The Birkebeiners, led by King Sverre, were a political faction which sought to unite Norway into one nation. Their chief competitors were the Bagler faction which was made up of clergy and merchants. The struggle between the groups incited civil war in Norway during the late 12th century.

Around the year 1200, the rival groups shared the same goal of controlling the entire country. In 1202, when King Sverre died, he had managed to acquire most of Norway, but in Østerdalen, the Baglers were still very powerful. His successor, King Haakon Sverresson, died only two years later, leaving his son Haakon Haakonsson as the ultimate target for the Baglers to get rid of the pretender to the throne. In 1206, the Birkebeiners set off on a dangerous voyage through treacherous mountains and forests, taking the now two-year-old Haakon Haakonsson to safety in Trondheim. Norwegian history credits the Birkebeiners' bravery with preserving the life of the boy who later became King Haakon Haakonsson IV, ended the civil wars and forever changed Northern Europe's history through his reign.

Today, this historic event is honoured by three annual sporting events, a run, a mountain bike race and a cross-country ski race. Common for these events is the requirement of carrying a 3.5 kilogram heavy backpack as a remembrance of the child the Birkebeiners had to carry on their journey. The events are located in the Lillehammer and Rena area.

External links

• The Birkebeiner cross-country skirace
• The Birkebeiner mountainbike race
• The Birkebeiner run
• American Birkebeiner website
• Canadian Birkebeiner website