10.9.2014

Jizerská 50 will be run regardless of snow conditions

The upcoming 48th ČEZ Jizerská 50 will take place on 9-11 January 2015. The date of the race will not be changed even in the event of a repeat of the problems with insufficient snow that plagued this year’s edition of the race. In such a situation, the organisers will execute the programme in the maximum possible extent.

The Jizerská 50 could not be held according to the ideal scenario in January 2014 because of the absolute lack of snow. Despite that, the organisers succeeded in ensuring a complete replacement programme and some of the participants started the race – albeit with their skis over their shoulders, on bicycles or on foot.

“We considered all possible scenarios and holding the race on the same date, albeit under complicated conditions, is the best possible solution even in the case of a lack of snow,” says Martin Koucký, secretary of Skiklub Jizerská padesátka. “We reached this conclusion on the basis of discussions with racers, consultants and a survey conducted among travel agencies. The discussed rescheduling of the race is not good for anyone.”

The organisers sought various alternatives, including the possible postponement of the race to 7 February 2015. “The most fundamental argument against that is the uncertainty of whether or not there will be snow on the replacement date. This year’s abortive winter did not bring a single weekend when the Jizerská 50 could have happened,” Martin Koucký points out. “For another thing, spring holidays will be underway in the Czech Republic from 2 February to 15 March 2015, which will completely fill up accommodation capacity in the mountains, so racers wouldn’t have anywhere to stay. Foreign racers, who comprise a fourth of the total at the start, would have an even more complicated situation due to the longer travel distance as well as to the length of their stay in the Jizera Mountains, which is often more than a week. Of no less importance, another race in the Woldloppet series, La Transjurassiene, will take place on 7 February, which is the only possible suitable date with respect to the Swix Ski Classics programme and the world championship. Even though the Woldloppet regulations do not expressly prohibit it, it is an unwritten and respected rule that two races should not be organised on the same continent on the same date.”

Despite all the preparations for crisis scenarios, the organisers are maximally determined to hold the race in the usual manner. Among other things, they have therefore enhanced the capacity for producing artificial snow, which is necessary primarily for the lowest-lying parts of the race route – at Bedřichov Stadium and on the initial kilometres. “We will produce more artificial snow and, at the same time, we believe that the catastrophic winter of 2014 will not be repeated,” says Martin Koucký. “We want to be prepared for everything and we are working with various scenarios. Nevertheless, as in previous years we are doing the maximum to ensure that the Jizerská 50 comes off without a hitch.”

In the event that it is not possible to organise it in its standard form, the definitive format of the race will depend on the amount of missing snow. “The aim is to ensure the longest possible route with tracks while also providing all refreshment stations, time measurement with chip technology, complete facilities at the stadium including locker rooms, refreshment after the race, and so on. That such a variant is interesting for racers is evidenced by the interest they expressed this year,” explains Martin Koucký.

More than four thousand racers are currently registered for the 48th ČEZ Jizerská 50. The total combined capacity of all of the individual races is 6,600 starting numbers and the organisers expect to fill it by the end of September.