Birkebeinerrittet

The course

The start is in the streets of Rena (Tollef Kildes gate) and the first 10 km are flat tarmac along Åsbygdvegen to Vivelstadsvea, ridden in waves of a few hundred and fast. From there a wide gravel road drops about 3 km into Åstadalen, with loose gravel on the bends, and then follows the Åsta river on a long gravel climb to Djuposet, where everybody gets off and pushes up the hike-a-bike. Four kilometres of forest road lead to the first feed stations (Åstvollen at 16.8 km and Persbu at 26 km, where a local residents' association runs a tent with music and massage) with a steep drop into a sharp right-hand bend on a bridge just before.

From Persbu the course climbs on forest and gravel road over the Kråleråa bridge and up to Bjønnåsen, then 2 km of partly singletrack with stones and roots to Nysetra, on to Øyungen (785 m) and a fast descent to Kvarstad (670 m) at 44 km, the main feed and service station and the first cut-off. The second half starts with the climb up Kvarstadsæterlia and, after a bridge, the Rosinbakkene: 1.4 km of steep gravel with raisins and malt beer handed out at the top (54 km). The road keeps rolling upward past Aksjøen (860 m) and Elgåsen (59 km, 900 m) to the high point at Storåsen by Sjusjøen (955 m) at 63 km, where the Red Bull 100 m sprint prize is contested and the second cut-off sits.

The last 21 km are mostly downhill but not easy: a narrow 1 km trail with pebbles and tight turns at Nybu, a steep drop into a 180-degree right-hander at Avskåkalia on to the tarmac of Sjøsetervegen, where speeds get high, dirt road and trail through the Birkebeineren ski stadium to Kroken, steep tarmac bends and finally the Ballettbakken, a steep gravel descent, before tarmac and forest path to the finish at Håkons Hall (290 m). The feed stations serve sports drink, water, bananas, lefse and pastry, with cured ham at Kvarstad and cola at Elgåsen, all included; mechanics at Persbu and Kvarstad change tubes, chains and brake pads and can hose the mud off the bike.

Timing is from the start mat for most waves (gun time for the elite classes and waves 1 and 9) with a chip in the handlebar number. Littering costs 15 minutes, supporter vehicles are banned, and most of the route is closed to traffic but public roads are still used near the towns.

How to enter

Entries open after the previous edition and run until 27 August 2027 at 21:00 if places remain; there is no race-day entry. The organiser prices in steps: a discounted price of 1 425 kr was shown in October 2026 against the standard 1 775 kr (about €170 at 10.60 NOK to the euro), with 1 395 kr for ages 16 to 28, a 1 500 kr campaign for a week in June 2026, and the Birkebeiner Triple (ski, bike and run) at 3 350 kr. The race sold out every year from 1993 to 2015 but has not since: 3,601 entered in 2026 against 17,758 at the 2010 peak. Minimum age is 17 in the calendar year.

Waves are seeded from results in Birkebeinerrittet, UltraBirken and GravelBirken from the last four or five years and from a list of sanctioned Norwegian qualification races, updated until the second or third week of August; riders without a result start in the unseeded waves around 10:55 to 11:05. Foreign riders can send results from other races in 2025 or 2026 to seeding@birkebeiner.no by 26 August; all reseeding closes on 24 August. The elite classes need a UCI-affiliated national federation licence and cost 450 kr. Groups of friends can ask to start together in an unseeded wave.

Everyone aged 13 or over needs a cycling licence: riders with a national federation licence bring the card, everyone else buys a one-day Norwegian Cycling Federation licence (220 kr, an insurance) with the entry, on My Page or at bib collection. There are no refunds for any reason; cancellation insurance is offered at checkout, and entries can be re-registered to another rider. The fee includes the feed stations, mechanics, luggage transport from Rena to the finish and a finisher pin; a Birkebeiner medal goes to anyone within the top-five average plus 25 per cent in their class, 39 per cent of starters in 2026.

How to train for it

Ride long gravel climbs with the pack on

The course climbs from about 230 m at Rena to 955 m at Storåsen with the big efforts at Djuposet, Kvarstadsæterlia and Rosinbakkene, almost all on gravel and forest road rather than singletrack. Train three-to-four-hour rides with sustained seated climbing of 20 to 40 minutes, wearing the 2 kg pack so that your back and neck are used to it.

Practise pushing and remounting

Djuposet is a hike-a-bike by design, and the steep pitches on the Rosinbakkene turn into pushing for most of the field. Rehearse getting off, pushing uphill with the bike and getting back on in a queue of riders; shoes you can walk in matter more than ultralight pedals.

Descend on loose gravel at race pace

The Åstadalen descent, the Nybu trail, the hairpin at Avskåkalia and the Ballettbakken are where tired riders crash. Birken's own description warns of loose gravel, pebbles and sharp bends; practise braking and line choice on loose surfaces when fatigued, not just fresh.

Pace the first 10 km of tarmac

The road out of Rena is flat and the waves ride it like a road race. Sit in a group but do not pull or sprint for position; the race is decided on the climbs after 20 km, and a mid-pack rider at 4 h 10 min loses nothing by reaching Vivelstadsvea a minute later.

Eat at Persbu and Kvarstad

The stations serve banana, lefse, sports drink and water in that order with bottle refills at the last table, so rehearse eating real food on the bike and refilling in 30 seconds. Carry your own gels; the organiser's advice is to drink before you are thirsty, and the rules require food in the pack anyway.

Get a seeding result

Riding one of the sanctioned qualification races in Norway with your Birken ID, or sending a 2025 or 2026 result from a race abroad by 26 August, moves you from the unseeded waves at 11:00 to a seeded wave an hour earlier: fewer riders to pass at Djuposet and more daylight margin against the 16:00 Kvarstad cut-off.

What you need

• A backpack with shoulder straps weighing at least 2 kg throughout the race, worn visibly over the jersey or jacket; hip bags and running vests are not accepted and packs are checked before the start
• In the pack, mandatory: full-coverage wind- and water-repellent jacket and trousers, long-finger gloves or mittens, a hat or beanie, food, and simple tools with tube(s) and a pump or cartridge
• A certified helmet; no road handlebars or clip-on extensions, traditional bar ends allowed
• A mountain bike in good order (the organiser asks you to service it before Rena); mechanics at Persbu and Kvarstad do tubes, chains and brake pads but not major repairs
• Bubble wrap or a bike bag if your bike travels on the organiser's lorry from Oslo or Lillehammer, where it goes at your own risk
• Dry clothes and shoes in the luggage bag for the finish, which can be wet and muddy; Håkons Hall has showers
• No headphones or audio of any kind

Getting there and staying

Start and finish are 1.5 hours apart by road. Rena is about 2.5 hours from Oslo by car (E6 then the Elverum exit) and reachable by train on the Røros line via Hamar; Lillehammer is two hours up the E6 and on the Dovre line, both from Oslo Airport. Birken runs buses with bike lorries from Oslo and from Lillehammer to Rena, bookable on My Page from two weeks before the race until 20:00 the evening before, with no refund for unused tickets; the lorries travel slower than the buses so bikes may arrive after you. Parking in Rena and Lillehammer costs 110 kr and is marshalled; supporters can camp at Persbu if in place before the road closes at 09:00.

Collect the bib at Håkons Hall in Lillehammer (Friday 10:00 to 21:00) or Åmot kulturhus in Rena (Friday 11:00 to 21:00, race day from 07:00) at least an hour before your start; anyone entering after 25 August collects in Rena, and the pick-up place can be changed until 15 August. Birken's mattress accommodation in a Rena school with breakfast costs 495 kr booked by 24 August or 650 kr on the night, bring a sleeping bag; otherwise Rena has a hotel and camping, and Lillehammer and Elverum are the alternatives.

Luggage goes on the lorry marked with your wave in the car park east of Åmot kulturhus and is collected outside Håkons Hall; use a waterproof bag. After the finish there is free guarded bike parking until 20:30 (your wristband and bike number identify the bike; bikes are not allowed inside the hall), showers and changing rooms, the diploma and prize desk and the Sport 1 expo until 20:00, and an outdoor AfterBike with food and the prize ceremonies. Riders who abandon get buses from Rena (about 11:00 and 15:00) and Kvarstad (about 13:30 and 17:00) to Lillehammer; transport from elsewhere on the course is limited.

History

Three local enthusiasts, Morten Østli, Snorre Moen and Tor Fredriksen, mapped a mountain-bike version of the ski race in 1991 and 1992, and the first Birkebeinerrittet on 11 September 1993 took 1,327 riders 82 km from Rena square to Håkons Hall. The field was capped from the start and the race sold out every year until 2015, peaking at 17,758 entries in 2010, which made it one of the largest mountain-bike races in the world. Entries fell to about 7,000 by 2019; the 2020 edition was cancelled by the pandemic, 2021 ran with 5,000 places and Covid certificates, and the field has been 3,600 to 4,700 since.

The course was changed in 2023 to reintroduce the original start used in 1993 and 1994, via Vivelstadsvea into Åstadalen and up to the hike-a-bike at Djuposet, two kilometres shorter and with the technical section from Svartåfloen replaced by gravel. The backpack has followed the ski race, 3.5 kg until the 2 kg rule took effect for the 2026 ride. The fastest recorded winning time is Erik Resell's 2:28:21 in 2017; the 2026 winners were Østen Midtsundstad (2:37:16) and Tiril Jørgensen (3:09:57).

Where to find out more

• Birkebeinerrittet race information (opens in a new tab): The organiser's page with the course, feed stations, waves and seeding, cut-offs, buses, accommodation, rules and licence.
• Birkebeinerrittet track description (opens in a new tab): Section-by-section description of the 84 km with altitudes and warnings about the descents.
• Price list Birken cycle 2027 (opens in a new tab): Entry fees for Birkebeinerrittet, GravelBirken, UltraBirken and HalvBirken, licence and accommodation prices.
• Birken results search (opens in a new tab): Official results for every edition since 1993, searchable by year, wave and class; the source of the median time.
• Race day map (opens in a new tab): Interactive course map with GPX download, linked from the race page.