American Birkebeiner Ski Marathon

Birkie Week 2026 runs February 18 through 22 across the Birkie Trail corridor in northern Wisconsin, culminating in the 52nd running of the Slumberland American Birkebeiner, presented by Ariens, on Saturday, February 21. The Birkebeiner is North America’s largest and most prestigious cross-country ski race, an international event that draws skiers from all 50 states and more than 25 countries to Hayward, Wisconsin’s Northwoods each February.

The 50-kilometer skate race and 53-kilometer classic race begin at the American Birkebeiner Trailhead near Cable and finish on Hayward’s snow-covered Main Street, covering a course that crosses frozen Lake Hayward and the American Birkebeiner International Bridge in its final descent into the village. Approximately 40,000 skiers and spectators gather for Birkie Week, making it one of the most densely attended winter sports events in the United States in terms of per-capita community impact.

The Full Birkie Week Programme

The week opens on Wednesday, February 18, with the UnTapped Open Track events, which allow up to 1,500 skiers to ski the Birkebeiner course without the competitive wave structure, starting from their own chosen time. Open Track bib pickup is in the Celebration Tent in downtown Hayward from 4 to 7 PM on Wednesday. Thursday’s Kortelopet (29 kilometers skate and classic) and Prince Haakon (15 kilometers) events complete the mid-week program.

The Barkie Birkie dog-and-handler event, BarneBirkie children’s race, and Junior Birkie youth race fill the supporting calendar alongside the Birkie Product Showcase and Expo. The Birkie Giant Ski Race and Birkie Bash Fundraiser round out the schedule through Saturday. All races converge on Hayward’s Main Street finish, where the community’s year-round infrastructure of independent restaurants, lodging, and gear shops operates at capacity for the full week.

If You’re Going With Kids

The BarneBirkie and Junior Birkie are purpose-built youth races that give children as young as 5 a structured finish-line experience on the same course that Olympians and World Cup athletes ski later in the week. The Birkie Festival Expo in downtown Hayward runs throughout the week and provides a warm, free-admission space for families who want the Birkie atmosphere without having to register for a race. The Main Street finish area is the best spectator position in Hayward: the final stretch allows close-range views of competitors at the climax of their 50-kilometer effort, which is a genuinely moving spectacle for observers of any age.

Hayward and the Northwoods Setting

Hayward, Wisconsin, sits in Sawyer County in the lake-dense Northwoods, where the Namekagon River, the Chippewa Flowage, and hundreds of inland lakes define the landscape. The Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame at 10360 Hall of Fame Drive houses the world’s largest muskie replica (a four-story fiberglass fish with a walk-through jaw) alongside a genuine collection of freshwater fishing artifacts that rewards an hour of family exploration. The Birkie Trail itself, groomed to international FIS standards for race week, passes through hardwood and conifer forest terrain that constitutes one of the most visually compelling cross-country skiing environments in the American Midwest at any time of season.

Parking at the Birkebeiner start venue is permit-only, purchased separately from race entry; race-day bus service from downtown Hayward runs throughout the morning for competitors and spectators alike.