Metsä Group Seurakisat 2026

Metsä Group Seurakisat are free, open club athletics events in Huittinen for children and young people, with families encouraged to join the practice atmosphere. They are not formal license-only meets: children do not need to belong to a sports school or hold a competition license, and registration is handled at the venue shortly before the events begin. The series runs through the outdoor season and starts in the late afternoon, with a shared playful warm-up before the races and field events. The program mixes cross-country running at places such as Huittinen Riding Centre and Kännölä with track-and-field sessions at Huittinen Sports Field. The youngest children run short distances like 300m cross-country or 40m and 60m dashes, while older groups move up to 1000m and 1400m cross-country runs, 150m and 200m races, long jump, ball throw, javelin, and the Finnish children’s training javelin called vinkukeihäs. Every participant gets a Seurakisakortti, or Club Race Card, and a sticker for each appearance; the card can be kept at home to record summer results. Individual events do not hand out prizes, but results collect points across the series, and everyone is honored together at the Kunniakierros, the Lap of Honour.