The worst case scenario has been realized. The 44th edition of the German Worldloppet, König Ludwig Lauf on the 6th and 7th of February has been cancelled.  The track conditions and the weather forecast in Germany for the coming days forced the OC-Team from König Ludwig Lauf to make the difficult decision. 

The lack of natural snow combined with large areas of the track under water and constant temperatures above 0°C left no chance to prepare the proper conditions for the skiers. Until the last moment the organizers tried to save the race. During January they transported snow to the track but now the poor weather forecast put an end to these efforts.

"During the few days with temperatures below the freezing point we produced artificial snow to cover parts of the track. In the end it unfortuantely was not enough. For weeks we have had no freezing temperatures," says OC-chief Marc Schauberger.

Many alternatives were discussed but even if the cancellation is a big economical setback, there was no other way. The organizers have decided to refund 50% of the entry-fees to all skiers who entered the race according to the conditions of the registration, even though the OC already spent 80% of the total costs for the bibs, the starting bags, track and other preparations.

You can find more information and refund conditions on the official König Ludwig Lauf website.

Find the complete press release HERE. 

Source: fis-ski.com