The International Orienteering Federation (IOF) has awarded the 2028 Junior World Orienteering Championships to Finland. The competitions will be organised in Tampere, and Tampereen Pyrintö is responsible for them. The decision was made at the IOF board meeting on 7 July 2025.

The Junior World Orienteering Championships is the annual main event for under-20s. The competition week to be organised in July 2028 will bring top young orienteers from over 40 countries to Tampere, their support groups and fans of the sport from around the world. The Fin5 orienteering week will also be held in conjunction with the competition.

– This is a great opportunity for young orienteers in Finland. The home competitions will inspire a new generation and highlight our sport. The event will certainly leave a lasting mark on the path of many young athletes towards the international top, says Mika Ilomäki, CEO of the Finnish Orienteering Federation.

The awarding of the competition to Tampereen Pyrinnö is a continuation of the club’s strong reputation as an organizer of orienteering events.

– We are excited and accept the task with humble pride. We have diverse terrains in Tampere, a functioning organization and a strong volunteer network, as well as strong support from the city. We will build an exciting and high-level competition week, say Tampereen Pyrinnö’s executive director Elisa Hakanen and the chairwoman of the orienteering section Tuija Schmidt.

The city of Tampere is also strongly involved in the arrangements. The city’s goal is to profile itself as an active sports city.

– The Junior World Orienteering Championships support the city’s strategy very well: Tampere is an attractive and reliable event city, where organizing events is smooth. The Junior World Orienteering Championships will bring vitality and visibility to Tampere, says the city’s event director Perttu Pesä.

The competitions will be held in July 2028. The program includes sprint, sprint relay, middle distance, long distance and relay. More detailed information about the competitions will be published later. This is the third time the Junior World Orienteering Championships have been held in Finland.