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Jim Coors had a question. How does Birkie performance change with age? As a Birchlegger (36 birkies) Jim was in a unique position to find the answer. He is an agronomy professor with a lifetime of experience analyzing large data sets. Jim took the last 25 years of publicly available Birkie results, crunched the data, and found answers to his question and even answered a few more.

Jim and I talk about his personal Birkie history and then dig into the results he found from his research. The data is linked here so you can dig in after you listen or even follow along as we look into the magical effect skiing has on our long-time performance.

The poem we talked about in the episode: 'A Solitary Ski Track'

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Welcome to the Birch Legacies podcast. We are sharing stories celebrating the motivation, the perserverence, and the lifestyle choices necessary to reach the status of Birchlegger - that is, skiers who have completed 20 or more Birkies, Korteloppets, or a combination of both. We would love to hear from Birchleggers young and old (that's you!) who have a story to tell about what keeps them coming back year after year.

If you would like to appear on the podcast, please send Jon Peterson an email at jtpeterson425@gmail.com or you can fill out this form

Learn more about the Birchleggings Club and become a member

Birkie Website

Buy the new book, "American Birkebeiner: The Nations Greatest Ski Marathon" by Jerome Poling

Available at the ...

Send us a text

College buddies, Mike Sund and Scott Clements first took on the Birkie challenge as UW Madison students. Now, about to ski their 38th Birkie over 40 years later, they reflect on the meaning the Birkie has brought to their lives. Through several moves, now grown families, and cabins in the Hayward area, both Mike and Scott are committed to keeping the Birkie flame burning brightly for themselves and the many people in their lives who have joined them. Almost everyone I've met has close friends who got them started, or who motivate them to keep going. I'm thrilled to share this enduring friendship as an example of such a relationship.

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Welcome to the Birch Legacies podcast. We are sharing stories celebrating the motivation, the perserverence, and the lifestyle choices necessary to reach the status of Birchlegger - that is, skiers who have completed 20 or more Birkies, Korteloppets, or a combination of both. We would love to hear from Birchleggers young and old (that's you!) who have a story to tell about what keeps them coming back year after year.

If you would like to appear on the podcast, please send Jon Peterson an email at jtpeterson425@gmail.com or you can fill out this form

Learn more about the Birchleggings Club and become a member

Birkie Website

Buy the new book, "American Birkebeiner: The Nations Greatest Ski Marathon" by Jerome Poling

Available at the ...

Send us a text

Winning the Birkie once puts you into the history books. Winning the skate Birkie, the classic birkie, and both the skate and classic Korte's makes you a legend in the long history of this great event. Kelly Skillicorn is the only person to have won all four major Birkie events. Another aspect of her feat is that her two Birkie wins were 20 years apart: 1988 and 2008. Kelly's story begins in high school in Blaine, Minnesota in the early 80's (before skate skiing) and continues today as she lines up for her 25th Birkie in 2026.

Her description of those winning races and other memorable Birkies is fun to hear for those of us not in the lead pack. She appreciates those special days when the course is like a snow globe and when all the factors - wax, skis, temperature, and body - are working in your favor.

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Welcome to the Birch Legacies podcast. We are sharing stories celebrating the motivation, the perserverence, and the lifestyle choices necessary to reach the status of Birchlegger - that is, skiers who have completed 20 or more Birkies, Korteloppets, or a combination of both. We would love to hear from Birchleggers young and old (that's you!) who have a story to tell about what keeps them coming back year after year.

If you would like to appear on the podcast, please send Jon Peterson an email at jtpeterson425@gmail.com or you can fill out this form

Learn more about the Birchleggings Club and become a member

Birkie Website

Buy the new book, "American Birkebeiner: The Nations Greatest Ski Marathon" by Jerome Poling

Available at the ...

Send us a text

Kurt Schroeder of LaCrosse, Wisconsin is the perfect example of a Birchlegger who just enjoys the year-round camaraderie of like-minded people who want to stay fit. His 'EMAG' group in LaCrosse is an inter-generational bunch of men and women who will go out with headlamps at 5:30 in the morning to bike, ski and run together. Kurt's philosophy is to just enjoy the experience and not worry about your place in the race. Now, with his 45th race just ahead, he is looking forward to starting in the 'Spirit of 35" wave and looking back on the many experiences that brought him to the front line.

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Welcome to the Birch Legacies podcast. We are sharing stories celebrating the motivation, the perserverence, and the lifestyle choices necessary to reach the status of Birchlegger - that is, skiers who have completed 20 or more Birkies, Korteloppets, or a combination of both. We would love to hear from Birchleggers young and old (that's you!) who have a story to tell about what keeps them coming back year after year.

If you would like to appear on the podcast, please send Jon Peterson an email at jtpeterson425@gmail.com or you can fill out this form

Learn more about the Birchleggings Club and become a member

Birkie Website

Buy the new book, "American Birkebeiner: The Nations Greatest Ski Marathon" by Jerome Poling

Available at the ...

Send us a text

My guest, Duncan McLean was too young to ski the first Birkebeiner in 1973, but he skied, and won, the first 'Korteloppet' that day, before it was called the Korte. He has some fantastic memories of the early days of the Birkie and the people who were there to create what we see today. Duncan has a real reverence and sense of gratitude for those who helped him see the joy of skiing in those days. He has had many careers and many roles in skiing. He's been on the National development team, a coach, and a mentor to many. In 2026, he lines up on the 'Spirit of 35' starting line for the first time. I think you'll enjoy hearing from one of the all-time great skiers and great people who have skied the Birke trail for five decades.

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Welcome to the Birch Legacies podcast. We are sharing stories celebrating the motivation, the perserverence, and the lifestyle choices necessary to reach the status of Birchlegger - that is, skiers who have completed 20 or more Birkies, Korteloppets, or a combination of both. We would love to hear from Birchleggers young and old (that's you!) who have a story to tell about what keeps them coming back year after year.

If you would like to appear on the podcast, please send Jon Peterson an email at jtpeterson425@gmail.com or you can fill out this form

Learn more about the Birchleggings Club and become a member

Birkie Website

Buy the new book, "American Birkebeiner: The Nations Greatest Ski Marathon" by Jerome Poling

Available at the ...

Send us a text

Jerry Poling is the author of the new book "American Birkebeiner: The Nation's Greatest Ski Marathon" published by the Wisconsin Historical Society Press.

A Birchlegger himself with 25 Birkies and 4 Kortes under his belt, Jerry is the perfect person to chronicle the Birkie's first 50 years. He is an experienced journalist and has written four other books.

We had a great time talking about his own Birkie experiences and how those inspired him to write the book. He conducted countless hours of research, interviews, and deep dives into the Birkie archives to combine personal stories, key moments in the race's history, and some surprising facts about this epic challenge. The book also includes over 150 photos! He has a great respect for those who made the race happen and for the race's influence on all who ski it.

Buy the book:

Available at the Wisconsin Historical Society Press

and online at The Birkie Store or in-person at the store.

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Welcome to the Birch Legacies podcast. We are sharing stories celebrating the motivation, the perserverence, and the lifestyle choices necessary to reach the status of Birchlegger - that is, skiers who have completed 20 or more Birkies, Korteloppets, or a combination of both. We would love to hear from Birchleggers young and old (that's you!) who have a story to tell about what keeps them coming back year after year.

If you would like to appear on the podcast, please send Jon Peterson an email at jtpeterson425@gmail.com or you can fill out this form

Learn more about the Birchleggings Club and become a member

Birkie Website

Buy the new book, "American Birkebeiner: The Nations Greatest Ski Marathon" by Jerome Poling

Available at the ...

Send us a text

Ian Duncan's journey to the Birkie start line is pretty unusual. There probably aren't many Edinburgh, Scotland boarding school students who end up skiing 39 Birkies. Even fewer who can count Bjorn Daehlie as a friend. Dr. Ian Duncan has spent his life working to find solutions to Multiple Sclerosis and other brain disorders in his career at UW Madison. His research is ongoing and still productive so he continues his efforts even after retiring from teaching at the University. About 15 years ago, he was part of the team who organized the Ski for a Cure efforts on behalf of MS research and together they raised $300,000 dollars toward that cause. In doing so, he was able to bring Bjorn Daehlie and Vegard Ulvang to help raise interest and awareness for that work.

The 2013 Wisconsin Public Television documentary, 'MS, the Vikings and Nordic Skiing' tells the story of six skiers (3 in Norway and 3 in the US) with MS who train to ski their respective Birkies. It's a really interesting story and I recommend it to everyone. Ian was instrumental in producing this story, and is featured in it.

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Welcome to the Birch Legacies podcast. We are sharing stories celebrating the motivation, the perserverence, and the lifestyle choices necessary to reach the status of Birchlegger - that is, skiers who have completed 20 or more Birkies, Korteloppets, or a combination of both. We would love to hear from Birchleggers young and old (that's you!) who have a story to tell about what keeps them coming back year after year.

If you would like to appear on the podcast, please send Jon Peterson an email at jtpeterson425@gmail.com or you can fill out this form

Learn more about the Birchleggings Club and become a member

Birkie Website

Buy the new book, "American Birkebeiner: The Nations Greatest Ski Marathon" by Jerome Poling

Available at the ...

Send us a text

From his youth in western Massachusetts to living in northwestern Wisconsin, Jim Kelley probably wouldn't have scripted it this way. But, a chance encounter in Florida led him to move across the country to become a Birkie skier - now a Birchlegger with 27 Birkies under his belt - who thinks about the Birkie everyday.

Jim is a very accomplished runner with a background in wildlife management and a career working for the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service. His love for the outdoors began as a high school skier and ski jumper and continues today as he looks for any opportunity to enjoy the beautiful Wisconsin north woods.

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Welcome to the Birch Legacies podcast. We are sharing stories celebrating the motivation, the perserverence, and the lifestyle choices necessary to reach the status of Birchlegger - that is, skiers who have completed 20 or more Birkies, Korteloppets, or a combination of both. We would love to hear from Birchleggers young and old (that's you!) who have a story to tell about what keeps them coming back year after year.

If you would like to appear on the podcast, please send Jon Peterson an email at jtpeterson425@gmail.com or you can fill out this form

Learn more about the Birchleggings Club and become a member

Birkie Website

Buy the new book, "American Birkebeiner: The Nations Greatest Ski Marathon" by Jerome Poling

Available at the ...