Birkie Tour and Night Race
Saturday, January 25, 2025
2025 Birkie Tour: Tour by Day – Race by Night!
Enjoy a training day AND a fun race at night! Ski the Birkie Trail at a relaxed pace during the day, enjoy a nice meal, rest up, and then come back for racing under the stars! Choose both events or just one- create your own adventure!
Birkie Tour skiers choose their own distance and pace, and park, start, and finish at the American Birkebeiner Trailhead. The Birkie Skate and Classic trails will be marked for different distances and aid stations will be open at Timber Trail, Fire Tower, and Boedecker. Courses will be marked and you create a short or long ski – just enjoy the day!
But, wait, there’s more! After your casual afternoon tour, return for a race under the stars! Race with a headlamp (required) on a 10K individual course or 20K with a teammate (both ski the 20K course). Experience the flying sensation of skiing the trails at night!
Night Race:
- Headlamps are required
- Ski the 10K as an individual*
- Ski the 20K with a teammate! Must ski together as a team. Time is calculated after the second team member crosses the finish line.
Registration
| May 20 through August 22 | August 23 through October 17 | October 18 through January 23 | January 24 through January 25 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birkie Tour | $50 | $65 | $75 | $85 |
| Birkie Tour NIGHT RACE | $40 | $55 | $65 | $75 |
| Birkie Tour COMBO Day Tour & Night Race | $80 | $100 | $110 | $120 |
Register for the Tour and Tour Night Race at the same time and get a discount on your registration (discount automatically applied at checkout)!
Participant Gift
Stay tuned for the 2025 participant gift!
Protect Your Registration!
Get reimbursed up to 100% on your registration if you can’t compete for a number of reasons. Vertical Insure offers Registration Cancellation Insurance so you can insure your non-refundable registration fee in the case injury, illness, or other unexpected events occur.* Please see policy for complete list of covered perils at https://landing.verticalinsure.com/birkie. Limitations and exclusions apply.
Venue and Parking Directions
Getting There
Check in for the Birkie Tour and Night Race at the Derksen Family Great Hall at American Birkebeiner Trailhead, Cable, Wisconsin.
GPS Coordinates: 46.193510, -91.249866
Arrive at the start from Telemark Rd. Take Hwy M east from Cable for 2 miles, then take a right (south) on Telemark Rd. and follow the signs to parking and/or check-in.
Event Information
Tour Course
The 2025 Birkie Tour will start and finish at the American Birkebeiner Trailhead. You choose the distance you want to enjoy! Venture far or stay close by the Trailhead- you’ll have the option to ski Birkie Skate and Classic trails all the way to the Franzen Fire Tower cabin and back. Skiing is not advised beyond the Franzen Fire Tower Cabin at this time. Aid Stations that will be open include Timber Trail and at the American Birkebeiner Trailhead. The Night Race course will also be marked and ready for skiing during the day.
Race Course
All race courses will start and finish at the American Birkebeiner Trailhead. The 20k team race will complete 5 laps. The 10k race will complete 2 laps, and will be around 8k in total distance. All race distances are subject to change depending on course and conditions.
From the start, go down the main Birkie Trail approximately 600m, then make a left to pick up the old Korte inbound. Continue on that trail all the way to/up and over the tunnel, then a hard right on the on the other side. Continue through the competition stadium. At the top of that short hill it’s a 180° turn, then a short downhill.
After a slight bend to the left look for a harder right onto Nordmor trail. After climbing easy up Nordmor, look for a short left, pay attention to the turn around (loop) near Telehenge, it’s a new piece. Make the loop and you’re headed back on Nordmor, the only (very) short two-way piece. Then a hard left onto the Deck loop, which will take you up then downhill, with a fast bend to the left, to the climb up to the Elevator Shaft.
Then it’s straight down to the base of the World Cup making a left to begin that long climb. At the top it’s a hard right and you’ll be headed down to Twisted Sister, a soft right and hard left – be ready for this one, it’s fun! Get through Twisted Sister and it’s a hard right (at the very top) headed back towards the competition stadium. Then downhill, make a left and head for a trip through the tunnel. Once through there look for lap and/or finish lanes. It would be a good idea to familiarize yourself with how those lanes are marked and/or laid out.
Have fun, be careful & courteous, enjoy!
Schedule
- 8:30am-10:30am: Bib pick-up (Derksen Family Great Hall)
- 9:00am-11:00am: Birkie Tour Start- start whenever you want and choose how far and fast you want to go!
- 9:30am: Timber Trail Open
- 11:00am: After Party Begins!
- 11:00am: Mt. Telemark Village Guided Tour with Ben Popp!
- 2:00pm: Timber Trail Closed
- 2:00pm: Mt. Telemark Village Guided Tour with Ben Popp!
- 3:00pm: Birkie Tour Cut-off
- 5:00pm-6:00pm: Night Race Bib Pick-up (Derksen Family Great Hall)
- 6:00pm: Team 20k Start
- 6:05pm: 10k Start
- 6:30pm: Post Race Party Begins!
- 6:45pm: 10k Award Ceremony
- 7:45pm: 20k Award Ceremony
- 8:30pm: Night Race Cut-off
Bib Pick-Up
Bib pickup is at the American Birkebeiner Trailhead in the Derksen Family Great Hall on Saturday, January 25 from 8:30am-10:30am and from 5:00-6:00pm. Pick up your tour bib in the morning and your race bib in either time slot!
Tour Start & Cut-off Times
Start your Tour anytime between 9am-11am. Tour is officially over at 3pm.
Night Race Start & Cut-off Times
Turn on your headlamps! 20K race starts at 6pm, 10K at 6:05pm. All participants must complete the race by 8:30 pm.
Birkie Tour Ambassadors
The course will be patrolled throughout the day by Birkie Tour Ambassadors. Ambassadors have a lot of Birkie Trail experience and can assist with waxing and share their knowledge of the Birkie Trails and Birkie Races. Look for the white Ambassador bibs.
Aid Stations
Your Tour will be supported with Aid Stations along the course at Timber Trail and outside the Derksen Family Great Hall at the American Birkebeiner Trailhead. Feel free to stop in the Derksen Family Great Hall at any time for water and UnTapped Fuel and Hydration! The Night Race will be supported with an aid station as participants lap through the course.
After-Ski Snacks and Beverage
After your Tour, enjoy a lunch and drink inside the Derksen Family Great Hall. We’ll again be serving beer from Earth Rider Brewery, the Official Beer of the Birkie!
After the Night Race, enjoy a beverage and smores out by the fire!
Awards & Results
Night Race Awards
Awards will be presented to the following finishers in the Night Race:
- 10k – top 3 male and female finishers
- 20k –
- Top Male team
- Top Female team
- Top Mixed team
Results
2024 Night Race Results »
2023 Night Race Results
Volunteer
Volunteers make this event possible! We always need help at aid stations, parking cars, assisting participants and course support. If you are interested in helping out, please click the link below, or contact Ronda Tworek, Director of Volunteers, at 715.634.5025, or ronda.tworek@birkie.com.
Click Here to Volunteer!
Sponsors
Gold Circle Elite
Gold Level Sponsors of the Major Birkie Events Year-Round
