Birkebeinerrittet

Birkebeinerrittet (lit. The Birkebeiner cycling race) is a long-distance mountainbike cycling race held annually in Norway. It is the world's largest mountainbike race in number of contestants.[1] In 2009, 17,164 riders signed up, and 15,140 cyclists completed the race.

The race

The race starts at Rena and ends at Håkons Hall in Lillehammer. Birkebeinerrittet is 92km[2] long along fire roads, with some paved and some single/dualtrack segments.

The race has been held since 1993 and commemorates a trip made by the Birkebeiner loyalists to save the heir to the Norwegian throne, Håkon Håkonsson, in 1206. All participants carry a backpack weighing at least 3.5 kg, symbolizing the weight of the then one-year-old heir.

Past winners

Men
Year Name Club/Nation Time
2014 Fredrik Wilmann Norway 02.33.18
2013 Fredrik Ericsson Sweden 02.41.17
2012 Lars Ragnar Manengen Norway 02.43.24
2011 Stian Remme Norway 02.54.45
2010 Hannes Genze Germany 02.57.04
2009 Andreas Kugler Switzerland 03.02.05
2008 Anders Hovdenes Norway 02.40.50
2007 Massimo De Bertolis Italy 02.52.29
2006 Lars Petter Nordhaug Norway 02.43.08
2005 Thomas Frischknecht Switzerland 03.52.01

Women
Year Name Club/Nation Time
2014 Borghild Løvset Norway 03.05.04
2013 Borghild Løvset Norway 03.12.38
2012 Pia Sundstedt Finland 03.06.42
2011 Pia Sundstedt Finland 03.08.26
2010 Pia Sundstedt Finland 03.19.45
2009 Gunn-Rita Dahle Flesjå Norway 03.27.02
2008 Pia Sundstedt Finland 03.09.06
2007 Pia Sundstedt Finland 03.24.43
2006 Pia Sundstedt Finland 03.08.32
2005 Gunn-Rita Dahle Flesjå Norway 04.05.18

References
  1. Birkebeinerrittet is the world's largest cross country bicycle race with 18.000 participants Archived August 6, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  2. "Løype Birkebeinerrittet". birkebeiner.no. Retrieved 2 September 2013.
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