The top teams are on the 6th leg now.

-- Michael (meglin@juno.com), April 26, 2003

Answers

And a bit into the 6th leg, Orion is alone in the lead by about 30 seconds. Niklas Bratt is running for Orion. Halden, with Tore Sandvik, is 2nd.

After the first two teams, there is a gap and the next five teams are close together but just over 2 minutes behind the leaders.

And at the next report...Halden is leading. Orion is next and not far behind.

-- Michael (meglin@juno.coM), April 26, 2003.

Finish of the 6th leg..

Halden in first with a 30 second lead over Orion. Looks like Bekkelaget is next followed by IFK Goteborg.

Halden has Kejtil Bjorlo on the next leg and Orion has Rikard Gunnarsson. I'm not sure how BSK and IFK Goteborg have.

It is now about 1:50 a.m. in Sweden. This is a special time at Tio Mila. It is probably getting a bit quiet as spectators are having trouble staying awake. There are people lying in sleeping bags all around. It is cold and dark. If you're running the 9th or 10th leg, you're probably just waking up after a restless night of trying to get some sleep. Now it is time to get a bit of food down and start to feel like your mind is awake.

The next two legs could really set up the end of the race. The 7th leg is just 8 k, but the 8th is 12+. At this point, the lead teams are a good 20 minutes ahead of the expected pace. That means the 8th leg will be more night O' than expected (it was expected to be night/dawn).

-- Michael (meglin@juno.coM), April 26, 2003.

The first report from the 7th leg has Halden and Orion punching at the same time. A group of 5 teams is a couple of minutes back. The group is IFK Goteborg, Kalevan Rasti, Leksand, TP, and two Finnish clubs I don't recognize the names of.

I figure Magnus is finished by now. His result isn't up, but I figure they're just a bit behind in posting. He's probably standing at the finish line after passing the map to the next runner. I bet Magnus is tired, but happy.

-- Michael (meglin@juno.coM), April 26, 2003.

Poking around the results I found another American in the results -- Tom Hollowell ran the third leg for OK Tyr 2. He went out in 315th place and finished 281. Moving up is always good.

With Orion and Halden together, it looks like there is a chance for some really top class racing at the end of Tio Mila. The last three for Halden are Jarko Houvila, Mats Haldin and Emil Wingstedt. The last three for Orion are Tobias Andersson, Yuri O. and Mamleev.

-- Michael (meglin@juno.coM), April 26, 2003.

Halden in the lead and alone at the last control on the 7th leg. Jarkko Houvila is going out on the 8th leg which the organizers called "the short long night."

Where is Orion?

Now, Orion is at the warning control.

Magnus' result from the Long Night is up. He dropped a few places. He was out 2:18. He's a tough guy.

-- Michael (meglin@juno.coM), April 26, 2003.

Jarkko for Halden just punched at the first control on the 8th leg. He looked "sure as stone."

We're waiting for Tobias Andersson from Orion. When will he arrive?

A minute has passed since Halden went through. There he is -- Orion is 1:15 back.

-- Michael (meglin@juno.coM), April 26, 2003.

Seems like Malung is 3rd, but over 6 minutes behind. IFK Goteborg is with them. TP just arrived at the control over 7 minutes back (and they came to the control from the wrong direction).

-- Michael (meglin@juno.coM), April 26, 2003.

Halden is passing -- this report is from a forked control, so it is could be that Orion has another control. We'll get reports from both of the forks. Tobias from Orion is at the same control as Halden. Tobias isn't spiking the control. It isn't an especially hard control, but he is booming it. Now he is punching -- 1:40 behind Halden and he lost maybe 20 seconds with that boom.

I'm going to step away from the computer for a few minutes...but I'll keep listening and post any significant news. I should be back at the computer in about 15-25 minutes.

-- Michael (meglin@juno.coM), April 26, 2003.

Halden is just powering away from the rest of the field (like a well-oiled machine). As Spike has said, Halden is the OK of Norway.

-- Mook (mook@mook.com), April 26, 2003.

well, Orion is still just 1.45 behind. A lot of things can still happen.

-- sudden (sudden@tiomila.se), April 26, 2003.

Hans Fransson just sent a greeting to the speaker. Hans is in Canada (Hamilton, I think). He's following Tio Mila. He ought to visit this page.

-- Michael (meglin@juno.coM), April 26, 2003.

Oh, wait, I see he did just visit. Cool!

-- Michael (meglin@juno.coM), April 26, 2003.

I am already.

-- sudden (sudden@tiomila.se), April 26, 2003.

Three a.m. in Sweden and the speaker at Tio Mila is playing strange Swedish music. It brings back fond memories of being at Tio Mila getting ready to run a crack-of-dawn leg.

-- Michael (meglin@juno.coM), April 26, 2003.

we can take credit for a lot of bad music (ace of base, roxette etc) but not the Hooters!...;-)

-- sudden (sudden@tiomila.se), April 26, 2003.

One of my big memories from Tio Mila is running on a weekend where Sweden won the Hockey world champs and Carolia won the Eurovision contest....Fångad av en storm vind... that song is still stuck in my head!

And the latest report has Halden at the control. Still waiting for Orion.

-- Michael (meglin@juno.coM), April 26, 2003.

Orion is now 3:50 behind Jarkko from Halden.

-- Michael (meglin@juno.coM), April 26, 2003.

The no. 2's race is shaping up nicely at the x-change from 7 to 8. IFK Göteborg leads Södertälje-Nykvarn by 4 minutes now, but the gap from 2nd to 3rd (Turun Metsänkävijät) is just a couple of minutes. Delta, which started the race really hot (in front of their top team) has continued to slide back and is 4th.

-- Mook (mook@mook.com), April 26, 2003.

The next report is coming from "the hardest part" of the 8th leg.

Jarkko is making a mistake. He's standing still. He is unsure. He turns to the right direction.

Tobias is making the same mistake...or maybe it isn't Tobias? It is dark in the forest and the reporters can't always see. Wait, yes it is Tobias and he is also booming.

Orion is 3:15 after. So, despite the boom Orion actually came a bit closer since they were 3:50 after at the prior check.

-- Michael (meglin@juno.coM), April 26, 2003.

IFK Göteborg and Vehkaladen Veikot 6.15 behind.

-- sudden (sudden@tiomila.se), April 26, 2003.

The 13th control is a little reentrant on a knoll/hill. It isn't especially difficult. The forest is open and there are some gravel roads to cross on the way to it.

Jarkko is in the lead for Halden.

Orion is behind by ... 4:05 behind.

-- Michael (meglin@juno.coM), April 26, 2003.

Finnish clubs have such interesting names....Vehkalahden Veikot, Hiisirasti, Turun Metsänkävijät, and so on.

-- Michael (meglin@juno.coM), April 26, 2003.

Halden is out on the 9th leg. The 9th leg is 6.3 km and isn't forked. The race has been going faster than expected which means that the 9th leg is night O' when it was expected to be day. The announcers mentioned that the lead teams on the tenth leg might even start with lamps.

It must be an interesting adjustment to make -- if you've been think you'll run a day leg to have to run with a lamp.

-- Michael (meglin@juno.coM), April 26, 2003.

I know Metsä is forest and Kävijät is visitor. Turun is a city (Åbo is the Swedish name). Turun Metsänkävijät = Turun Forest visitors. Sort of.

-- sudden (sudden@tiomila.se), April 26, 2003.

Halden pulls the lead up to something like 8 minutes at the beginning of the last leg. I guess Orion is 2nd, Sodertalje Nykvarn is 3rd with Malung 4th.

-- Michael (meglin@juno.coM), April 26, 2003.

Yuri Omeltchencko lost almost 3 minutes to Mats Haldin from Halden. They just interviewed Yuri. He wasn't really ready to run a night leg. He took it carefully and was satisfied with how he did.

-- Michael (meglin@juno.coM), April 26, 2003.

At the first report on the 9th leg, Halden came by but was maybe a minute later than expected. Maybe Emil Windsted boomed? We won't know until we get times from the chasing runners.

-- Michael (meglin@juno.coM), April 26, 2003.

But, Orion is now 10:30 behind and have lost almost 2 minutes on the first control. Mamleev for Orion boomed.

-- Michael (meglin@juno.coM), April 26, 2003.

How are some ex-WOC champions doing? Kent Olsson ran the 6th leg for Modum O-lag in 62:37 (best leg time=47:31), Jörgen Maartensson ran a 3rd leg for Orion 2, also finishing in 62:37 (best leg time was 55:08). Petter Thoresen had the best performance of the three, running for Halden 1 finishing with a time of 48:03 (best leg time=47:23).

-- Mook (mook@mook.com), April 26, 2003.

And now Mamleev has made up a minute - he's 9:30 behind Halden. A mistake or two by Halden and a good run by Orion..maybe things will get interesting.

-- Michael (meglin@juno.coM), April 26, 2003.

We are waiting for the next report...

Halden just punched.

The sky is lightening. But, it is probably still pretty dark in the forest.

2:30 since Halden went by. So, we don't expect the next team for a bit. If Mamleev is gaining time, that'll be good. That'll make it a bit more exciting. If Mamleev is losing time, well, then I might go to bed before the race is over.

While we are waiting for the next team, the speaker just noted that IFK Goteborg has the best 2nd team and they are 9 minutes ahead of SNO 2 for best 2nd team.

7 minutes have passed since Halden went by.

Malung and IFK Goteborg? Did they just go through? Where is Orion? Where is SNO? Yep, Malung and Goteborg are now 2nd and 3rd. Maybe 9 minutes behind.

Now SNO and Orion come. So far, no Finnish teams.

-- Michael (meglin@juno.coM), April 26, 2003.

Halden is now at the next report. Emil is wearing his headlamp, but he turned the lamp off. It is light enough to run without the light. Let us see how far ahead he is. He looks very focused. He's going exactly where he should be going.

Last year, Tio Mila had a disaster with the results. Final results weren't ready for several months. It is good to see that things are going ok this year. The results are coming up on the web page pretty quickly.

Still waiting for the other teams.

Now Emil W. from Halden is already at the next report. This time he took off his headlamp and tossed it to the people manning the control.

The chase group is more than a radio report behind Emil.

-- Michael (meglin@juno.coM), April 26, 2003.

8:50 behind Halden come Malung and IFK Goteborg. They are alone.

-- Michael (meglin@juno.coM), April 26, 2003.

Halden just punched. They've got 2.4 km to go and are leading pretty clearly.

I'm tired. I'm going to bed.

Hopefully Mook will follow the last half hour of the race.

-- Michael (meglin@juno.coM), April 26, 2003.

The finish is coming up, but they're playing some cheesy music!

-- Mook (mook@mook.com), April 26, 2003.

Halden wins... to some Village People (?) fanfare.

-- Mook (mook@mook.com), April 26, 2003.

I believe it is Kool & the Gang. Emil, last leg runner for Halden, said he felt very strong and pushed hard the whole way. He did a good race.

IFK Göteborh and Stevenson finishes 2nd. Orion and Mamleev 3rd.

-- sudden (sudden@tiomila.se), April 26, 2003.

Michael - too bad you went to bed. They are now playing Fångad av en stormvind. 4. Malung 5. Södertälje 6. Lidingö 7. Delta 8. Friskus-Varberg 9. Tamperen Pyrintö

-- sudden (sudden@tiomila.se), April 26, 2003.

Preliminary results, at least, will be showing up at http://www.tiomila.se/2003/h10.html.

Thanks, everyone, for their work today. Come back to the OK Forum for Jukola coverage, if not before.

-- Mook (mook@mook.com), April 26, 2003.

Bjornar Valstad's map from the last leg is at:

http://www.staff-valstad.com/bilder/nyheter/tio_2003_3.jpg

-- Michael (meglin@juno.coM), April 27, 2003.