HAYWARD, Wis.—Tad Elliott and former Olympian Holly Brooks won the men’s and women’s freestyle races, respectively, in the American Birkebeiner on Saturday.
Elliott, of Durango, Colo., led an American sweep of the top three men’s spots in the 50-kilometer race from Cable to Hayward.
Brooks, of Anchorage, Alaska, edged defending champion Caitlin Gregg by half a second, the Duluth News Tribune reported ( ).
Elliott won in 2 hours, 4 minutes, 48.5 seconds. He was followed by Matthew Liebsch, of Orono, Minn., at 2:05:02.3; and Brian Gregg, of Minneapolis, at 2:05:03.4.
Brooks’ winning time was 2:18:53.2. Caitlin Gregg, who is Brian’s wife, finished at 2:18:53.7. Jennie Bender, of Maple Plain, Minn., finished third in 2:21:46.4.
More than 9,400 skiers, a record field, were registered for the 50-kilometer Birkie and its support races, the 23K Kortelopet and the 12K Prince Haakon.
