Finnish Athletics Federation

Suomen Urheiluliitto ry (SUL)

Finlands Friidrottsförbund

Visiting address:

Valimotie 10,
00380 Helsinki (5. floor)

Office hours: weekdays from 8 am to 4 pm.

Tel. +358 (0) 50 3299439

Detailed contact information:

Invoicing addresses:

Finnish Athletics Federation, 0202318-5 1.

Electronic invoicing address:

FI5480001300882215, operator: Danske Bank (DABAFIHH) Format: Finvoice

Paper invoices:

Finnish Athletics Federation, Ostolaskut 8878H, P.O. Box 72, 00521 Helsinki, Finland

We will not process invoices sent to the visiting address. We prefer electronic invoices. When sending a paper invoice, please note that no other material apart from invoices and their attachments intended for scanning should be sent to the scanning service. Any other material (such as receipts, business gifts, credit cards, admission tickets, etc.) will not be forwarded from the scanning service.

All other mail should be sent to the visiting address.

What is the Finnish Athletics Federation?

The Finnish Athletics Federation, an independent federation since 1932, is the Finnish association for athletics, providing services for 21 district organisations, more than 600 athletics clubs and approximately 70,000 people involved in athletics all over Finland.

The goal of the federation and its operation is to inspire and help its members to produce internationally successful athletes and athletics activities that are excellent quality, regarded valuable and permeate the whole society, fulfilling the needs of child, youth, competitive and top athletes as well as recreational athletes and athletics fans. The Finnish Athletics Federation is a member of the IAAF, the International Association of Athletics Federations.

On the regional level, the member clubs are divided into 21 district organisations, three of which operate in the Swedish language and consequently make up the member districts of the Svenska Finlands Idrottsförbund (SFI). The district organisations include: Helsinki, Uusimaa, Häme, Lahti, Central Finland, Southwest Finland, Satakunta, Southern Ostrobothnia, Northern Ostrobothnia, Kymenlaakso, South Karelia, North Karelia, Southern Savonia, Northern Savonia, Kainuu, Länsi-Pohja and Lapland and the Swedish-speaking Nyland-Åboland, Åland islands and Österbotten (Ostrobothnia).

A Board with 11 members of trusted positions is the top operative body of the Federation, elected by the Federation Council for a two-year term at a time.

The Council comprises representatives of the district organisations and special groups that are members of the Finnish Athletics Federation.

The Finnish Championships are the annual highlight

The Federation employs 25 full-time employees. The Managing Director represents the top level of management. The organisation of the Federation is divided into member services and top athletics operations and the respective competition, information and marketing activities and the financial and administrative tasks.

The operative management of the Federation is composed of the Managing Director, Director of Coaching, Director of Member Services, Financial Director and Director of Communication.

The emphasis of the operations lies in achieving international success in the top level of athletics and developing pluralistic athletics activities for children, young people and adults.

Offering services for recreational athletes is a part of the Federation’s operations.

Competition and coaching is offered to people of all ages, either directly by the Federation or through the member clubs. Training is also offered for those interested in instructing and coaching and in the various tasks in the clubs.

The highlight for the national competition activities of the Federation are the annual Finnish Athletics Championships, also known as the Kaleva Games, where the Finnish Championship titles are competed for in the Olympic events in men’s and women’s series. The most successful club of the Finnish Championships is awarded with the challenge cup Kaleva Trophy, donated by the mutual insurance company Kaleva’s staff; and the best athlete of the games is presented the new Sampo Trophy.

In addition to the Kaleva Games, separate Finnish Championships are arranged in cross country running, road running, marathon running, racewalking and combined events with men’s and women’s series.

There is nearly a comprehensive list of events in the Finnish Championships at the youth level, in the following series: under 23, under 20, under 18 and under 16. Competitions for athletes younger than this take place at the regional level. An approximately equal number of athletes from both sexes take part in the youth categories in particular.

In addition to the Finnish Championships in Athletics, the most noteworthy competition events of the Federation include the televised Eliittikisa competition series that takes place annually and features international athletics stars alongside the best of the Finnish athletes and the Finland-Sweden Athletics International that takes place at the Olympic Stadium every other year and continues to attract one of the biggest crowds in terms of attendance in Finland. The Finland-Sweden Athletics International is a classic and it is the oldest athletics international event, dating as far back as 1925.

The Finnish Athletics Federation also organizes the Naisten Kymppi women’s running event that brings together around 20,000 women every year. The largest marathon event in the country, the Helsinki City Marathon as well as the half-marathon event Helsinki City Run that takes place in the spring and brought together nearly 11,000 runners in the centre of Helsinki last year, are also among the most popular events for runners.

At the regional level, each district organizes district championship competitions that influence, in addition to the Finnish Championships, the points a club is awarded in the club categorisation system.