Barkie Birkie

Thursday, February 19, 2026
Skijor 1K, 3K, 5K Race
~~Main Street, Hayward, WI~~
Mt. Telemark Village - Cable, WI

Barkie Birkie is one of Birkie Week’s most beloved events. Skiers and their dogs form a skijoring team to complete either a 5K, 3K, or 1K course that finishes to cheering crowds on Main Street in Hayward, WI. Skijoring, derived from the Norwegian word skikjøring meaning “ski driving” and has been in practice for hundreds of years. Join this Northwoods tradition and combine human skiing and canine power for a truly fun winter experience. #Birkie2026

Most properly-trained medium size dogs (30 pounds and up) can be candidates for cani-cross racing. Teams must have previous experience to compete in the Barkie Birkie.

Your updated 2026 Barkie Birkie Participant Guide is here! Allow this guide to become your best friend, as it has all the information you need for a great race day at the American Birkebeiner Trailhead in Cable, WI.

2026 PARTICIPANT GUIDE

Barkie Birkie Participant Guide (2026) (2)

American Birkebeiner Trailhead Venue Map

Registration for the 2026 Barkie Birkie is CLOSED!

Registration is limited to 120 teams. Registration will close when full or on Tuesday, February 17th at 11:59pm.

	September 1, 2025 – February 12, 2026	February 13, 2026 – February 17, 2026
5K Skijor	$55	$60
3K Skijor	$55	$60
1K Fun Skijor	$55	$60

Registration Refund Protection

Protect your registration! Get reimbursed up to 100% on your registration if you can’t compete for a number of reasons. Protecht offers refund protection so you can insure your non-refundable registration fee in the case of injury, illness, or other unexpected events. Protecht can be purchased during your initial registration or up to five days after registration is completed.

8:00 am to 9:15 am – Celebration Zone Tent- at the Birkie Start Line

Participants will receive their race bib at bib pick-up. Race bibs worn by skijorer must be visible at all times to ensure proper race results. To avoid congestion, we recommend just one representative per dog at bib pickup.

Note: Dogs are NOT allowed inside of the tent.

Thank you!

Dog Requirements

Entry is limited to one person per dog
All dogs must be sufficiently fit to be able to complete the course without risk of injury
Dogs must be healthy and have up-to-date vaccinations
Dogs must be treated humanely at all times
Dogs must be controlled and kept from other teams
Loose dogs are not permitted at any time
Aggressive dogs are prohibited from the event
Waste is the dog owners responsibility and it must be picked up immediately

Equipment Requirements

Skate or Classic skis are allowed
Metal ski edges are not permitted
Skijor belt is required and must be padded
Towline must use internal bungee
The distance between the skijorer and the dog should be between 7 feet and 10 feet
A pulling style dog harness is required with padding around the neck area
Each dog must wear a snug fitting dog collar
Under no circumstances can the towline be attached to the dog’s collar or any harness not specifically designed for pulling

Start

Interval start
Skijorers must provide their own handler if there is any concern about maintaining adequate control in the start area. Handlers may not stay in the start/finish area while the team is on-course
The front tips of the skijorer’s skis must be behind the start line prior to the signal to start. The dog may start “lined out” ahead of the start line
The skijorer’s race bib must be visible to race officials at all times

On-Course

There are a few sections with two-way traffic
Skijorers must stay to the right if facing an oncoming team

Passing

A passing skijorer must execute a pass only when conditions are safe
The skijorer must shout “Trail”, “On your left”, etc. before attempting to pass
The skijorer being passed should slow and move to the side of the trail, if possible
The skijorer being passed should stop poling and hold their poles behind, low, and away from the passing team
Skijorers must exhibit care, good judgement, and fairness whenever passing others

Finish

Skijorers must exit the finish area as soon as possible
No finish line food or beverages will be available
Dogs are NOT allowed in the Celebration Tent after the Barkie Birkie Skijor races