We continue with the event presentation of season XI with Birkebeinerrennet. The 54-kilometer race takes place March 20th. In the following days we will continue present the remaining three season XI Pro Tour events.
The history of Birkebeinerrennet dates back to the 13th century when two brave “birkebeiner” soldiers rescued a young prince, Haakon, by carrying him while skiing over the mountains. This young prince eventually became the king of Norway, and to honor him and his rescuers all participants carry a 3.5 kg backpack symbolizing the weight of the precious cargo that the birkebeiners had on their backs on their adventurous journey.
The 54 kilometer race starts in a small town called Rena, which has a cozy idyllic center. The finish is located in Lillehammer, which has a great city-like vibe even if it only has about 28,000 in- habitants. Both towns are picturesque travel destinations surrounded by spectacular mountains. Lillehammer also hosted the 1994 Olympic Winter Games and the 2016 Youth Winter Olympics.
THE FACTS – BIRKEBEINERRENNET
LOCATION: Rena-Lillehammer, Norway
DATE: Saturday, March 20th 2021
START TIME: Women CET 07:45, Men CET 08:00
DISTANCE: 54 km Classic Technique
VISMA SKI CLASSICS CLIMBS: Raudfjellet: 20 km
WEBSITE: birkebeiner.no
FACEBOOK: Birkebeinere
INSTAGRAM: birken_no
Course map
Course profile
Read more about the events, the Pro Teams and much more in the new Pro XC Skiing magazine – a complete guide for Visma Ski Classics season XI.
Order it here.
