Olympians Aparjods and Aparjode join national luge teammates at Rūjiena’s first Legend Rogaining

Original publication date: 14.07.2025

According to the participants' abilities and wishes, the organizers offered the usual team distances - 6h Garmin and 4h Isostar, 2h TVNET+ rogaining distance, 2h Magnesia rogaining race and 3h Gerble MTB distance.

Many people still have a vivid memory of last year's Mazsalacas Skaná hill Urban Legends rogaining with beautiful natural views in the picturesque Skanākalnas nature park on the banks of the Salacas river. Also this time, beautiful natural views could be seen on the banks of another river in Northern Vidzeme - Rūja, which flows out in the territory of Estonia and from which Rūjiena got its name.

The competition area winds on both sides of the Rūjas river for several kilometers, including Tēcēni, Eriņa with a motor track, Jerus, near which are the ruins of Rūjiena Castle built in the 14th century, and Naukšēni.

In the longest “GARMIN” 6h distance, the favorites again showed a great performance, visiting all checkpoints and collecting the maximum. Bībers's teammate Jasāns, whose hometown is Rūjiena, was especially happy. Also a very good performance by Valdim Čunkam and Jānim Ķemeram (Riga Adventure team), who collected 191 points in the return competition and won the second place. A lot of points (178) were also collected by the best mixed or Mix team “Duets Elīna”, which completed the top three in the overall rating and consisted of Sandis Zukulis and Elīna Petrauska.

The best of the veterans were Einārs Masteiko with Jāni Višķeru (Uncles) with 173 points. With 167 points, Madarai Apsalonei and Aleksandrai Fjodorovai (Ampēriņš) took another convincing first place in the women's competition, while Edgars Klints and Ralfs Slaide (Klinšu ergļi 2), having accumulated 129 points, won first place in the family competition.

In the 4h “ISOSTAR” distance, only men's teams took the top three, with 138 points the best were Aigaram Šuvcānam and Jānim Gailim (Lat Met), and with 130 points Maksimam Leščinskim and Pāvelam Beļajevam (Private&Kowalski) took the second place. Overall leaders Valteram Veisam/Artūram Kančam from “WELLMAN”, who also won first place in the TVNET+ Company Cup, third place with 127 points, two points ahead of the best MIX team with Sniedzi Brakovsku and Eduardu Pāķi.

Best performance for the ladies “Žubītēm” Zanei Kapteinei and Laurai Anševicai with 11th place overall and 117 points, while Andy and Mārtiņš Meleči took the honor of best family team with 71 points.

In the 2h TVNET+ distance, in the very intense fight for victory in the previous stages, the Latvian-Lithuanian duo Jānis Zeltiņš/ Vladas Kutiavinas (SakasXOne), who won second place with 64 points, beat “Ā Komandu” with Kārla and Dainu Stonku by one point. only one point, ensured extremely intense competition for the final award in the overall standings. Out of the three teams, with 49 points, Gustavs Venters with Alisi Čurksti (Susliki) was ahead of the Briča and Metuma families.

With 48 points, the best women's team “Slow motion” with two Grasses and Stepanovas finished the top six. Only two points less for the second women's team “Slidenās mežones” with three sledders Aparjodi, Upīti and Kaluma, with the same number of points for the more productive family team “Satriecošs un pārsteidzošs” – Ruslans and Etjēns Samuševi. Aparjode was the leader in the individual race after the first two stages, but this time she started together with her friends from her sport.

In the Gerble 3h MTB stage two winner and European Championship 19th place finisher Mārtiņš Linde was second to earn 180 points, with season opener Raitim Muižniekam second on 169 points. In an intense multi-rider battle for third place, Aldis Sarksņa was one point ahead of Aldi Ozolu, with 9th place following within 4 points.

The women felt the absence of the strong Lithuanians, but our strongest MTB orienteers, who once competed in the European and world championships, provided an extremely interesting competition, with the first two, as well as the third and fourth, getting the same number of points. Inese Kauķe, who won the distance due to a finger injury, was only two seconds behind Dinai Zobenai at the end, who won the duel between the two with 140 points. On the other hand, in the friendly company of Aigas Strazdiņas and Mārītes Kājiņas who earned 134 points, the third place went to Aigai.

Overall leader Jānis Dūka celebrated victory in the Men's Magnesia 2h O-RUN with 63 points, two points behind Mārtiņš Treijs, who attempted an individual run while his teammate Uldis Cīrulis recovers from injury. The third place winner Kaspars Bērziņš also reached the 60-point mark. For women in this discipline, the previous leader Anita Užule returned with 1st place, who accumulated 55 points, leaving behind Ivetu Baļčuni and Anželu Šapavalovu.

The event was organized by the Association of Adventure Competitions in cooperation with the municipality of Valmiera region.

Search results for: http://rogainings.lv