Barkie Birkie

The 5K is for fast, experienced teams that can finish a 5K race in 25 minutes or less.

The 3K is for teams that can complete a 3K race in 25 minutes or less.

The 1K is for teams new to the sport or just looking for a fun experience.  Teams have 25 minutes or less to complete 1K.  No awards will be given for the 1K, but all participants will receive a finisher medal.

Registration for the 2025 Barkie Birkie is open!

Registration Insurance

Protect your Birkie registration! Get reimbursed up to 100% on your registration if you can’t compete for a number of reasons. Fanshield offers Registration Cancellation Insurance so you can insure your non-refundable registration fee in the case of injury, illness, or other unexpected events. Fanshield Insurance can only be purchased during the initial registration transaction,  and it cannot be added to an event registration after the transaction has been completed. 

Race Start: Intersection of Main Street & Second Street

Race Finish: The American Birkebeiner Finish Line on Main Street

Limited parking is found in downtown Hayward. We encourage spectators to utilize the designated spectator parking lot on Hwy B (noted in orange on the map below). Buses will run continuously from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm from the Spectator Lot to the Registration Bus Stop, and from the Registration Bus Stop and the Celebration Zone Bus Stop to the Spectator Lot. Parking restrictions are in place on most of the downtown area streets.

Note: Dogs are NOT allowed on shuttle buses.

Course Maps

Course Descriptions

All races will start at the intersection of Main Street and 2nd Street in Hayward and heads up Main Street to 6th Street. The course then turns left onto 6th Street and right onto the fields behind the Hayward Primary School.

From there a large loop circles the Hayward Golf Course. At the completion of the loop the 5K Skijorers will ski a second lap of the same loop. The 3K Skijorers will complete only one lap on the golf course. After completing the required number of laps racers retrace their route back to 6th Street, turn right on Main Street, finishing at the start area. The 1K Course will follow the same route as the other races but will turn right onto the 1K Cut-off trail shortly after entering the golf course, then right on the return trail to Main Street.

Note: Final race course(s) and distances are subject to change due to conditions.

Warm-up

Warm up is Main Street and the golf course before the 1st race, in the direction of race travel. Access to the golf course is behind the Hayward Intermediate School on 5th Street, only two blocks from the bib pick up tent in the Celebration Zone.

Dog Requirements

• Entry is limited to one person per dog
• All dogs must be sufficiently fit to be able to complete the course without risk of injury
• Dogs must be healthy and have up-to-date vaccinations
• Dogs must be treated humanely at all times
• Dogs must be controlled and kept from other teams
• Loose dogs are not permitted at any time
• Aggressive dogs are prohibited from the event
• Waste is the dog owners responsibility and it must be picked up immediately

Equipment Requirements

• Skate or Classic skis are allowed
• Metal ski edges are not permitted
• Skijor belt is required and must be padded
• Towline must use internal bungee
• The distance between the skijorer and the dog should be between 7 feet and 10 feet
• A pulling style dog harness is required with padding around the neck area
• Each dog must wear a snug fitting dog collar
• Under no circumstances can the towline be attached to the dog’s collar or any harness not specifically designed for pulling

Start

• Skijorers must provide their own handler if there is any concern about maintaining adequate control in the start area. Handles may not stay in the start/finish area while the team is on-course
• The front tips of the skijorer’s skis must be behind the start line prior to the signal to start. The dog may start “lined out” ahead of the start line
• The skijorer’s race bib must be visible to race officials

On-Course

• There are a few sections with two-way traffic
• Skijorers must stay to the right if facing an oncoming team

Passing

• A passing skijorer must execute a pass only when conditions are safe
• The skijorer must shout “Trail”, “On your left”, etc. before attempting to pass
• The skijorer being passed should slow and move to the side of the trail, if possible
• The skijorer being passed should stop polling and hold their poles behind, low, and away from the passing team
• Skijorers must exhibit care, good judgement, and fairness whenever passing others

Finish

• Skijorers must exit the finish area as soon as possible
• No finish line food or beverages will be available
• Dogs are NOT allowed in the Celebration Tent after the Barkie Birkie Skijor races

Awards

All participants will be awarded finishers’ medals at the finish line immediately following each race!

Awards for the top 3 finishers will be presented outside of the Samuel C. Johnson Family Outdoor Center to the following teams:

• Women’s 5k
• Men’s 5k
• Women’s 3k
• Men’s 3k

*note: awards are based off of skijorer’s gender, not the dog’s gender

2024 Results

• 2024 Race Results

Past Results

• 2023 Race Results

• 2022 Race Results

• 2021 Mile Results
• 2021 2 Mile Results
• 2021 3 Mile Results

• 2020 5k/3k Results

• 2019 5k Results
• 2019 3k Results

• 2018 5K Results
• 2018 3K Results

• 2017 Barkie Birkie Canicross 3K & 1.5K Results

• 2016 5K Results
• 2016 3K Results

• 2015 5k Results
• 2015 3K Results

• 2014 5K Results
• 2014 3K Results

• 2013 5K Results
• 2013 3K Results

• 2012 5K Results

• 2011 5K Results

New to the Sport?

Many ski shops and outdoor shops can help you fit and purchase skijoring equipment.

Skiers may skijor on the Seeley Hills Trails, Seeley, Wisconsin. From County OO take old Hwy OO to the trailhead.