23.12.2015

ČEZ Jizerská 50 will be held, regardless of the snow conditions

The traditional ČEZ Jizerská 50 race will take place at Bedřichov over the second weekend of January. As in previous years, the racers and organizers must have good nerves while waiting for natural snow. Its lack complicates the race, but it will take place anyway over the weekend of 8 to 10 January 2016.

“We are always checking the forecasts and we have our own analyses of how the situation will evolve. The weather is miserable now but we know that at the turn of the year there is always a change in the weather conditions and according to the long-term forecasts the year 2015 will not be an exception,” says Martin Koucký, chairman of the Ski Club Jizerská padesátka. “We are concentrating fully on the preparations and this has involved in the recent years handling crisis management.”

The scenario provides for four different options. The first assumes that there will be enough snow and the race will take place in its classical form without any restrictions. The second option envisages forced changes on the track, like in 2015, when after a sudden thaw part of the track was under water. With the third option the competitors are in for a combined race, doing a part of the track on foot and a part on skis, depending on the amount of snow. The fourth option envisages a situation where there is no snow in the Jizera Mountains, in which case all the weekend races will be held as cross-country running. There is also possibility, that elite race will be held in different location on shortened track.

In the case of fourth option, 10 km cross-country running race will be held each day and also race on 30 km, 25 km and 50 km distances respectively. “For us the top priority is to prepare Jizerská 50 and the other weekend races as well as we can, with the best possible services for the competitors, including refreshments on the course and at the finish, racers’ medals and security in the hinterland with an accompanying programme,” says Martin Koucký

From the perspective of the race the key date is 2 January 2016, when it must be decided in what form it will take place. The entire organizational team and more than five thousand registered competitors believe that good news will come backed by plenty of snow. As for ČEZ Jizerská 50, 2016, however, it will certainly take place, despite the weather.