01 / EVENT OVERVIEW
What defines this edition.
A practical planning guide to the main Saturday races, checked against the organiser’s current race and Birkie Week pages. All times are local Wisconsin time, America/Chicago (CST, UTC−06:00). Parts of the linked guidance still cover older editions; confirm the final 2027 instructions before travel.
The organiser advertises 50 km skate and 53 km classic. The U.S. federation’s SuperTour listing calls the skate race 52 km. Do not treat either advertised number as a surveyed final course: verify the final 2027 race map, snow-dependent changes and exact assigned event.
The official race page currently links a winter 2025/26 pocket map and an interactive map whose address includes 2018. They show the trail corridor and facilities; neither establishes the final 2027 route, lake crossing or present trail access.
The current race page lists Timber Trail 11:10, Fire Tower 12:00, Boedecker 12:55, Highway OO 13:40, Gravel Pit 15:00, Mosquito Brook 15:55 and Fish Hatchery 16:45. The finish limit is 18:00. These are local times; recheck the final guide. Transport is provided from cut-off points and participants must follow medical and race staff.
The main race page requires entrants to be at least 18 on 27 February 2027. Starts are assigned by wave and availability. The current listing shows skate waves 1–4 and classic waves 1–3 closed; registration can close when capacity is reached, without a fixed closing date or waiting list. Check your actual assigned wave before booking.
02 / PUBLISHED PROGRAMME
The published timetable.
Wednesday, February 24, 2027
Open Track
Opening day of the wider Birkie Week. Separate entries and start arrangements; this is not the Saturday main race.Thursday, February 25, 2027
Expo and pre-race collection
Main-race bib collection at Hayward High School. Thursday also has separate youth and other events.Friday, February 26, 2027
Expo, Kortelopet and Prince Haakon
Main-race bib collection continues at Hayward High School. The 29 km Kortelopet and 15 km Prince Haakon are separate Friday races.Saturday, February 27, 2027
American Birkebeiner main races
Current table starts Spirit of 35 at 08:15, elite women’s skate at 08:30, elite classic at 08:35 and elite men’s skate at 08:50; the final skate wave is listed at 10:10. Follow your assigned wave and final instructions. Race-day bib collection is listed at the start, 07:00–10:00.Sunday, February 28, 2027
Demo and Birchleggings activities
Wider-week programme only. No additional main marathon is listed for Sunday.03 / TICKETS & BROADCAST
Attend with the live instructions.
The official website currently offers 2027 entry; availability is wave-specific and can change.
Separate 50 km skate and 53 km classic entries. Main-race minimum age is 18 on race day. Wave placement uses qualifying results and available capacity.. The displayed fee is USD 250 from 23 October until capacity is reached. Confirm the checkout total and any extra charges before payment. The main page states no refunds, including cancellation, and no transfer to another person or future race. A change of event or technique costs USD 25 and is listed until 19 January 2027 at 23:59 CST, subject to eligibility and wave capacity; optional third-party refund protection has its own terms.
Official race details and registrationTerritory matters
The race page describes a live screen in Hayward’s Celebration Plaza, but a final 2027 online broadcast and territorial rights have not been verified.
No independently verified final 2027 U.S. television or streaming schedule.
Official broadcast hub04 / SPECTATOR ACCESS
The pin is not the gate.
Approximate trailhead reference taken from the organiser’s linked winter 2025/26 pocket map. It is not a surveyed 2027 start line, parking entrance or accessible drop-off. The main race finishes in downtown Hayward; follow the final event transport instructions.
The current main-race page lists buses from Birkie Ridge and Cable parking lots to the start from 06:15 to 10:30. Allow at least 90 minutes between parking and your start. It lists return buses from the downtown Recovery Zone from 12:30 to 18:30. Reconfirm these provisional arrangements in the final 2027 guide.
Start parking is by permit. The premium-parking section still explicitly advertises 2026 dates and prices, so those products must not be bought on the assumption that they cover 2027. The main page lists designated accessible parking near the start shuttle drop-off and on 2nd/3rd Streets downtown; individual step-free bus, transfer and viewing arrangements remain to be confirmed with the organiser.
Spectators can use the start shuttles and downtown viewing areas under the organiser’s instructions. There are no pedestrian crossings on the Main Street race corridor; use the access beneath the International Bridge. General trail access and ordinary venue hours do not establish race-day entry.
05 / PUBLIC CONTACTS
Ask the right organisation.
registration@birkie.com; +1 715 634 5025. Confirm the actual 2027 entry and final participant instructions.
General event information and individual accessible arrangementsAmerican Birkebeiner Ski Foundationbirkie@birkie.com; +1 715 634 5025. The foundation’s office is at 10527 Main Street, Hayward; this is not the race start.
06 / PROFILE BASIS & SOURCES
What this profile is based on.
This profile is based on the organiser’s current programme, registration or result information, and the dated official sources cited below.
The hero image is an authentic photograph by Joe Peacock / Wikimedia Commons, reused under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license.
2027 date, distances, fees, entry/wave rules, bib collection, provisional transport, cut-offs and older premium-parking section.
02Official Birkie Week programme and wax policy24–28 February programme, separate event identities and wax ban; some general policy text retains a 2026 date.
03Linked winter 2025/26 pocket mapActual PDF inspected for trail corridor, trailhead reference and facilities. Previous-winter scope; not the final 2027 race map.
04Linked participant rulesActual PDF inspected. Contains 2023-specific provisions; obtain the applicable final 2027 instructions.
05U.S. federation SuperTour listingConfirms 27 February 2027 but describes skate as 52 km, differing from the organiser’s advertised 50 km.
06Official organiser contact pageGeneral and registration contacts, office address and separate Mt. Telemark Village address.
07Organiser’s Diggins announcement16 October announcement of planned 2027 participation; not a final start list.
08Exact archive race photograph and licenceJoe Peacock’s 24 February 2024 race photograph, CC BY-SA 4.0. Original inspected; the image does not depict the 2027 edition.