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SEEDING IS EXTENDED UNTIL SEPTEMBER 6, 2024

27 August, 2024

SEEDING IS EXTENDED UNTIL SEPTEMBER 6, 2024

Today, Tuesday, we decided to extend the seeding and postpone the fee increase until Friday, 6/9, at midnight.

Here we explain why:

On 23/8 2024, the Land and Environment Court (nature, animals, and environment) rejected those who appealed GGN 2.0. We are awaiting the Administrative Court’s verdict (Off-Road Driving Act) this week. We expect 100% that the appeal will rejected here as well.

As soon as the ruling comes from the Administrative Court, Destination Gotland will add extra tours.

Those who have appealed can go on to the Court of Appeal (off-road driving law) and the Land and Environment Court (nature, animals, and the environment), but a new appeal. Both courts then look at a so-called leave to appeal (do the appellants have the right to appeal). In the next instance, the Land and Environment Court’s and Administrative Court’s judgments are mostly the same.

When the ruling from the Administrative Court is complete, Destination Gotland will add extra ferry trips. Those who have appealed can take the matter further to the Court of Appeal and the Land and Environmental Appeals Court, but they then need a leave to appeal to proceed. However, it is unusual for these judgments to change in a higher instance.

GGN 2.0 will be able to gain legal force at the beginning of October. We can’t wait for the seeding and everything else until then because there will be no GGN 2.0. GGN 2.0 will be implemented already in 2024. We expect to start the track and the arenas within two weeks.

The seeding date is crucial because it is an extensive process to manage starting places, starting numbers, and the like for the 3,300 participants. We need to print number plates, order timing chips, medals, and trophies in the correct number, and ensure that everything is delivered on time. The fee increase helps us get the correct number of participants in as early as possible, which makes planning easier.

We simply have to be able to plan the world’s biggest enduro competition in good time for the event to be successful and for the participants, audience, TV viewers, and partners to be satisfied with us as organizers.

The County Administrative Board approved GGN

19 July, 2024

PRESS RELEASE 07/19/2024

THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATIVE BOARD SAYS YES TO GOTLAND GRAND NATIONAL 2.0 IN HEJDEBY.

The world’s largest enduro competition, Gotland Grand National (GGN), will remain on Gotland in 2024 after the County Administrative Board approved GGN’s application with a new track in the area.

It has been 327 days (11 months) since the Armed Forces decided not to continue the competition after 40 years at the Tofta Shooting Range.

– We have worked very focused and goal-oriented since August 28, 2023, when the message from the Armed Forces came to us. It said a very calm but relieved Conny Bohlin, CEO of Nordic Sport & Event.

After over 100 meetings, consultations, and consultation rounds and significant investments of time and money, the organizer of the Gotland Grand National has now received a yes from the County Board of Gotland.

– We are ready with our suppliers and forest contractors who will build the future GGN track in Hejdeby, which will be very special for participants, the audience, and the TV viewers, Conny Bohlin continues.

In addition to the 5 million invested annually in the event, around 2 million will be invested to build the arenas and track in Hejdeby.

– After over 11 months of work, with successes and setbacks, it feels extremely exciting to soon start the real work on the future GGN track and arena.

With great respect for nature and animals in the area, we now have a planned course and arenas that take into account the water protection area, Alvar lands, wetlands, river crayfish, nymphs, Apollo butterflies, and much more of the plant and animal life in the area.

Together with experts, we will create biological diversity in the Hejdeby area for many years.

– We would now like to start a long-term collaboration and project with a committed association in environmental matters to take inventory together with them and do further extended mapping in the area. In conclusion, we will invest money and time for many years to create biological diversity in the area around the track in Hejdeby, says Conny Bohlin.

GOTLAND NEEDS GGN AND GGN NEEDS GOTLAND!
For further information and questions, contact:
Connie Bohlin
President/CEO Nordic Sport & Events
0708 – 249494

FACTS GOTLAND GRAND NATIONAL
NUMBER OF STARTERS: Over 3,400 from 15 nations (participants aged 5 – 75) in 2023.
NUMBER OF YEARS IN A ROW: 40 (GGN was perhaps the only major event in Europe held during the pandemic in 2020)
GUEST NIGHTS: 28,000 (number of nights GGN generates during the week)
BUSINESS REVENUE: SEK 100,000,000/year (travel, accommodation, eating, and shopping)*
COMPENSATION ASSOCIATION LIFE: SEK 800,000/year (the sum that the association life works together thanks to GGN)
VIEWERS SVT SPORT: 600,000 (over 5 hours live broadcast).

News GGN 2.0 (EIA)

5 July, 2024

Yesterday, Thursday, June 13, 2024, the County Board of Gotland approved the EIA – Environmental Impact Statement that Nordic Sport & Event submitted on June 4, 2024, to obtain permission to organize the Gotland Grand National 2.0 in 2024.

WHAT DOES THAT MEAN AND WHAT IS HAPPENING NOW?

Over the past 10 months, our team has been diligently working on mapping, surveys, and sampling, investing over SEK 400,000 for preventive purposes. We’ve also held over 100 meetings with landowners, private individuals, authorities, and various stakeholders. These extensive preparations have brought us a step closer to the realization of GGN 2.0 in 2024.

This will be announced tomorrow, and in four weeks, the County Administrative Board will decide whether GGN 2.0 will be allowed to be implemented in Hejdeby, Gotland.

Here, you can see the EIA, which shows how we, as organizers, should be able to carry out GGN while avoiding and protecting plant life, animal life, Alvar lands, wetlands, and other critical natural resources. https://nordicsportevent.se/mkb-ggn/ (in swedish).

Conny Bohlin CEO at Nordic Sport & Event says that now we have taken another step that we have been waiting for to be able to arrange GGN 2.0 on Gotland in 2024.

After 40 years at Tofta Shooting Range, we hope to build the world-class GGN track of the future for participants, partners, visitors, and TV viewers, says Conny Bohlin.

It is a very interesting and instructive journey we are on and have been part of as organizers. We have seen GGN 2.0 change in concept to adapt the future competition to treat nature and wildlife in Hejdeby with great respect and consideration.

Even though there is still some work left in the process going forward, we expect to be able to start building the future GGN arena (track) at the beginning of August, when GGN 2.0 has gained legal power, says a happy and relieved Conny Bohlin Nordic Sport & Event.

We, as the organizers, are now extending an invitation to various environmental organizations. We hope that one of these organizations will join us in our project to protect, preserve, and develop the area in Hejdeby. By taking responsibility as organizers throughout the journey, we aim to create biological diversity in the area and ensure a sustainable future for GGN 2.0.

Photo: Thomas Bäckström