Nopesport

Social and full of prestige!

Once upon a time Norway had great orienteering relays called things like Vårstaffeten and Krogs-something. Now something legendary has emerged from the charred remains of these epic relays of bygone years.

It's new, it's cool, it's even got a slightly risky English name: Nighthawk.

The first edition of Nighthawk in 2013 was even won by an Englishman Mr Ralph Street. Not singlehandedly, noone could be that awesome, not even Ralph but he won together with his teammates from SNO and described the experience as "fantastic" despite reportedly having no luck at the afterparty: Nightflash.

Nighthawk 2014 will be held in Nordmarka, Oslo's most famous marka. The organisers say: "We are working hard to provide a memorable experience! The terrain will be deep in the forest. The map will be gigantic and fresh from the printers. The whole experience will be social and the prestigiousness will create new legends. This year we are offering a 50% discount on entry fees for teams outside the Nordic region and in 2015 we are planning to offer a free entry for the first team to enter from each European Country!"

The legendary Anders Nordberg (formerly the World's best night orienteer) has this to say about the terrain being used for Nighthawk 2014: "The terrain is some of the wildest we have. It is the most legendary in Norwegian sports history both in summer and winter. There should be opportunities for big route choices and the planners will be able to use great bits of terrain. I hope for a magical night with spruce forest and the type of controls that one is happy to find. The detail rich areas with a little worse runnability should be saved for the day legs. I expect the last kilometre to have a lot of climb. This is absolutely some of the best, wildest terrain in Scandinavia!"

Since the competition is accessible via Oslo's excellent public transport system there is no need to hire a car.

This year's race will be held 8-9. August. 

Lots more information about Nighthawk and the surrounding events is available on the Nighthawk website. Check it out and arrange an epic club trip that you will be telling tales of for years to come.