Birken AS The corporation is a partnership between Lillehammer Skiklub (25% shares), Lillehammer Cykle klub (25% shares) and Rena Idrettslag (sports club) (50% shares). In addition to the staff, approximately 6000 work as volunteers during the year. Non-profit organisation Birken is a non-profit organisation where the profits in their entirety go back to the sports clubs in Lillehammer and Rena. Birken AS organizes Ski: Birkebeinerrennet, IngaLåmi, HalvBirken ski, FredagsBirken ski, StafettBirken ski, UngdomsBirken ski, BarneBirken ski Run: Birkebeinerløpet, HalvBirken løp, UltraBirken løp, Birken fjellmaratong, UngdomsBirken løp and BarneBirken løp. MTB: Birkebeinerrittet, UltraBirken sykkel, UngdomsBirken sykkel and BarneBiken sykkel. Birkebeinerrennet was organized for the first time in 1932, Birkebeienerrittet in 1993 and Birkebeinerløpet in 1998. The Birkebeiner history All the Birken races are founded upon the legendary escape that the Birkebeiners, Skjervald Skrukka and Torstein Skjevla, managed around New Year 1205/1206, rescuing the little prince, Håkon Håkonsson, from the Baglers. During this civil war the fraction rivalling against the Birkebeiners, the Baglers, was looking for the young heir to the Norwegian throne. Skrukka and Skjevla were very experienced skiers, and managed to bring the prince to safety by skiing, through a blizzard, from Lillehammer, through Østerdalen, ending up in Nidaros.