How the American Birkebeiner became the "Nation's Greatest Ski Marathon"

Name: How the American Birkebeiner became the "Nation's Greatest Ski Marathon"
Start: 2026-02-10T18:00:00-06:00
End: 2026-02-10T19:00:00-06:00
Location: 1204 East Half Moon Drive, Eau Claire, WI, United States, Wisconsin 54703

Schedule

Tue Feb 10 2026 at 06:00 pm to 07:00 pm

UTC-06:00

Location

1204 East Half Moon Drive, Eau Claire, WI, United States, Wisconsin 54703 | Eau Claire, WI

How the American Birkebeiner became the "Nation's Greatest Ski Marathon"
presented by Jerry Poling
With over 10,000 skiers and more than 20,000 spectators, the American Birkebeiner from Cable to Hayward stands out as the greatest race of its kind in North America and ranks as the third largest in the world.
Why do skiers from around the Midwest, country, and world trek to remote northern Wisconsin each February to ski a hilly, 30-mile-plus trail through the north woods? How did the Birkebeiner begin? What challenges has it faced, and how has it continued to grow and inspire legions of Nordic skiing devotees, including Olympians, to see how fast -- or if -- they can make it to downtown Hayward?
Author Jerome Poling of Eau Claire covers these questions and more in his new book, American Birkebeiner: The Nation's Greatest Ski Marathon, published by the Wisconsin Historical Society Press. Hear from Jerry how the "Birkie" has become the "Boston Marathon of cross-country skiing."
Thanks to sponsorships from The Chippewa Valley Writers Guild and the Ager House, as well as support from the City of Eau Claire and Eau Claire County, there will be no charge for the talk.