Cricket makes a strong comeback after foot problems
The 55-kilometre ride was one of the most popular of the event, and was also the second race of the Trail Tour Finland (TTF) season. The women’s category was won by Kaisa Pirkonen, our World Championship representative, with a time of 5.57.22, even though the road to the race had been rocky.
Pirkonen had his ankle reattached in early December, and the injury had significantly limited his training throughout the winter.
– I’ve been having quite a lot of foot problems lately. I was still a bit shaky running, but I’m glad I finished. I would have liked to go harder, but my leg is still not giving in, Pirkonen said at the finish.
Pirkonen took the race calmly and focused on her own running from the start.
– One of them(Tuuli Raunio) went faster than me, but she obviously had to stop, Pirkonen said, and he was absolutely right.
Raunio, who won the 21 km Bodom Trail two weeks earlier, led by ten minutes at the first service in Basecamp. However, he had misjudged the amount of fluid needed for this long distance (about 32 km). The weather was also warm.
– On top of that, I went too fast for the first 10 kilometres. I guess it’s that youthful enthusiasm and the joy of running. After the basecamp service, a wall hit my legs and I couldn’t even walk. A study trip this time!
Suvi Patrikainen finished silver (6.13.24) and Satu Väänänen bronze (6.22.02). Aino Ollila, who was eighth in Kuusamo, topped the TTF overall.
The favourites were injured, and Holmgren took his place
There was also drama on the men’s journey.
Juha Sorvisto and Eetu Nordman, who were among the favourites, both had to drop out of the race to Basecamp, just like Raunion. Sorvisto’s Achilles terminated his contract, while Nordman suffered from an old ailment.
– The piriformis problem, which made me skip the Pärnävaara trail race, got worse early on and made my back legs cramp up, which made me stop already at the start. Fifth time here (Bear Tour), and probably in better running shape than ever before here, but first DNF, Nordman regretted.
Benjamin Holmgren, who was unchallenged, stormed to victory and the overall TTF lead. Iisak Helander lost more than half an hour, and Tuomas Puputti almost 45 minutes.
– After all, it (the win) was one of the dreams for this season. The fact that it came on the first attempt and then here in Ruka, it is great, Holmgren who stopped the clock at 5.01.26 glowed at the finish.
The journey was not easy, however, and the ascent of Valtavaara in particular tested the former skier. His leg muscles protested, but his guts carried him to the finish.
– I really got screwed from there. I just hoped that the hill would end at some point. Luckily, I had enough willpower to get up the hill and to the finish, Holmgren described the agony of the last kilometres.
Width enjoyed a night run
The 83-kilometre journey began on Saturday evening, and the night run in Oulanka National Park offered unforgettable experiences. Kristiane Width was the fastest and most enduring woman with a time of 9.40.45. It was the sixth fastest time of the race, including the men.
Width was particularly nervous about the night run, having previously described herself as “a granny who prefers to be asleep by 9pm”. However, these fears proved to be unfounded.
– It was absolutely fantastic! The sunset was spectacular. Then it was dark for about 30 minutes and then the sun came up again. You were all alone in nature, and of course, sometimes you would run into other runners. There were some really great moments there,” Width said.
Width was impressed by the supportive atmosphere of the trail running community.
– Everyone was cheering each other on. I think that’s what makes the Finnish trail running community unique and probably what makes us the happiest people in the world,” Width says.
Width, who moved to Rovaniemi last autumn, joined the ranks of the few runners who have won two different races in the Bear Tour. Last year, he celebrated a 55-kilometre victory at the Ruka Night.
– It was quite hot now compared to last year, when the weather was quite shocking, at least for 55 kilometres. So the conditions were completely different, but it was enjoyable, but it was also hard.
Second place went to Tuuli Erkko, who finished just under half an hour behind the winner. Third place went to Katri Virtanen.
Jungarån overpowered, Aittolammen’s fight bit
Like Width, Alexander Jungarå joined the Bear Tour double champions with a winning time of 8.02.52 over 83 kilometres. A year ago he was fastest twice over the longer distance.
Jungarå suffered injuries last year, but now has less than five months of intact training before the Bear Tour.
– I set out to try a slightly higher amount of carbohydrates and it was not a good choice. It backfired a bit halfway through the race. Then I reduced the carbs, just took water and that helped,” Jungarå said.
Jungarå was overwhelmed, as second placed Ville Siukkola was beaten by more than 45 minutes. Instead, there was a rare dogfight for third place, with German Markus Mingo beating Pekko Paajanen by just two seconds.
The men’s 34 km race was also tough. Last year’s number one Eero Aittolampi thought he had lost the game in the Konttainen downhill about seven kilometres before the finish, when Antti Seppänen and Aku Nikander hit a big gear in the eye.
– I’m honestly pretty bad at those downhills. My thigh was pretty stubby at that point. I thought that was it, but at Valtavaara I saw the boys in front of me again, Aittolampi recalled.
This vision gave Aittolampi a boost.
– I wonder if there is still a chance. I caught them on the last hill. It’s a miracle. I had given up a bit, Aittolampi admitted.
Aittolampi finished strongly and took another win with a time of 3.12.50. Seppänen missed by almost a minute, and Nikander finally by over two minutes.
Niittynen took Kotka’s scalp
In the women’s equivalent, Miia Niittynen took a sweet scalp from Sweden’s Mimmi Kotka, who is returning to racing after a serious cycling accident last year in which she was just millimetres away from paralysis.
– It was a fun race. I went to Bodom a couple of weeks ago to see what it feels like to go too fast, so today I wanted to go a bit slower, and now I ran well to the finish, Niittynen said.
The solution came after the Basecamp service point, when Niittynen got past Kotka. At the finish, the gap between the two was more than six minutes. Niittynen, who is next in the orienteering Venlo relay, won in 3.34.54.
The eagle was clearly happy with his ranking and was uninhibited in his enthusiasm for the experience.
– I’ve never seen anything like it before and the route was absolutely stunning. As brutal as an alpine race, but the nature was so beautiful, said Kotka, whose long list of achievements includes third place in the main UTMB stage (171 km).
Elli Peltomäki was third in the 34 km race with a time of 3.45.56.
The shortest stage of the event, 13 kilometres, was a wild ride for the front runners.
Anniina Taipale was the first woman to wrestle under the one hour ghost time and with her time of 59.17 she improved more than six minutes on Juulia Ojala’s route record. Salla Tompuri, the fastest under-15 runner, also beat Ojala’s time and was second overall.
On the men’s side, Germany’ s Jan Lenfert was just five seconds off Markus Rannankar’ s course record. Lenfert crossed the finish line in 56.41. The fastest boy was Edward Sjöstrand (1.07.31).
The next NUTS event will take place in Syötte on 12-13 June.
Text by Marko Krapu