Register for the last WRE in 2012

The deadline for the registration of the sylvester 5-days in Belgium is coming closer. If you want to compete in the fast and demanding Flemish terrains, then don't hesitate to register before the 4th of december. The sylvester 5-days will start on wednesday 26th of december, including 5 extended middle distance races with a world ranking event at the 4th stage. The winners of this competition will be physically strong athletes for sure. In this flat area it's possible to run very fast (even 5min/km in men's elite class). But this edition you'll also need some technical orienteering skills to gain the victory, specially during the WRE on saturday.

The 5-days competition will start on the map Solterheide. This map will probably be the less fun terrain from the entire competition, but from then on it only gets better and better (Lietteberg -> Schrikkelberg -> Sonnisheide). The highlight will be the 4th stage on Sonnisheide. This map includes one of the most technical parts in Flanders and will also be used for the Belgian relay champs in 2013. Some inside information told us that the coursesetting will be really demanding and that you'll need to use your orienteering skills the whole race long. The last stage will take place on Oirschotse Heide, a nice map in the Netherlands.

H21E is the most popular class among the foreign registrations up to now. Already 23 orienteers have registered in this class on the website. We see some German national teamrunners (like Christoph Brandt, Alex Lubina and Roman Schulte-Zurhausen) who can fight for the victory. Also the Finnish club Lahden Suunnistajat -37 will be present between christmas and newyears evening. We can expect some nice performances from the promising young runner Aleksi Anttolainen. He was 4th in sprint and ultralong distance during the national champs 2012 in junior class.
Other names to follow are the USA national teamrunner (Jordan Laughlin) and the Russian orienteer Maxim Simakov (who was in good shape during the Istanbul 5-days)
Ofcourse also the Belgian (Flemish) runners will be ready in the end of december. Last years winner Yannick Michiels will focus on streetraces and the worldcup. So this edition he'll be absent, but he told us that he'll be back in 2013 together with the Norwegian toprunner Oystein Kvaal Osterbo. Also Pieter Hendrickx (2nd in 2011) won't run the entire 5-days, but we expect him to run the WRE.
Some other names have already declared to be present: Talloen, Hendrickx T., Pelckmans, Genar, Franssen, Hoekx, van der Kleij, Pasquasy (WRE), Buytaert (WRE), Van Baelen (WRE), Melis (WRE) Peeters (WRE), Hendrickx P. (WRE),... When the startlist shows up, a more detailed preview will follow with probably more names and hopefully also some runners from the south of Belgium.

H21E winners in recent history:
2011: Y. Michiels (BEL)
2010: Y. Michiels (BEL)
2009: J. Wickholm (FIN)
2008: N. Barrable (GBR)
2007: N. Barrable (GBR)
2006: T. Louhisola (FIN)

In class D21E we saw a very strong field in 2011 with Kemp (CAN), Gross (SUI), Omova (CZE), Doetsch (GER), Sbaraglia (ITA) and the Belgian athletes Fabre, Oeyen and Hermans. Unfortunately the field looks smaller in 2012. At this moment we think that Miek Fabré will be the big favourit for the sylvester 5-days. Also Greet Oeyen and Mira Scheir are candidates for the podium (and Saartje Sallaerts at the WRE).
From the foreign runners we also expect some good performances from multiple Spanish champion  Anna Serrallonga and the British athlete Victoria Stevens.

D21E winners in recent history:
2011: M. Omova (CZE)
2010: K. Geypen (BEL)
2009: G. Oeyen (BEL)
2008: M. Semak (UKR)
2007: M. Semak (UKR)
2006: K. Rebane (FIN)

Sylvester 5-days website
Registration page orienteeringonline