The Kaleva Games in Jyväskylä in the 100th anniversary of Harju in 2026

Jyväskylä competed for the 2026 Kaleva Games with Oulu and Pori. SUL's federal council decided on awarding competitions to Jyväskylä. Jyväskylä was elected in the second round of voting, where the votes were divided Jyväskylä 23, Oulu 21. In the first round, the votes were divided Jyväskylä 20, Oulu 18, and Pori 6. The City of Jyväskylä and JKU wished to organize the Kaleva Games in Harju in honor of the 100-year history.

- Hosting the Kaleva Games is always an honor for Jyväskylä, but in the year of Harju's 100th anniversary, it is a special pleasure for us and an opportunity to celebrate Harju in the way it deserves in a renewed framework, commented Anna-Leena Sahindal, sports director of the city of Jyväskylä.

- Organizing the Kaleva Games is both a risk and an opportunity for every club, but the weight is in the possibility. The previous Kaleva Games in Jyväskylä brought a lot of new boost to our company, and we hope this will be the case now as well, commented Pasi Valoranta, chairman of the Jyväskylä Field Athletes and general secretary of the previous Jyväskylä Kaleva Games.

- For JKU, the Kaleva Games 2026 will not be the only big sports event of the decade. The renovated Harju will also serve as a stage for international competition events, which the club is applying for, continues Valoranta.

Jyväskylä's proposal to apply for the Kaleva Games in Jyväskylä was presented to SUL's federal council on 15 April, Elmo Lakka, sprinter and Anna-Leena Sahindal, sports director of the city of Jyväskylä.

You can watch the Jyväskylä application video here.

More information:

Anna-Leena Sahindal
sports director, City of Jyväskylä
tel. 050 558 4697, [email protected]

Pasi Valoranta
chairman, Jyväskylä Field Athletes' Association
tel. 050 553 8503, [email protected]

Photo: Hurdle runner, Elmo Lakka at the Kaleva Games in Jyväskylä 2018. Photographer: JKU/ photographer, Reetta Mäkinen