”From three minutes to three days” – Vasaloppets new entry registration procedures work like this.

Press release from Vasaloppet

Vasaloppets various events are more popular than ever before and the demand for start places is, in several races, very significantly greater than the supply.  These new conditions set other requirements than previously and, therefore, a completely new registration procedure has been developed. This new model eliminates the seconds stress and also takes into account participants' loyalty – all to make everything as fair as possible.

CykelVasan 2014 was fully booked in three minutes and the places for Vasaloppet 2015 were all taken in 92 seconds. When registration for the 2015 summer week opens on 29 September, a completely new entry model will be in place. Over the past year, Vasalopps organisation has worked intensively to evaluate the situation and find a new procedure which satisfies and fits the present conditions. Now all interested will not have to sit and be speedy on the keyboard at the stroke of a clock!

“The first-come first-served model just doesn't work any longer for the big races. With the ever more extreme pressure we have experienced over the recent years, it became very unfair when it only was a matter of seconds, and this we do not want”, says Marcus Berndt, Vasaloppet's Competition Administration Manager. “We have carefully evaluated what alternatives were available, how others have solved the same problems and then developed a procedure which we believe will suit our races.” 

Entry registration to Swedish sports competitions is very often built on being out early in good time, while entry to big competitions around the world - for example many marathon events - are, for the most part, built up around some form of lottery, when the demand for places becomes too great. A typical model is that one has a week to make an advance booking and, later, those who get a start place is decided by lottery, if it is apparent that there are not enough starts for everybody. 

“We will have a similar process for our most popular races”, says Marcus Berndt. “But we will also reward those who have participated in these races previously. The message behind this new model is: to remove the worry and stress of those few heated seconds; to support loyalty; and make everything more straightforward by sharing out registration to the various races over different days. The lottery process is only used as a tool if the demand shows itself to be greater than our various quotas.” 

THE NEW REGISTRATION MODEL WORKS LIKE THIS – VASALOPPETS SUMMER WEEK 2015

The model consists of two different and separate lines of action – first out are the most popular races CykelVasan 90 and UltraVasan 90. When the registration for these races opens, you have three days to register your interest and it makes no difference at all during that time when you make your registration. After that, the registered are divided into two quotas, one for “loyal” and one for “others”.  To qualify as loyal one must have participated in the race in question at least once in the last three years.

If the number of loyal participants exceeds the quota size, there will be a lottery and those who do not come in are moved to the “others” quota, where they will have a new chance. It is, therefore, not certain that all loyals are guaranteed a place. Vasaloppet also safeguards having a large group of first-time participants in the races. Those who have not participated in the race in question in the last three years will be placed in the “others” quota. And, even here, if the number exceeds the quota size, there will be a lottery. 

For Vasaloppets other races in the summer, registration opens on different days at 19.00 on three consecutive evenings, as noted below.

REGISTRATION TO CYKELVASAN 90 AND ULTRAVASAN 90

29 Sept – 1 Oct – Registry open
It makes no difference at all during this registration period when you register your interest. 
This you do on vasaloppet.se via Registration/My Pages where you log in to your user account.

2 Oct – Allocation of start places in the quotas loyalty and others
All interested are divided into two groups: loyal and others. If there are more interested than there are places in the respective groups, a lottery is used to allocate places. The quotas for both groups are not fixed – the number of places in each group is not determined in advance in order to create a balance between numbers of new and old participants. 

Loyalty quota: We ensure that a certain number of returning participants will get a place in the race. You must have participated previously in the same race that you are now entering at least once in the last three years. 

Quota for the others: In this quota are collected both loyal participants who possibly were without a start and all other interested. Places in this group are filled after the loyalty group.

3 Oct – 7 Oct – Reply and completion of registration with payment
Vasaloppet sends out a reply to all who have registered an interest with information as to whether they have a start place or not. After that, those that have a place complete their registration with help of a registration code and pay the entry fee. 

REGISTRATION TO OTHER RACES IN VASALOPPETS SUMMER WEEK 2015

Registration is done on vasaloppet.se via Registration/My Pages by logging in to your user account.  Registration is completed direct with payment. No code is required for registration.

7 Oct at 19.00
Registration opens for CykelVasan 30 and CykelVasan 45

8 Oct at 19.00
Registration opens for UltraVasan 45 and VasaStafetten

9 Oct at19.00
Registration opens for the new race CykelVasan Öppet Spår

VASALOPPETS SUMMER WEEK 2015 – WHEN ARE THE RACES?

Fri 14 Aug: CykelVasan 30. 30 km. Start Oxberg.
Fri 14 Aug: UngdomsCykelVasan. 30 km. Start Oxberg.
Fri 14 Aug: CykelVasan 45. 45 km. Start Oxberg.
Fri 14 Aug: CykelVasan Öppet Spår. 95 km. Start Sälen.
Sat 15 aug: CykelVasan 90. 95 km. Start Sälen.
Sat 22 Aug: UltraVasan 45. 45 km. Start Oxberg.
Sat 22 Aug: UltraVasan 90. 90 km. Start Sälen.
Sat 22 Aug: VasaStafetten. 4,5–15 km. Running relay for teams of 10. Start Sälen.

High resolution photos from Vasaloppet are here:
mynewsdesk.com/se/pressroom/vasaloppet/image/list

Text and photos may be freely published.

For further information

Marcus Berndt, head of race office
Tel: +46 (0)250-392 26
Mobile: +46 (0)70-383 38 42
E-mail: marcus.berndt@vasaloppet.se

Anders Selling, CEO
Tel: +46 (0)250-392 24
Mobile: +46 (0)70-237 33 00
E-post: anders.selling@vasaloppet.se

More about Vasaloppet?

www.vasaloppet.se
Press room: mynewsdesk.com/se/pressroom/vasaloppet
Facebook: facebook.com/vasaloppetofficial
Instagram: @vasaloppet
Twitter: @vasaloppet

Vasaloppet is the world’s biggest organiser of recreational races, all year round. Vasaloppets winter week with its cross country skiing and the summer week with mountainbike cycling and running attracted during 2013 a total of over 88,000 registered participants. Since the beginning in 1922 over one million participants have passed under the classic finish portal in Mora. Vasaloppet is a non-profit making organisation owned by IFK Mora and Sälens IF. An engine for public health and organisational activities, in the footsteps our forefathers for the victories of tomorrow!