PRESS RELEASE 2026-05-26

COUNTY ADMINISTRATIVE BOARD REJECTS APPEALS – BUILDING PERMIT FOR THE GGN TRACK REMAINS VALID

On May 22, 2026, Nordic Sport & Event took a major step forward towards securing the permanent establishment of the GGN track in Hejdeby, Gotland.

Nordic Sport & Event, organizer of Gotland Grand National, was informed by the County Administrative Board of Stockholm on February 18, 2026, that it had taken over the handling of the appeals in cases no. 5306-2025 and 148-2026.

The reason the County Administrative Board of Gotland transferred the cases to another County Administrative Board was both due to limited resources and to allow an external authority to review Region Gotland’s decisions regarding the building permit.

“At first, the decision came as a surprise to us since the County Administrative Board of Gotland had been working with the GGN establishment in Hejdeby since the autumn of 2023, and we believed they could have handled the appeals themselves. However, looking back at it today, the process has become even stronger for us now that the County Administrative Board of Stockholm has thoroughly reviewed everything we have done since August 28, 2023, when we were informed that we could no longer remain at the historic Tofta military training grounds,” says Conny Bohlin, CEO of Nordic Sport & Event, in a press release.

On May 22, 2026, the County Administrative Board of Gotland decided in case no. 5306 to reject the appeal concerning the building permit for the GGN track.

The decision states:

“The County Administrative Board of Gotland rejects the appeal.”

The County Administrative Board of Stockholm has therefore reviewed and upheld Region Gotland’s decision to grant a building permit for an enduro track including service loop, parking area and service building.

“This means that the County Administrative Board has confirmed Region Gotland’s decision regarding a permanent enduro track in Hejdeby, Gotland,” continues Conny Bohlin.

On May 22, 2026, the County Administrative Board of Gotland also decided in case no. 148-2026 to reject the appeals in the matter concerning notification of environmentally hazardous activities related to the permanent enduro track for Gotland Grand National (GGN), including the assessment that the activity cannot be considered to cause significant environmental impact.

At the same time, the County Administrative Board referred a limited part of the matter back to the Regional Environment and Building Committee for supplementary permit and exemption review related to petroleum handling within a water protection area.

However, the County Administrative Board did not question the location, legality or overall environmental impact of the activity.

“Regarding the permits connected to petroleum handling, we have already operated under similar permits during both GGN 2024 and GGN 2025. In its decision of May 22, 2026, the County Administrative Board did not question the location, legality or environmental impact of the activity overall, but only determined that a formal supplementary exemption and permit review under the water protection regulations is required for parts of the petroleum handling within protected zones. We consider this supplementary review to be a manageable and limited part of the process since equivalent handling has already been approved during GGN 2024 and GGN 2025,” concludes Conny Bohlin.

Today, May 26, 2026, a request for expedited handling of the matter was submitted to Region Gotland.

GGN 2026 is being planned and will be carried out as scheduled. The event already has the necessary approvals under the Swedish Off-Road Driving Act and the Public Order Act.

FACTS
– Gotland Grand National is the world’s largest enduro race and attracts more than 3,000 riders from several countries every year.
– Gotland Grand National was founded in 1984 and has been organized for 42 consecutive years.
– Participants range in age from approximately 5 to 75 years old.
– Approximately 25 km course in classic Gotland terrain.
– Around 28,000 guest nights are generated during race week.
– Approximately SEK 100 million in annual revenue for the local economy.
– Approximately SEK 800,000 annually to local sports clubs and associations.
– 12 hours of live broadcast coverage in 2026 across two days.
– Event dates: October 22–24, 2026.

For further information, please contact:
Conny Bohlin
CEO, Nordic Sport & Event AB
Phone: +46 70 824 94 94
E-mail: conny.bohlin@nordicsportevent.se

GGN 2025 VS GGN 2024!

After outstanding weather conditions during GGN 2024, where an impressive 97.71% of the participants received an official result, GGN 2025 became something completely different at the new venue in Hejdeby. The first year in Hejdeby, after 40 years at Tofta Firing Range, the track itself was 100% perfect, and during the two days of racing we could clearly see the joy of riding in everyone’s eyes. GGN 2025 offered a very different challenge. Even so, the joy of riding was still present for most participants. However, the conditions created major challenges, with 85% of riders receiving an official result. We as organizers were also faced with significant challenges in our efforts to save the race. You can read more about this here: “A BIG THANK YOU FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION AT GGN 2025”

WHAT MEASURES ARE BEING TAKEN TO ENSURE GGN 2026 ONCE AGAIN CREATES RIDING JOY FOR EVERYONE?
As soon as the snow has melted on the island, we will investigate both the clear-cut areas and the power line corridor together with SWECO (environmental consultants) to map water flows, clear-cut sections, drainage ditches, and more. We have allocated SEK 200,000 to:
– clear and deepen ditches
– build proper bridges
– install culverts to ensure natural water flow

The bridges will be constructed using stone, gravel, and durable materials designed to withstand severe conditions.
In 2025, we used logs similar to 2024, but these had to be removed as they became too slippery for the riders.

Of course, GGN may involve mud, water, but also sun and warm winds. This is part of the challenge of competing in the world’s largest enduro race – Gotland Grand National, which year after year attracts over 3,000 riders from 18 nations.

We want to assure you, already now, that we take this very seriously and are making long-term investments in the future GGN track. Many will still remember GGN 2025 much like the legendary races at Tofta in the 1980s — challenges that are still talked about today. In ten years, many will say: “I was there. It was really tough — but also incredibly fun.”

This is exactly what we are already hearing from many participants now that the curtain has closed on GGN 2025.

We are fully aware that participating in GGN involves a significant financial commitment — travel to Gotland, the entry fee, and for many, motorcycle service after the race. This is true every year, but in 2025 it affected an exceptionally large number of riders.

TO THOSE WHO DID NOT RECEIVE A RESULT AT GGN 2025

431 riders are offered a SEK 500 discount

We fully understand that this does not come close to compensating for your lost riding time, but we still want to show that we care about you. Due to the extreme conditions, a total of 431 riders unfortunately did not receive an official result. We therefore offer you a discount for GGN 2026. Register no later than 28 February 2026 Receive a SEK 500 discount on the entry fee You will shortly receive an email with a personal discount code to be used during registration.
Please keep an eye on your inbox — and also check your spam folder.

Best of luck with the 2026 enduro season.
We look forward to seeing you in October on Gotland.

The GGN management will take strong corrective actions on the 10–12% of the course that caused issues during GGN 2025.

Kind regards,
Conny Bohlin
Angelica Thomsson
Johanna Törnvall

on behalf of the GGN 2026 Management Team