Popular Norwegian loopet, Birkebeinerrennet was sold out as fast as 18 minutes after the online registration has started.
Organizers reserved in total of 16,000 start bibs and all of them were gone in 18 minutes. Birkebeinerrennet takes place on 19 March 2011. This team set a new record as never before the race has been sold out so fast. Sharp increase of interest is more dramatic when we look one year back. It took "long" three weeks to sell all the start bibs.
Birkebeinner History
The race starts in Rena and ends in Lillehammer and covers a distance of 54 km. The number of participants is limited to 16,000 and is usually fully subscribed. The run has been held since 1932 and commemorates a trip made by the Birkebeiner loyalists to save the heir to the Norwegian throne, Håkon Håkonsson, in 1206. All participants carry a backpack weighing at least 3.5 kg, symbolizing the weight of the then one-year old heir.
