On Saturday Feb. 22, the 51st American Birkebeiner — or Birkie for short — took place. The American Birkebeiner is a 50 or 55 kilometer ski race, in which racers can ski in either the classic or skate discipline.
The race has been happening annually between the towns of Hayward and Cable, Wis. since 1973, and it draws its roots from the Birkebeinerrennet, Norway’s oldest and most traditional cross-country ski race. The race was inspired by a moment in Norwegian history when an infant royal was skied to safety through the mountains of Norway, between the towns of Lillehammer to Tronheim by members of the Birkebeiner political party. The American Birkebeiner is the biggest ski race in North America, drawing thousands of racers from across the world.
Many Oles were racing this past weekend, but one stands out: Lily Hubanks ’25. To much acclaim and shock — though very little surprise — she won the classic race.
In a phone call interview with The Olaf Messenger, Lily spoke about the race and her experience.
Over the phone, Hubanks said that this was her first time racing the Classic Birkie in two years, and when she raced two years ago, she had gotten sixth place.
“I checked the results from two years ago, wondering how far off from the podium I was, and it was about six minutes,” said Hubanks. “If it feels good, I’m just going to go for it.”
Continuing the conversation, I asked, “in a 50 kilometer race, do you ski up against someone the whole time?” To which Hubanks replied, “at the beginning I had no idea where I was. It was very clumped up, especially since the men’s and women’s race started [on the same course and] at the same time. I definitely wasn’t leading the pack at the start, but then I caught up to two other women, and skied almost the whole race in a pack with them.”
I asked for more details in the middle of the race, and what Hubanks was thinking about finishing the race, while still skiing the race.
“The two women I caught were the only women I skied with the whole race, but about halfway though they dropped me, which was a bit demoralizing. I decided I’d try to stick with them as long as I could, but it was a long race, so I didn’t want to rip it and regret it,” said Hubanks. “I dropped back and skied with a group of guys, but then at about 8 kilometers left, we caught those two women again, and I was able to pass them. As we were skiing, people were telling us that we were the top group, and then I finished,” said Hubanks.
I was impressed with Hubanks’s humility, racing strategy, and success. She plans to ski many more Birkenbeiners in the future. You can learn more about the American Birkebeiner and register soon for the 2026 race at www.birkie.com.
