The Great American Birkebeiner cross-country ski race course has been rerouted but organizers are optimistic the event will go on despite higher temperatures and rain.
Conditions have not been ideal for volunteers preparing the course for the largest cross-country ski race in North America. After a warm weekend and Monday’s rain, Birkie Executive Director Ben Popp said they’ve decided to move the finish line 1.25 miles to the north.
Little snow remained at the American Birkebeiner 45k marker Sunday morning. With Monday’s rain, organizers said they may have to make further changes to the race course. Photo courtesy of Michael Leland.
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“We know that we can’t ski into downtown Hayward, and we’re hoping for the best to get into Duffy Feld, and if that doesn’t work, we can start to look at options up north of OO,” Popp said.
Popp said groomed ski trails north of Hayward still have 5 inches of packed snow but if conditions continue to deteriorate, they may have to change the route further.
“This is part of what happens, unfortunately, and you work all year to put on a great ski race,” Popp said. “But we do know we won’t put skiers out there if, number one, it’s not safe or, number two, we think it’s going to be an event that’s not the quality people expect from the Birkiebeiner.”
Around 8,000 skiers are expected to converge on Hayward this weekend along with upwards of 15,000 spectators. Since the Birkie was founded in 1973, nine races have been rerouted or postponed. The race has only been canceled once, that was in 2000.
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