Birkie start

Buried way down in the Birkie newsletter is a change in start format
that I don't find on the race site yet:

"A major change is the introduction of separate, smaller, 5-minute
alternating skating and classic wave starts to ensure a better race day
experience for all Birkie and Kortelopet skaters and striders."

About time! Along with the decision to pair and move the classic waves
up, it's nice to see requests some of us have been making for several
years realized, even if we're now on separate trails within a short
distance. Having a skier for Birkie Director (Ned Zuelsdorff) makes a
huge difference.

It seems other Loppets are going to do the same thing (Maricalonga),
becuase of snow issues..

A little different. The Birkie remains as wave mass start, classic and
skate separate, while the classic-only Marcialonga is going to keep the
elite mass start, but then start six at a time within each subsequent
wave. That way they don't need as wide a groomed area in the first
part of the course.

shane wrote:

It seems other Loppets are going to do the same thing (Maricalonga),
becuase of snow issues..