Danish Spring Relay is going to offer both night and day relay for nearly everybody. Also all runners in both Women’s Open Relay and Men’s Open Relay are encouraged to run both night and day. We have been backstage at the course setters, Jan Jakobsen and Erik Øhlenslæger:
How have you dealt with, to run both a night and a day leg? Erik: “First Jan has outlined the varied relay courses for Sunday. My task is to make the night relay courses as different as possible from the day realy, in order not to give the night runners any advantages.”
Is Store Dyrehave able to support that objective? Erik: “Store Dyrehave is a fantastic forest to work with. I’ve been course setter at Spring Cup both in Ny Tolstrup in 2006 and in Grib Skov North in 2009 and there it was difficult to make independent the classic and relay competitions. It will be much easier in Store Dyrehave, also because of the new event concept with fewer courses.” Jan: “Difficult, detailed areas in many parts of the forest and possibilites for up to 2 km between controls, supports well to split the night and day courses. And ‘Kirkeltehus’ is going to be an perfect ‘360 degree event arena’, providing many options and though cosy and also well protected by large spruces.
What are your advice to the competitors? Erik: “The terrain has all running speeds and difficulties, so be careful especially in the night. It can get really exiting and tough. I will do my best to make a real challenge” Jan: “Don’t get wrong all the forest roads and paths – you won’t gain from them on the difficult courses!”
“See you in March!” The invitation is just “round the corner”.