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The silence of the northwoods awakens as the American Birkebeiner, also known as the Birkie, comes to the area. This is the largest cross-country ski marathon in North America. Participating skiers come from all across the United States and from more than 20 foreign countries. The 51-kilometer race starts near the active town of Cable and trails through the woods of northwestern Wisconsin to finish on the Main Street of Hayward. This prestigious event is only one cross-country ski race out of fourteen to be recognized by the Word Loppet organization. The Word Loppet only acknowledges the best race and no more than one cross-country ski race per country. Other countries include Japan, Switzerland, Sweden, Norway, France, Estonia, Germany, Austria, Finland, Italy, Canada and the Czech Republic.