U.S. Olympic hopeful Matt Liebsch of Plymouth, Minn., claimed the Mora (Minn.) Vasaloppet58-kilometer freestyle race Sunday by nearly five minutes, winning in 2 hours, 18 minutes, 11.1 seconds to lead a field of 316. It earned him a trip to Sweden's 85th Vasaloppet on March 1.
A trio of Duluth natives were one second apart in a battle for second place. Anders Osthus, 26, was runner up in 2:23:02.3, followed by Nikolai Anikin, 28, in 2:23:03.4 and Bjorn Batdorf, 25, a Minneapolis resident, in 2:23:03.6. Andre Watt, 27, of Duluth was sixth in 2:24:27.8.
Mary Beth Tuttle, 45, of Pine Springs, Minn., was the first woman in 2:35:42.4 and Diane Tremblay, 39, of Hayward was second in 2:37:09.7.
In an accompanying 42K classical race, Adam Swank, 33, of Duluth led a field of 349 in 1:59:36.2.
On Saturday, in the 27th Hayward Lions Pre-Birkie races in Hayward, Rod Raymond, 43, of Duluth was first in a field of 429 in the 26K in 1:12:24.5 and Brian Bich, 42, of Duluth was third in 1:14:55. Jena Ogston, 37, of Duluth was second in the women's division in 1:23:26.2. In an accompanying 42K, former Minnesota Duluth runner John Kallemeyn, 23, of Elk River, Minn., was first among 351 finishers in 2:02:21.1 and Matt Zak, 35, of Eveleth was second in 2:02:37.5.
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The 36th American Birkebeiner will be held Feb. 21 from Cable to Hayward. Race officials expect more than 9,500 skiers to participate in the 50-kilometer Birkebeiner Skate, 54-kilometer Birkebeiner Classic, 23-kilometer Kortelopet and other, shorter races that weekend in the Hayward area.
