Gotland Grand National gets the go-ahead for 2025 after County Authority issues permit to race – GGN 2.0 back for year two at new location of Hejdeby.

Organisers of the self-proclaimed world’s largest enduro competition, Gotland Grand National (GGN 2.0) have announced the local County Administrative Board has decided this year’s event can go ahead as planned.

Since the epic event lost its traditional stopping ground, a Swedish military training base on the island of Gotland two years ago, the event had to move to a new venue, one which caused some headaches for the organisers who had to fight for the permission to race.

An event on this scale – they have 1000 registered riders already for 2025 but aim for more than 3000 – takes up quite a bit of planning but also needs a lot of space.

Held in Hejdeby on Gotland for the first time last year, organisers Nordic Sport & Event has been granted the permanent course in Hejdeby with Region Gotland. This means that the organiser has applied for a building permit for the track. But in order to secure this year's enduro competition in good time, the organizer also applied for a temporary exemption from the Off-Road Driving Act with the County Administrative Board, which was done for 2024.

“The early decision from the County Administrative Board will now give us as the organiser the peace of mind we so badly need,” says Conny Bohlin, CEO of Nordic Sport & Event. “The important thing is the competition will now 100% go ahead even if someone were to appeal.”

Once the building permit is in place, Nordic Sport & Event does not need to apply for the current exemption with the County Administrative Board every year, and the track is approved for the competition every year.

“We have almost 1,000 registered (the goal is 3,200 with riders ageing from 5 to 75yrs) and since we opened registration in October 2024, we have been working purposefully with the two different tracks for the building permit and the temporary exemption so that GGN 2.0 can be implemented in 2025. The fact that we now have peace of mind and can work long-term to develop the competition in the new area in Hejdeby is absolutely crucial,” adds Bohlin.

“During 2024, the focus was on convincing the authorities and the courts that we as the organiser will take responsibility for the competition and the natural values ​​in the area and that GGN 2.0 belongs on Gotland after 40 years at Tofta shooting range,” concludes Bohlin.

 

More information: gotlandgrandnational.se