Attention, Jizerska 50 ahead!
ČEZ Jizerská 50 starts this coming weekend. The program begins on Friday morning with children’s races, and from then on there will be practically continuous racing going on until Sunday’s highlight – the 50K classic technique race. We have collected the information you need to know when and where to register for the race, what to look out for and how you can make the most of your stay in the Jizerské Mountains.
About a meter of snow
There is currently 80 to 120 centimeters of snow in the Bedřichov area and the trails are in ideal condition for cross-country skiing. The weather forecast for the races is perfect. “After a temporary warmer spell on Wednesday and Thursday, when temperatures can rise up to five degrees Celsius, a colder spell will arrive. Up to five centimetres of snow could fall on Friday. We expect clear skies on Saturday and Sunday. Temperatures will drop to -10°C in the morning and rise to zero in the afternoon. The snow should thus be very smooth and slippery,” predicts Martin Pecha from the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute.
Strong competition
So far, 7,211 competitors have registered for the race, 201 of whom are over 70 years old. With the expected loosening of Covid rules for mass events, hundreds more are expected to register on the spot.
The women’s race list for Friday’s 1.5km sprint race includes renowned Swedish racers Lina Korsgren, Ida Dahl, Ida Palmberg and Britta Johansson Norgren. Czech skier Sandra Schützová, who was originally scheduled to compete at the Winter Olympics, will be competing against them. Max Novak, a Swede with Czech roots, will try to defend his championship among men. Emil Persson, who dominated the main 50km race last year, will try to challenge him.
The list of women front-runners in the main race is similar to the sprint. They might also include Norway’s Emilie Fleten and Astrid Öyre Slind. We should not forget to mention Marit Bjørgen, the eight-time Olympic gold medalist. In the men’s race, apart from Max Novak, it is Russia’s Ermil Vokuev, the winner of the last race of the elite Marcialonga series, who also has his eyes set on winning. Tord Asle Gjerdalen from Norway is also a regular among the top finishers.#
Full program at Jizerska 50 weekend
The program starts on Friday at 9:00 with the children’s races. The first event open to the general public will be the Volkswagen Bedřichovská 30. This 30km freestyle race starts at 12:00. In the evening, there is a sprint race for elite skiers with interval start qualifications and a final race with a mass start. The sprint will be broadcast by Czech TV.
At 9:00am on Saturday the next race for the general public begins, it is the Jizerská 25 classic technique race. Just 20 minutes later starts the “family race” of 10 kilometres in classic technique. The afternoon part of the programme consists of the company relays, which start at 3:00 pm.
The main and longest race – Jizerská 50 – is on the programme for Sunday. The first wave starts at 8:00 am because the event coincides with the Olympic Games. The race will be broadcast by Czech TV.
Participants can attend a variety of events in the accompanying programme. On Friday at 6:00 pm, there is a concert in Jablonec nad Nisou (Mírové Square), with Tata Bojs as the headlining band. On
Saturday, a mass for the deceased mountaineers will be held in the Church of St. Antonín in Bedřichov at 5 pm. At 6:00 pm there is a concert in Liberec on Dr. Edvarda Beneše Square headlined by Chinaski.
On-site registration and race bibs distribution
We are still waiting for a confirmation from the Czech Government that the restriction which allows only people who have been vaccinated against Covid or have had the infection in the last 180 days to attend mass events is being lifted. We are ready for the option that the race will be open to everyone.
However, some restrictions on entry into the Czech Republic remain in place. It depends on where the competitor is travelling to the country from, or if they have a vaccination or infection certificate. More information can be found here.
On-site registrations will be available at the price valid until January 30 for online registration. Approximately one-fifth of race places is still available, so it might sell out completely. The race fee for the main race is 2,400 CZK and cash payment is required. In this case you will register and collect your race bib at the same time, so read the following paragraph carefully.
If you want to register for VW Bedřichovská 30 and/or for Sprint for elite racers only, you can also register at the stadium in Bedřichov. Registration always closes one hour before the start of each race. Race bib distribution is in the Wordloppet tent. If you want to register for other courses, you must get to the Nisa shopping centre in Liberec in person. The distribution place there is open from Thursday. It opens at 9:00 am and closes at 8:00 pm.
For all Saturday races, you need to pick up your race bib on Friday. For the Sunday’s 50K race, race bib distribution ends at 8:00 pm on Saturday.
Don’t forget that Jizerská 50 is a memorial for a group of mountain climbers who unfortunately died while climbing Huascarán in the Andes. They were members of the group of people who founded the race more than 50 years ago in basic conditions and by participating you are also paying your tribute to them.
