Youth Adventure Racing World Championships to be held in Kuopio in 2028

Kuopio has been awarded the honor of hosting the Youth Adventure Racing World Championships in 2028. This is a historic event, as it will be the first time the championships are held in Finland and anywhere in Europe.

The first Youth Adventure Racing World Championships took place in Canada this year. Canada will also host the next edition of the championships, scheduled for summer 2027.

The International Adventure Racing Association (IARA) and the Adventure Race World Series (ARWS), which owns the rights to the World Championships, have selected Finland as the host nation for the 2028 Youth Adventure Racing World Championships. The decision reflects Finland’s active role within the international adventure racing community, its strong expertise in event organization, its safe operating environment, and its long-standing experience in delivering high-quality sporting events. The selection represents a significant recognition of Finnish adventure racing and event production on the international stage.

The 2028 World Championships will bring young athletes, coaches and support teams from around the world to Kuopio. The competition combines several endurance disciplines, including orienteering, trail running, mountain biking and paddling. Adventure racing is particularly known as a team sport that tests not only physical performance, but also navigation skills, problem-solving abilities and teamwork.

“We are extremely proud that the international adventure racing community has placed its trust in Finland and Kuopio. Securing the World Championships for Finland is the result of long-term development work, high-quality events and strong cooperation between national and international stakeholders,” says Lauri Hollo, Technical Director of the Championships.

Kuopio has experience in hosting World Championship events

Kuopio provides a unique setting for the Youth World Championships. Participants will compete in areas including Tahko, where vast forests, rugged hills, a landscape shaped by lakes, and an extensive network of trails create an ideal environment for adventure racing.

The sport’s natural arenas are ready, eliminating the need for costly infrastructure investments. Competitors will have the opportunity to experience Finnish nature at its finest: pristine waterways, diverse terrain, and a safe outdoor environment by international standards. Together, these elements create a stage that is difficult to match anywhere else in the world. Most recently, Kuopio was a World Championship host city in the summer of 2025, when the forests surrounding the city welcomed the World Orienteering Championships.

“The Youth Adventure Racing World Championships provide an excellent opportunity to raise the international profile of Kuopio, its surrounding region, and the Finnish Lakeland area as a whole. The event will bring athletes, coaches, support crews and families from around the world to the region, while showcasing Kuopio’s unique natural environment, services and outdoor activity opportunities to new visitors. International sporting events are an important part of tourism growth and destination awareness for Kuopio,” says Soile Lahti, Mayor of Kuopio.

Further information about the program, participating countries and partners of the Kuopio Youth Adventure Racing World Championships will be published on the event organizer’s website: https://jarwc2028.com/