Last Updated: 26.Feb.2014

The biggest ski race in North America, and an annual tradition for over 10,000 skiers from the Midwest and beyond, the American Birkiebeiner is one race that has to be seen to be believed. 6 of the GRP skiers and 3 rowers traveled to Hayward, Wisconsin to brave the 50k course this past Saturday, the 22nd. 

The Birkie organizers love having the Elite skiers present, and to raise hype for the big marathon event they hosted Elite Sprints on Main St. in Hayward the Thursday before the Birkie. The format was simple, racers lined up in heats of two to compete in a single elimination drag race, down the street, around a set of pylons, and back up to the finish. Whoever won their heat moved on to the next, and so on until a winner emerged. Gordon and Liz both got knocked out in the first round after taking on the eventual winner and third place finisher in the men’s and women’s sprints. Pat made it to the semifinals but got knocked out after suffering from the dreaded “leg wobbles”. Alex, the only skier who didn’t participate in the marathon, keep moving on and ended up 3rd overall! 

After a day of rest and some intense carbo-loading, the skiers were ready to take on the full 50k. Conditions were cold, windy, and slow, making for a grueling race for just about everybody. On the women’s side, Caitlin Patterson and Clare Egan had great races, taking 8th and 9th respectively after women’s winner Caitlin Gregg. Liz struggled with leg cramps in the soft snow, but was able to finish her first Birkie with a 7th place in her age group. Gordon Vermeer had a really solid race and took 19th place overall. The men’s race was dominated by Europeans competing in the World Loppet series who swept the top 6 places. In fact, Gordon was the 6th American to cross the line. Pat was 29th overall and Andrew came in 38th. Also, a shout-out is necessary for former GRP members Bryan Cook and Matt Briggs who took 24th and 25th overall in the Birkie Skate and also to Nils Koons, 2nd in the Birkie classic! Also on hand for a true Midwest Birkie experience were the Graves brothers Peter and John, and Steve Whelpley of the GRP rowing team. Steve started in Wave 4 and finished in a time of 3:45, but the Graves brothers had to fight their way up from Wave 9! John won his wave handily and finished in 3:23, with Peter finishing in 3:55.

Congrats to all the racers, we’re sure they will be back for more fun next year after experiencing a little “Birkie Fever”. PDF and searchable results are available on the Birkie website here.

Speaking of Birkie Fever, the radio in Hayward always plays songs written about the Birkie on race morning, and they are hilarious and surprisingly well done. If you want to catch the Fever for next year, or just want a little entertainment give them a listen on the website (or just ask Clare for a live performance).