Facts and figures from the Central European Rally

• 18 special stages with a total length of over 300 km across our days of rallying
• 150,000 spectators from all over the world followed the inaugural rally weekend in 2023
• Numerous measures contribute to the sustainability goals of the CER

Munich. Fantastic asphalt routes in three European countries, crafted into one spectacular WRC rally: what was new to the FIA World Rally Championship in 2023 remains one of a kind this year. With so much action-packed action in store from the start in Prague (CZE) to the finish in Passau (GER), it takes an immense effort to ensure that everything runs safely and smoothly for all involved, and in an environmentally-friendly manner. Here are the key facts and figures from the twelfth of the 13 races in the 2024 World Rally Championship.

Route (figures are rounded)
1,585 km is the total distance covered on the rally days – the route is noticeably shorter than in 2023, thanks to optimised processes, particularly on the Thursday.

303 km is the total length of the 18 special stages.

210 km of the special stages are new – either completely new routes or tackled in a different direction to 2023.

26.69 km is the length of the longest special stage on the rally (SS 4/7 Strašín), which the competitors take on in the Czech Republic on the Friday.

14 days before the event, preparations begin on the special stages – spectator zones are prepared, routes are signposted and (one week before the start) no parking zones are identified.

From 5 days before the start in Prague, the special stages are set up, allowing FIA experts to inspect them on the Tuesday.

5 stages (incl. the Shakedown) on the CER are located in the Czech Republic.

4 stages are in Germany.

1 stage is exclusively in Austria.

1 stage of the rally takes place across a border: for the first time, a special stage on the Saturday will start in Germany and end in Austria (SS 10/13 Beyond Borders).

Safety
Roughly 2,000 marshals are responsible for safety on the stages.

Roughly 1,000 people in each of the three countries work on and around the special stages – from police and law enforcement agencies to transport services, car park attendants and ticket sellers.

Roughly 23 km of “onion sacks” are used as mobile barriers to clearly demarcate spectator zones. Most of the robust plastic material was also used last year, reducing the amount of waste.

Roughly 80 km of barrier tape guide visitors to the rally. It is used, for example, to show safe, convenient and environmentally-friendly paths to spectator points.

More than 60 people are employed as medical personnel for the rally circus alone during the event, in order to ensure they are on the scene fast in case of a crash.

24 emergency medical vehicles and MIC (Medical Intervention Cars) are distributed across the special stages.

3 to 5 medical points are set up for spectators on each special stage. They are contact points for problems and provide access to an ambulance as well as specialist staff.

Organisational Team
170 people make up the extended organisational team, which includes sports commissioners, technical commissioners, document inspection and many other roles.

More than 30 people oversee all processes in Rally Control during the event. This is where all the information from the special stages comes together. As well as the team from the International Automobile Federation FIA and the route marshals, crowd control, police and emergency services are also represented, in order to ensure that processes run smoothly.

12 people form the core of the organisational team, who work all year round on preparations for the Central European Rally.

Spectators
125,000 spectators were counted over the four days of the 2023 Central European Rally.

42 official spectator points are set up for fans from all over the world.

8 shuttle buses transport run from central car parks to the special stages, reducing the impact on countryside and agricultural areas.

Sustainability Measures
150 document pouches have been made from discarded advertising banners from the 2023 CER.

30 local organisations and clubs are in action at the rally.

25 electric and hydrogen cars are provided for the organisational team, ensuring they are largely environmentally-friendly when moving around.

22 eco marshals will help visitors to behave in an environmentally-friendly manner.

22 honorary awards made in local workshops by persons with disabilities.

20 members make up the CER sustainability team. They plan and help to implement all relevant measures.

10 large information boards provide visitors on the special stages with advice on how to behave in an environmentally-friendly manner.

3 stars: the rating awarded to the inaugural CER by the FIA Environmental Accreditation.