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Unofficial results pr.02.04 (NB! 1019 Kb)
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Questions about the results to renn@birkebeiner.no

Total Norwegian triumph with Alsgaard as winner
This years WorldCup-ending with the Birkebeinerrenn became a total Norwegian happening. Thomas Alsgaard finished his season with a impressing victory in the journey across the mountain from Rena to Lillehammer. On the next two places came the Norwegians Anders Aukland and Frode Estil. Norway won the five first places followed by Andreas Schlüttel from Germany on sixth place.
Read the story | The Race |
24 March 2002

Convincing by Anita Moen
Anita Moen let there be no doubt on who the Birkebeinerqueen is. From start to finish she performed a convincing race with a respectable time: 2,43,39. She was in lead on all the measurestations and there was never any doubt on who was going to win.
Read the story | The Race |
24 March 2002

WorldCup-victory for Skari and Elofsson
Bente Skari and Per Elofsson became the winners of this years WorldCup. After passing the goal on the Birkebeiner stadium Saturday they could receive their trophies. None of them was however among the winners on this years last race. Bente Skari was sick, and Elofsson came on 8^th place.
Read the story | The Race |
24 March 2002

Erling Jevne back next year
Erling Jevne was one of the big favourites before this years race, but his body wasn’t up to it this time. Jevne ended on 9^th place, came in right behind Elofsson. But he promises to be back next year. With his backpack on, as is usual for the Birkebeiner-Race.
Read the story | The Race |
24 March 2002

Satesfied with his pupil, who have to become better on speedskiing!!
Eafter a thrilling ending of this years WC, both Per Eloffson and his personal trainer Magnar Dalen are glad the the World Cup is won. Dalen thinks Elofsson has more to give. It’s especially the speedskiing he has to train on, Dalen states.
Read the story | The Race |
24 March 2002
 

New great athlete coming up??
Vibeke Skofterud surprised everyone with a strong 2nd place during the World Cup Ending between Rena and Lillehammer. Norway hasn’t produced to many topracers on international level the last years, but this makes us optimistic that a new athlethe is on the bedding
Read the story | The Race |
24 March 2002

- Glidings not good enough!
Kristen Skjeldal was one of the favourites to win the WC-ending. The start was fine but when we started the downhill-skiing  he was passed by several runners. The gliding was not good enough. Skjeldal came in on13th place.
Read the story | The Race |
24 March 2002

Proud of his daughter
The ski-legend Odd Martinsen is President of The Internation Ski Federation (FIS). He is Bente Skaris father, and a proud father watched as his daughter recieved the trophy for being winner of the CroussCountry WorldCup 2001/2002. – She has had even effort through the whole season that has given this great result, but it was sad she got sick and couldn’t partisipate in the Birkebeiner, Martinsen says.
Read the story | The Race |
24 March 2002

Paruzzi and Di Centa satisfied after the Finish
Both the Italian ski-stars told birken.no after the race that they were satisfied. The future of Cross Country skiing is the mass start, Girogio De Centa told us after passing the Finish Line.
Read the story | The Race |
24 March 2002

- Not that hard
Followed by 5 strong Norwegian places in this years WC-ending came German Andreas Schlütter on sixth place. The Birkebeiner is not a very difficult race, it’s much easier than an ordinary 50km in an ordinary race.
Read the story | The race |
24 March 2002

Leif Onshus taking his 50th mark!!
 Leif Onshus from Lillehammer took his 50th Birkebeinermark this year. I little more than 4 hours Onshus used looking fresh as ever after the 58km trip over the mountain. I do feel kind of “SuperBirkebeiner”, he says to birken.no
Read the story | The race |
24 March 2002

Bjørnar Bakken – a real Birkebeiner
Bjørnar Bakken went his first Birkebeiner aged 21. This year he started in Class M8 (50-54 years old) and took won his class for the second time and took his 30th mark. Bakken had a wonderful trip over the mountain and was in good humour and was very satisfied with his own effort.
Read the story | The race |
24 March 2002

The only Swede, but on the offensive
Birken.no met a Per Eloffson hungry for victory before he is going from Rena to Lillehammer tomorrow. He has a difficult job, and there are no support from his countrymen. He is the only Swede starting in the Elite Class. The Swedish runners has chosen to participate in the National Swedich Championship. He cannot expect any help from the Norwegians either, his Norwegian coach Magnar Dalen says. They will support Thomas Alsgaard.
Read the story | Before Start |
24 March 2002

Bente Skari excited in front of the start
The winner of this years Cross Country World Cup, Bente Skari is excited in front of the last WC-race in the Birkebeiner-tracks. She has started the Birkebeiner once before, in 1998, and is expecting a better result than the last time, when she came in 6 minutes after the winner Anita Moen. It’s good to have a long race in the WC, and it’s good for Norway that it’s a race we know from before.
Read the story  | Before Start |
22 March 2002

Gabriela Peruzzi gives it all
After a good ending in this years WC and gold medal on the 30km during the Olympics in Salt Lake City Gabriel Paruzzi is ready to give maximum effort in this years Birkebeinerrace. She hopes to start of easy and increasing during the race.
Read the story | Before Start |
22 March 2002

Thorough Italians
We’ve had thorough preperations, says Italian Pietro Piller Cottrer. The tracks on both the Lillehammer and Rena sides has been tested by the Italian runners in front of the race. Cottrer sees himself an outsider but hopes to finish as one of the best 15.
Read the story | Before Start |
22 March 2002


Tired Stefania Belmondo
 - The fact that the whole class start together decides my tactic. A very cheerful Stefania tells birken.no when we meet here in the starting area after she had a light trainingtour in the tracks up to Skramstadsetra. Double Gold Medal Winner from Salt Lake City Olympics says she has respect for the long run across the mountain.
Read the story | Before Start |
22 March 2002

Botvinov prefers Oslo
Austrian Mikhail Botvinov is to og the Birkebeiner this year. I don’t think this is good, they former Russian says, that would rather finish the WC-season in Holmenkollen. I think a Norwegian will win, and it might be Erling Jevne who goes his last WC-race ever.
Read the story | Before Start |
22 March 2002


 Kristen Skjeldal looking forward to the Birkebeiner
Kristen Skjeldal is going his first Birkebeiner. He is looking forward to the WC Finsishrace, but think it’s going to be a hard competition, especially among the Norwegians. Skjeldal is recovering after the 50km in Holmenkollen, where he came in second after Thomas Alsgaard.
Read the story | Before Start |
22 March 2002

- Hopes the Birkebeiner can continue to be a part of the World Cup!
Sindre Bergan, Norwegian cross-country director hopes the Birkebeiner will stand out as a positive experience being the last race in the cross-country World Cup. “The Birk” is a real nice race with a great terrain and very good tracks. I hope they can become part of the World Cup in years to come.
Read the story | Before Start |
22 March 2002

"The King of the Birkebeiner" is not coming this year!
Fredrik Lütken is number one Birkebeiner veteran. Almost 86 years old it is 65 years since he first time went the race in 1937. Since then he has gone the race 58 times and taken the Birkebeiner mark 53 of those times. This is an impressing record, but this year he cannot participate dued to sickness.
Read the story | Before Start |
22 March 2002

Presscovery of the Birkebeiner
This year the Birkebeinerrace will be covered by press from several countries, since being the last race in this years World Cup. It’s not yet decided which or how many medias who will be accredited, but NRK-TV will be there to cover the arrangement.
Read the story | Before Start |
22 March 2002

Amusing stories from the Birkebeiner Office
The weeks and days before a Birkebeiner-race there are a lot of people that have questions for the people working at the BirkebeinerOffice on Rena. Some are more “intelligent” than others, and sometimes they stories can be real fun. One person met for start…. One week early?? In this article you can read some of the stories.
Read the story | Before Start |
18 March 2002

Is Gunnar Tronsmoen winning again?
For the 30th time Gunnar Tronsmoen from Alvdal is training for the Birkebeiner. Since his debute in 1973 he has won his class 27 of 29 possible times. One of the times he didn’t won he raced on wooden skies. Even though he has had pneumonia and penicillin this winter he hopes for yet a victory.
Read the story | Before Start |
18 March 2002

Hoping for revenge in ”Birken”!
After a bit of failure during the Olympics, Erling Jevne admits not to have been in top shape during the stay in Salt Lake City. – I was in very good shape in Davos before Christmas, but it changed when I came to the US. Now he is trying to end his career and to revenge his Olympics-effort with a victory in the Olympics.
Read the story | Before Start |
17 March 2002

-“The triple” is most fun!
Ragnhild Bolstad is head of Rena Training Centre and is an eager Birkebeiner. This year the third annual “Birkebiner Triple” is arranged. Ragnhild has participated all three times and has a lot of opinions and experience with training, preperations, food and the arrangments.
Read the story | Before Start |
16 March 2002

Birkebeinerradio back on full engine!
Birkebeinerradio is coming back this year with 25 hours covering of this years race. The broadcasts will contain Birkebeinermaterial: Interviews, weather-reports, music and a lot more. This according to Einar Øfstaas, head of the radio.
Read the story | Before Start |
16 March 2002

4 Times World Champion Silver Medalist to the Birkebeinerrenn
Every year a lot of senior citizens partisipate in “the Birk”. Mary Saxlund from Rena is one of the most vigorous. Recently home from the Veteran World Championschip in Canada, where she won 4 silver medals, she is going to go her 18^th Birkebiner.
Read the story | Before Start |
16 March 2002

Finn Magnar Hagen: - Its as important to drink as to prepare your skies
Skipreperationexpert Finn Magnar Hagen was in Salt Lake City Olympics and helped Norwegian Crosscountry racers win several gold medals. He underlines that its not just skipreperations that is important for the people participating in the Birkebeiner Race.
Read the Story | Before Start |
14 March 2002

Looking back at Birkebeiner 2001
While the start of this Birkebeiners closing, we take a look back at highlights from last years events.
Read the story | Before Start |
March 12 2002

Recordpartisipating in Childrens Birkebeiner
The last couple of years there has been reduced number of participators in the ordinary Birkebeiner-race. The opposite in Childrens Birkebeiner. Sunday there was recordpartisipating for this arrangment in Birkebeiner Stadium in Lillehammer in wonderful winter weather.
Read the story | Before Start |
11 March 2002

Fewer participants in this years race – new things coming?
2000 was the topyear for Birkebeinerrace with 10,600 participants. Last year there was below 10,000. This year its calculated with 9,000-9,500 paying the start-fee. Saturday before easter is not a very good timing, but we have to look at things to do keep the participator number hight, says Birkebeiner-head Tor Skraastad.
Read the story | Before Start |
10 March 2002

New startorder delayed
The arrangers of Birkebeiner race has for some time been planning a new way to start the race. The plan was to let the runners in each class start according to estimated endtime. However, the new method is delayed.irkebeinerarrangøren har i en tid hatt tanker om ny startordning under årets renn. Planen var å la løperne i hver klasse starte etter stipulert måltid, etter tilsvarende prosedyre som under Birkebeinerrittet. Nå er imidlertid den nye ordningen utsatt.
Read the story | Before Start |
9 March 2002

Get to know the tracks!
Birkebeinerrace can be a tough experience for anyone. Many know the track well and have gone the 58km many times before. For those of you that are uncertain or just wants to memorize the track, trackinformation and nice pictures from the track can be worth looking at.
Read the story | Race Info
1 March 2002
 

Important information!
Birkebeinerrace 2002 is closing rapidly. Most of the training is done and the big day, 
Saturday March 23rd is closing. If you haven’t enrolled yet you still have possibilities.
Any questions about when to start, licensing, changing of name, accomodations etc, 
READ ON
Read the story | Race Info |

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