Standing atop the winners’ podium after completing the grueling 55K classic American Birkebeiner cross country ski race were Cook County skiers (L-R) David Eckel, Tim Kennedy, Mike Costello and Fidel Melero-Diaz from Spain. They didn’t really come in first place in the American Birkebeiner cross country ski race, but like everyone who finished this 55K hilly, long distance classic, they were all winners!
“It was a long, tough day with warm weather and soft snow conditions,” said Tim Kennedy after finishing his 35th American Birkebeiner Classic 55k (about 34 miles) cross country ski race on Saturday, Feb. 20. Kennedy crossed the line in 5 hours, 51 minutes, and 10 seconds.
“No one could find the right wax combination,” lamented Kennedy.
Last year Kennedy finished in 5 hours and 15 minutes, a time which didn’t please him one bit, but not long after the race he had a heart attack, which helped him understand his slower-than-normal time.
Today, with medical restrictions gone, Kennedy is back to training when he can. But he admitted he hasn’t had enough time to hit the trails this winter.
“I only had about 300Ks in before the Birkie, and for the first couple of skis I would have to stop when I was going uphill to rest, and sometimes I would have to stop on a hill more than once, so it’s taken me some time to gain back fitness. I still have a goal of skiing the race in four hours. That’s what I did about five years ago. Maybe I’m kidding myself and don’t have the speed to do that any more. I might have to just ski for endurance and finish when I can.”
David Eckel completed his 37th Birkie in 5 hours, 55 minutes and 54 seconds. Eckel also put in about 300Ks, letting his two jobs get in the way of his training.
Jane Shinners wasn’t far behind Eckel, coming in at 5 hours, 59 minutes and 17 seconds. Jan Horak—the ageless one—finished in 6 hours and 6 minutes. This was Horak’s 38th Birkie, and he and Eckel are in a tussle to see which local can ski the most Birkebeiners. Should one of them die, expect their casket to be hauled around the course until the other one passes and they can at least finish tied in the series.
Jan’s wife, Kathy, had a great race, completing the 24K Korteloppet in 2 hours, 30 minutes and 36 seconds.
Mike Costello, the youngster in the group at age 52, was also the fastest local in the classic competition with a time of 4 hours, 43 minutes and 15 seconds. Mike has a home in Grand Marais and a home in South Carolina, but he calls Grand Marais his “real” home. A faithful long distance runner and fitness buff, Costello skied only once before the Birkie this year, so he had a great result despite his lack of preparedness.
Mike Kobelinski was the only local to skate the 51k Birkie. Mike crossed the finish line in a fast 3 hours, 24 minutes and 59 seconds, a great race indeed!
Minneapolis’ Caitlin Gregg became the first woman to win the American Birkebeiner four times. Gregg skated the race in 2:22:44.
David Norris, of Fairbanks, Alaska, won the men’s skate race in 2 hours, 5 minutes, 34.5 seconds.
The American Birkebeiner is the largest cross country ski race in North America. The late Tony Wise of Hayward, Wisconsin, started it in 1973, following in the tradition of the first Birkebeiner ski race held in 1932 in Norway.
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