Dear Athlete
It is with a heavy heart we have decided to postpone Zalaris Norseman Xtreme Triathlon 2020 for one year. The decision was made by the Norseman board in a meeting last night.
As organizers, we have faced many challenges since our debut event in 2003. Low water temperature, weather, logistics, strikes, and many more, but we have never met a challenge like the COVID 19 pandemic. It affects us, you as an athlete, your support, our local communities, our partners, and so many others in so many ways.
Norseman is a truly international event, with athletes from every corner of the world. When making the decision, respecting the challenges that our global community is facing was a key factor. Caring for you and your support, all our volunteers and everyone involved with Norseman is our top priority, now more than ever. The same applies to our medical and safety teams.
To quote our friends at Challenge Roth:
If we keep in mind the enormous consequences and implications this pandemic imposes on the global population, the cancellation of a sporting event – be it as big as DATEV Challenge Roth – is almost irrelevant, nothing but a grain of sand in the desert. We should keep this in mind during this time, so it is easier for all of us to gain a clear perspective.
We know that you have been waiting for a decision on Norseman 2020 to be made. For many of you, our decision will be a relief, and for some, it will be a disappointment. We do understand that.
Rollover
The good news is, we will move you over to next year’s Norseman, taking place on August 7th, 2021. We will ask you to confirm this by June 30th. We will send you a separate communication regarding 2021 confirmation in a few days.
Cancellation
If you should decide that you do not want to race in 2021, we will give you a refund. The only condition is that you let us know by June 30th, 2020. If you do, we will refund your entry fee, minus a EUR 90 administration fee. A mail describing the cancellation process will follow in a couple of days.
Accommodation
If you have booked accommodation for this year’s race, we recommend you contact your host as soon as possible. Send them an e-mail. Most of the travel industry in Norway is currently laid off. Please allow some days for them to reply, as they may very well be operating on a “skeleton crew.”
Insurance
Many of you have bought the refund protect insurance. The issuer, Protect Group, has agreed that they will honour the insurance policy up to the new race date. You do not have to “renew”; this will be done automatically.
In the interim?
Norseman 2020 from Eidfjord to Gaustatoppen will not happen. However, we will be here and have already started to prepare the race for you in 2021. We remain committed as ever. We want to help our community stay healthy, positive, engaged, and ready for new opportunities when life goes back to normal.
We will work with our partners to identify areas where we can collaborate to make the best out of the current situation, rather than let it limit us. We will also challenge you, our athletes, and our global community to engage with us to find ways to make the best out of the situation. Moving forward, we will be here.
When the pandemic hit, we were just about to launch our “Norseman Sustain” sustainability project. This project will continue as well, even if on a slightly delayed timeline.
Partners
Postponing the race will have a significant impact on our finances. Without the support of our incredible partners, we would have faced challenges at an entirely different level. We know these are tough times for our partners as well, so for them to hang in there with us is much appreciated. Thank you, Zalaris, Bundegruppen, Renault, and all our other partners for your moral and financial support.
Kind regards and lots of love from
The Norseman Crew
