A 1.6 mile section of the Superior Hiking Trail between the 100 mile race start (Gooseberry Falls State Park) and Aid Station 1 (Split Rock) has been permenately closed and is pending a permanent reroute.  We were holding out hope that the new permanent reroute would be in place for this years race but we have received official word from the Superior Hiking Trail Association that this will not happen until 2016.  As a result we will make use of the Superior Hiking Trails official reroute on the Gitchi Gami State (paved) Bike Trail which parallels Highway 61 and Lake Superior.  The net effect of this reroute is that the first (approx) 4.5 miles of the 100 mile race will be on the bike path to the Split Rock River Wayside where runners will cross safely under Highway 61 using the “box culvert” to reach the Split Rock Wayside parking lot and the continuation of the Superior Hiking Trail – at this point runners will have approx 4.5 miles on the SHT / SplitRock River Loop to Aid Station 1 / SplitRock.  The overall distance from the race start (Gooseberry) to Aid Station 1 (Split Rock) will be approximately .5 to .7 miles shorter than the original route and the overall length of the race will be approximately .5 to .7 miles shorter.  As in years past there is still no crew access for crew or spectators at the Split Rock aid station and no crew or spectators should go to the Split Rock River Wayside, there is just not enough parking to accomodate normal non-race-related day use along with race crew and spectators.

Note that this change has no effect on the Marathon or 50 Mile Race.

If you have specific questions relating to this issue they should be directed to racedirector@superiortrailrace.com

*A note regarding course record attempts in 2015: Any time (on the men’s or women’s side) run under the current course record time(s) will be weighed carefully against several factors including overall finish time / time under previous CR, overall course conditions, weather etc. and will still be eligible to receive official course record designation – all final decisions will be at the discretion of the Race Director and the Superior 100 Mile Trail Race Board of Directors.

Superior 100 2015 Gooseberry Reroute 600px 8-6-15

Superior Fall Trail Race
100MI, 50MI, 26.2MI Trail Race(s)
Lutsen, Minnesota
(approx 4hrs North of Minneapolis, MN)
September 11 & 12, 2020
100MI Friday 8:00AM
50MI Saturday 5:15AM
26.2MI Saturday 8:00AM

Registration / Lottery:
Registration via 15 day lottery registration period.
Opens Wednesday January 1st, 2020 – 12:01AM CST
Closes Wednesday January 15th, 2020 – 11:59PM CST
Complete Lottery / Registration Details HERE

Directions:
100MI Start: Gooseberry Falls State Park, MN HERE
50MI Start: Finland Rec Center – Finland, MN HERE
26.2MI Start: Cramer Road – Schroder, MN HERE
Races Finish: Carbibou Highlands – Lutsen, MN HERE

Terrain:
The Superior Fall Trail Races 100MI, 50MI & 26.2MI are run on rugged, rooty, rocky, 95% single-track trail with near constant climbs and descents.  The race is held on the Superior Hiking Trail in the Sawtooth Mountains paralleling Lake Superior in Northern Minnesota / not far from the Canadian border.  The race located approximately 4 hours North of Minneapolis, Minnesota.   The Superior Fall Trail Races are very difficult / challenging races and are probably not a good choice for your first trail or ultra race (see Registration Info for qualifying requirements).

100 Mile:
Point to Point 103.3 Miles
Elevation Gain 21,000 FT
Elevation Loss 21,000 FT
NET Elevation Change 42,000 FT
13 Aid Stations
38 hour time limit
Complete 100MI Info HERE

50 Mile:
Point to Point 52.1 Miles
Elevation Gain 12,500 FT
Elevation Loss 12,500 FT
NET Elevation Change 25,000 FT
7 Aid Stations
16.75 hour time limit
Complete 50MI Info HERE

26.2 Mile:
Point to point 26.2 Miles
Elevation Gain 5,500 FT
Elevation Loss 5,500 FT
NET Elevation Change 11,000 FT
3 Aid Stations
14 hour cutoff
Complete 26.2MI Info HERE

More About the Race:
The Superior Trail 100 was founded in 1991 when there was no more than a dozen or so 100 mile trail races in the USA, back then if you wanted to run a 100, you had choices like Western States, Hardrock, Leadville, Wasatch, Cascade Crest, Umstead, Massanutten and Superior . Superior quickly earned it’s reputation of its namesake today – Rugged, Relentless and Remote and is known as one of the tougher 100 mile trail races.  Superior lives on now as one of the “legacy 100 milers” and is considered by many to be one of the most challenging, prestigious and beautiful 100 mile trail races in the country. Shortly after the inception of the 100, the Superior 50 was started and in the early 2000’s the Moose Mountain Marathon was added. None of the history or tradition of this race has been lost and is a great event for those looking for a world-class event with a low-key, old-school 100 miler feel.  The Superior Trail Race is put on by ultrarunners for ultrarunners.

More About the Area:
The North Shore of Lake Superior runs from Duluth, Minnesota at the Southwestern end of the lake, to Thunder Bay and Nipigon, Ontario, Canada, in the North to Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, in the east. The shore is characterized by alternating rocky cliffs and cobblestone beaches, with rolling hills and ridges covered in boreal forest inland from the lake, through which scenic rivers and waterfalls descend as they flow to Lake Superior. The shoreline between the city of Duluth to the international border at Grand Portage as the North Shore.  Lake Superior is considered the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface area. It is the world’s third-largest freshwater lake by volume and the largest by volume in North America.  The Superior Hiking Trail, also known as the SHT, is a 310-mile long distance hiking single-track hiking trail in Northeastern Minnesota that follows the ridgeline overlooking Lake Superior for most of its length. The trail travels through forests of birch, aspen, pine, fir, and cedar. Hikers and runners enjoy views of boreal forests, the Sawtooth Mountains, babbling brooks, rushing waterfalls, and abundant wildlife. The lowest point on the trail is 602 feet above sea level and the highest point is 1,829 feet above sea level.