For the last 37 years, Dave Eckel of Minnesota has competed in the American Birkebeiner in Hayward, Wisconsin. But there hasn't been many times where he's training on roller skis just days before the race.
"We would be practicing on snow, but there's dirt and ice there, and mud puddles," Eckel said.
Normally, the nearly 11,000 skiers who compete in various races would cross the finish line in downtown Hayward after skiing over a frozen Lake Hayward. However, warm temps mean Lake Hayward isn't safe.
"We've altered the race, and will now be skiing on the northern half [of the course]," said American Birkebeiner Executive Director Ben Popp.
Race organizers decided earlier in the week to change the 50-55 kilometer course, effectively cutting it in half, but that is dependent on snow.
If Hayward gets the several inches of snow in the forecast for Thursday, the race will go from the starting line to the County Road OO trailhead, which is 21-25 kilometers, depending on the race.
If there is not enough snow, there will be a non-competitive, looped race in the same area. If it doesn't snow at all, it will be the first-ever Birkie run, complete with a party in downtown Hayward.
"Already hundreds of thousands of people are here, and we know that 35 or 40,000 more are coming, and so it will be Birkie 2017, just a little bit different of a Birkie," said Popp.
Even with the changes, skiers said they're looking forward to Birkie weekend.
"We'll just take what we can get," said Mike Costello, a skier from South Carolina.
NBC26 has a crew in Hayward. For daily updates on the Birkie, visit their website here.
