Race Rules

Please, read the competition rules carefully. When you sign up for the Winter Warrior Finland competition, you accept the terms and agree to the rules.

Winter Warrior Finland 1.3.2025

Winter Warrior ® Finland is an international OCR (Obstacle Course Racing) event. The race takes place in Tampere. Race duration is  2-7 hours. The start and finish of the race are at Särkänniemi amusement park. The course goes on and around the lake Näsijärvi.

The length of the longest course is about 25 kilometers. Course lengths are planned to be about 6, 13, and 25 kilometers.

Organizer

The competition is organized by:
Winter Warrior Finland
Email: winterwarriorfinland@gmail.com
Maria Christensen, tel. 050-339 6966
Simo Lahtinen, tel. 044-4166 584

Age limit

The minimum age for participation is 18 years. Exceptions:

• 16-year-olds can compete with written permission signed by a guardian.
• 12-year-olds can participate in the Fun Warrior series if accompanied by a guardian.

We recommend young participants be accompanied by an adult. All competitors participate at their own risk.

Registration

Registration takes place by purchasing a ticket at the Holvi online store. Participation fee will be paid upon registration. A paid participation fee can not be refunded, but participation may be transferred to another person. The transfer of participation must be announced by 15.2.2025 by e-mail to winterwarriorfinland@gmail.com. Upon registration, you agree to the competition rules.

Participation fee is tiered based on the time of registration.

The number of participants is limited.

All participants will get a Winter Warrior Finland product. All participants who complete the course successfully get a finisher medal.

The possibility of later registration or on site registration will be announced later. The Organizer reserves the right to close the registration earlier if needed.

Competition series

There are two competition series: Approx. 25 km long Full Warrior and 13 km long Half Warrior.

Competition series are intended for racers who desire serious competition. All obstacles must be completed or at least genuinely attempted. There are also some technically challenging obstacles where it’s possible to proceed by doing a penalty after a failed attempt. Participants in competition series have priority at the obstacles.

Flag-bearers

In Full Warrior series the first racer of each country to arrive to the final part of the course will get their country flag to carry. If you pass the bearer of your country flag before the finish line, you may grab the flag to yourself. The fastest racer of each country will thus arrive to the goal as a flag-bearer and will enter the Hall of Fame of flag-bearers.

Fun Warrior

Fun Warrior race is about 6 km long and intended for participants who want to challenge themselves alone or in a group, but are not interested in competing or want to take it a bit less serious. There is no timing. Instead, everyone is a winner when they reach the finish line. The route is shared with the final part of the competition series and the participants get to test themselves with the same obstacles. Obstacles are not required and penalties are a matter of conscience of the participants. Priority must be given to the competitors if entering obstacles at the same time.

Registration on site

Participants must register at the registration desk before the race on the night before the race or on the morning of the competition day. Detailed instructions will be sent to the participants separately.

Race course and obstacles

Race start and finish are at Särkänniemi. Competition series will have a mass starts between 9-12 am. Fun Warrior start will be after that. The participants are expected to arrive at the startline in good time, at least 30 minutes before starttime. Participation in competition under the influence of intoxicants is strictly forbidden. The timetable will be informed to participants.

The full course is about 25 km long and runs mainly on the Näsijärvi region. There are various obstacles that must be climbed over, crawled under or crossed in some other way. The challenging terrain, snow and ice are utilized on the course and there are a lot of natural obstacles. Freezing water obstacles make sure you will get wet.

The route is clearly marked on the terrain. If a participant detects shortcomings in track marking, the staff should be notified without delay. The participant must follow the marked track and follow all instructions given by the staff. In the Warrior squad, all obstacles must be completed. In the fitness squad and team competition an alternative may be provided for overcoming the hardest obstacles. Obstacles may require ability to swim. All obstacles must taken with the necessary caution, as there are risks of injury.

The Organizer reserves the right to change the course and obstacles at any time. Route maps and obstacle descriptions published on a web site or elsewhere are indicative only.

Race time and discontinuance

The organizer defines the endtime of the race, before which all participants must reach the end or drop out of the race. There may also be deadlines for reaching other timing points during the race. The organizer may discontinue any participant’s race at its discretion. The organizer may also discontinue the participant’s competition if he or she suspects that the competitor’s health or safety is at risk.

A participant can quit the competition at any time. The organizer must be notified of dropping out. The participant must follow the marked route to the next obstacle or service point with staff. If a participant is injured, the co-racers are obliged to help the injured according to their best ability and forward the information to the staff immediately.

Timing and results

There will be timing in the competition series and results will be publicly displayed on the website. More detailed information on the timing and instructions will be given to the participants separately. Award ceremony is held in the evening party.

Complaints

Any complaints must be made in writing to the organizer within one hour of the end of the competition.

Nature and littering

The competition takes place in the Näsijärvi area and all participants undertake to abide by the rules. It is not allowed to deviate from the marked route. Tree  branches or other and other plants must not be damaged. All littering is strictly forbidden! Possible gels and other energy packs must be carried away or left in a trash bin. Littering will result in a 100€ fine and disqualification from the competition.

Liability

Participants are not insured during the competition by the organizer and everyone competes with their own responsibility. The participant understands that the competition is physically and mentally very hard. The weather may change quickly and there may be up to two meters of snow. The water is freezing cold and the risk of hypothermia is real. The participants are responsible for their own health and we recommend getting a separate insurance that covers accidents in a race like this.

Each participant is obliged to assist, according to their best ability, other participants who may be injured or otherwise in need of help.

Clothing and shoes

The participant must have proper shoes suitable for cross-country. Shoes with metal spikes are forbidden for safety reasons.

Competitors can dress as they like and use fun accessories if they do not cause harm or danger to other competitors. However, it is important to take into account the weather conditions. We recommend clothes made of technical materials because they are wetted during the competition. We also recommend using gloves.

Change of clothes if important so that you can put on dry clothes immediately after the race.

The organizer has the right to decide what type of equipment or equipment is allowed, so the participant must follow the instructions given or leave the competition.

Safety and First Aid

There is an aid station at the start and finish area and at a service point along the course. Staff along the route will alert help when needed.

Cold conditions pose a particular risk of hypothermia. Never stop moving if you feel cold or start shivering. Keep moving as fast as possible so the body will warm itself. However, if a competitor is unable to continue due to the cold, there is possibility to warm up near the water obstacles.

Personal items

The organizer is not responsible for any personal belongings before, during or after the race. However, the organizer will try to provide safe storage space for personal items during the competition.

Personal information

Winter Warrior Finland has the right to save the personal information provided and use it for marketing purposes of their own and event partners.

Photos and videos

The rights of the pictures and videos taken of the event and the participants during the event belong to Winter Warrior Finland. They may be used without notice or compensation for marketing purposes.

Miscellaneous

The organizer has  the right to remove and disqualify any participant at its own discretion if the competitor violates the rules or behaves inappropriately.

Winter Warrior Finland reserves the right to transfer or cancel the event due to dangerous weather or other force majeure events