An estimated 3,400 skiers started the postponed citizen's portion of the race, two weeks after the elite and foreign skiers completed laps around the Telemark hills due to lack of snow and warm temperatures.
1981 Race Highlights
Birkebeiner 48K (8X6km loop) held February 21, 1981
Jean-Paul Pierrat, France 3:09:19
Mariane Hadler, USA 3:57:32
Citizen’s Race
Birkebeiner 55K held March 7, 1981
Tim Caldwell, USA 2:34:16
Muriel Gilman, USA 3:22:36
Kortelopet 24.5K
Daniel Cronen, USA 1:2:17
Robin Brown, USA 1:31:03
Entrants
6,356
Race Summary
For the first time, registrations surpassed 6,000.
The winter of 1981 had been one of scarce snow and several warm stretches. As race week approached, it became apparent that much help would be needed to hold the event. Hundreds of volunteers from the Hayward, Cable and surrounding areas helped shovel snow onto a revised shortened course.
In the end, high temperatures and rain forced race organizers to hold an elite and foreign skier race on the Friday of race week. Racers skied eight laps of 6K around Mt Telemark. Sixty elite skiers started first and, due to temperatures in the 50’s, only 30 of the 60 finished the race. Soon after over 100 European citizen racers skied the course, some finishing well after dark.
Fortunately, more than a foot of snow fell shortly after that fateful weekend. On Saturday, March 7th, an estimated 3,400 citizen skiers started the race at Telemark and finished at Historyland in Hayward.
