On Saturday, March 15, 2025, the Ski Classics Pro Tour travels to Norway for the Birkebeinerrennet. The 54-kilometer event marks the 11th stage and the 4th and final Grand Classics event of Season XVI.

Ski Classics Season XVI heads to Norway for another action-packed Pro Tour stage and Grand Classics event, Birkebeinerrennet.

Birkebeinerrennet is not the longest race in the Pro Tour, but it has one of the most demanding courses. The 54-kilometer stage starts with a long uphill section with only one relatively short downhill segment. Then, the Pro Team athletes get to appreciate the beautiful mountain scenery before reaching the second climb.

On the last part of the course, the skiers can finally enjoy the wonder of speed as they start their descent to the finish line at the Olympic stadium, located a few kilometers from Lillehammer city center.

Birkebeinerrennet is one of the world’s most legendary long-distance ski races. With a long history, its legacy is based on a heroic tale of courage and adventure.

The saga dates to the harsh times of the 13th century when two fearless soldiers, birkebeiners, rescued a young prince and skied over the mountain, fighting against the wild nature around them. This young prince, Haakon, later became the King. To honor him and his rescuers, all participants at Birkebeinerrennet must carry a 3.5kg backpack symbolizing the prince’s weight.

Birkebeinerrennet – Ski Classics Pro Tour – Event 11

• Date: Saturday, March 15, 2025
• Place: Rena-Lillehammer, Norway
• Distance: 54km
• Time: 7:35 – 11:20 CET
• Highest Point: 906m
• Elevation Gain: 1054m
• Last Edition Winners: Magni Smedås (2:47:09.9) and Andreas Nygaard (2:23:55.9)
• SC Play: Birkebeinerrennet

More information about Birkebeinerrennet can be found HERE

Norwegian Atmosphere and History

The starting point of “Birken” is a small town called Rena. It has a friendly and cozy atmosphere, while Lillehammer is more city-like, with almost 28.000 inhabitants. Both places can easily be accessed by train from Oslo airport. The Rena Military Camp, Norway’s largest military camp, is northeast of Rena.

Lillehammer’s center is a late nineteenth-century concentration of wooden houses. It enjoys a picturesque location overlooking the northern part of lake Mjøsa and the river Lågen, surrounded by mountains. Lillehammer is also an Olympic town, having hosted the 1994 Winter Olympic Games and the 2016 Youth Winter Olympics.

In addition to Birkebeinerrennet and other sports activities, Lillehammer and its surrounding areas have several other tourist attractions such as the Garmo Stave Church, built around 1150, the PS Skibladner, the world’s oldest paddle steamer in scheduled service, rock carvings at Drotten, Fåberg, and the sculpture Mothership with Standing Matter designed by Antony Gormley.

There are also many museums to visit, like the Norwegian Olympic Museum, Lillehammer Art Museum, and Maihaugen, the largest open-air museum in Norway.

Ski Classics Pro Tour Season XVI (2024/2025)

• Event 0: Friday, December 13, 2024 -Ski Classics Pro Team Presentation XVI – Bad Gastein, Austria
• Event 1: Saturday, December 14, 2024 – Bad Gastein ITT – Sportgastein, Austria, 7km
• Event 2: Sunday, December 15, 2024 – Bad Gastein Criterium – Sportgastein, Austria, 36km
• Event 3: Saturday, January 11, 2025 – 3 Zinnen Ski-Marathon – Sexten, Italy, 60km
• Event 4: Sunday, January 12, 2025 – La Venosta ITT Kapron-Melago – Val Venosta, Italy, 12km
• Event 5: Saturday, January 18, 2025 – Engadin La Diagonela – Pontresina-Zuoz, Switzerland, 55km
• Event 6: Sunday, January 26, 2025 – Marcialonga – Trentino, Italy, 70km
• Event 7: Sunday, February 9, 2025 – Jizerská50 – Bedřichov, Czech Republic, 50km
• Event 8: Saturday, February 15, 2025 – Grönklitt Criterium 61 – Orsa Grönklitt, Sweden, 61km
• Event 9: Sunday, February 16, 2025 – Grönklitt ITT – Orsa Grönklitt, Sweden, 12km
• Event 10: Sunday, March 2, 2025 – Vasaloppet – Sälen-Mora, Sweden, 90km
• Event 11: Saturday, March 15, 1025 – Birkebeinerrennet – Rena-Lillehammer, Norway, 54km
• Event 12: Release June 4, 12:00 CET
• Event 13: Release June 5, 12:00 CET
• Event 14: Release June 5, 18:30 CET

• Full Calendar Release: June 6, 12:00 CET

The Season XVI of Ski Classics Pro Tour consists of 14 events on 10 event weekends in 6 different countries. The season starts on December 13, 2024, and ends on March 30, 2025, at (to be revealed)…

For more updates and detailed information about the Ski Classics Pro Tour, make sure to visit skiclassics.com.

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Top Photo: Magnus Östh/Ski Classics