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.

Bjørnar Bakken - won his class for the second time.
 

Birkebeinerrennet
Bjørnar Bakken from Hundorp, Gudbrandsdalen raced the Birkebeiner for the 30th time. He race the birkebeiner on bicycle as well as runs it. Every year before the Birkebeinerrenn he spends several hundred kroners in preparation of the skies. His personal record on the renn is 3 hours and 5 minutes. That was 1989 when he won his class. This year he got a new personal with 3,04,23. The time he went slowest he went on 3 hours 42 minutes, when he was 20 years old.

He is competing with his son now being 21. Simen started the first time when he was 16. Bjørnar also have a daughter starting for the second time this year. He has tricked his wife into starting twice.

Screw-ups
Things hasn’t always been as planned, Bakken says. In a steep uphill in the middle of the track Bjørnar lost his skies and went up the hill before he noticed he didn’t have skies on. Luckily he got new skies at once and continued. He just hoped that not too many had watched the event.

Competitor
Bjørnar Bakken works as a farmer. He cuts sheep. When he has time off he and his sons travel around and cuts sheep. During this time he calls Simen every night and asks how many sheep he has cut. Even in his regular work he competes. The reason he started racing the Birkebeiner was that he wanted to win over his father. He did that quite fast because his father stopped racing after 13 times.

 

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