Welcome Superior 100 Mile Runners!

We are about a week and a half out from this years race / Friday September 7th, 2018! We are very excited to be hosting another extraordinary field of runners at this years Superior Fall Trail Race – represented are runners from 36 states and 5 countries! Over 300 volunteers have stepped up in order to make this an incredible weekend and assist you in achieving your goal of finishing this challenging race.

If for some reason you can no longer make the race, we are sorry to hear it and look forward to seeing you sometime in the future. We DO NOT need you to contact us – we will know you are not running when you do not check in at packet pickup or on race morning.

Listed below are a few important reminders and perhaps a few small changes from years past – we will not overwhelm you with all the details that are readily available on the website under the https://www.superiorfalltrailrace.com/100-mile-info/ and https://www.superiorfalltrailrace.com/maps-and-data/ sections , rather, we will hit a few key points and then let you explore the website in more depth on your own.

Please take the time to read through this email and all of the information on the website in its entirety and print any information, maps, directions etc. that you or your crew may need as cell and Internet service is intermittent on the North Shore and you will most likely not be able to access the website on your phone much of the time. We will NOT have these printouts for you at the race.

This is your race and your responsibility to know this stuff – if after reading this email and reviewing everything on the website should you still have questions please contact us.

Packet Pickup and Pre-Race Meeting (Mandatory):
Thursday, September 6th, 5:00-8:00 PM
Lake County Fairgrounds 4H Building
1381 Fairgrounds Road, Two Harbors, MN 55616
Map Link: https://goo.gl/maps/D3QXoCj26Nn
Packet Pickup: 5:00-8:00 pm
Pre-Race Briefing: 6:30 pm, lasts approximately 45 minutes
Spaghetti Dinner: 5:00-8:00 pm

100 mile race start:
Friday 8:00 am Gooseberry Falls State Park, MN

Shuttle Bus Time:
The shuttle bus from Caribou Highlands / Lutsen (race finish) to Gooseberry Falls State Park (race start) on race morning will depart at 6:00AM. It is approximately 1 hour to the race start so you will arrive at 7:00AM for the 8:00AM start.

Know Your Bib # at Packet Pickup:
Please know your Bib Number when you come to packet pickup on Thursday and check back in on Friday / race morning – your bib number can be found HERE https://www.superiorfalltrailrace.com/2018-bib-assignments/

Check-In & Re-Check-In:
Even if you have checked in the night before the race at packet-pickup you must “re-check-in” on race morning so we know who is starting the race.

Warmups:
You will have the option of sending “warmups” / clothing from the race start back to the finish – please place in a plastic bag (that you provide) with your name, race distance and race number. No valuables please.

Drop Bags:
Reminder, we do not accept drop bags on race morning, drop bags must be left during packet pickup on Thursday night. All drop bags must be marked with the runners distance, drop bag location, runners name & runners bib number – drop bags without this information will not be delivered. Drop bags will be delivered to the finish line on Saturday after 8:00PM.

Split Rock River Bridge (Still) Out:
The Split Rock River Bridge is still out / no longer there, if the water is low enough on the day that we mark the trail (Thursday / one day before the race) we will mark to the approximate location of the old bridge and there will be a wet river crossing, plan for shin to thigh deep water. If we get a lot of rain in the days leading up or if the forecast for Thursday overnight is for a lot of rain, we may skip the Split Rock River Loop all-together and make up the distance before getting to the Split Rock Aid Station. You will be notified of the route that will be used during the pre-race meeting on Thursday night. More in depth information about this course change can be found HERE https://www.superiorfalltrailrace.com/2017-split-rock-river-bridge-outage-and-associated-reroute/

Bees, Hornets and or Wasps!
The bees / ground hornets and / or wasps are always bad this time of year on the Superior Hiking Trail, if you are allergic you need to be carrying your medication, ointment, EPI-Pen or whatever it is that has been prescribed to you, there are sections of trail that are 10 miles without aid (so you could be 5 miles / well over 1 hour from help) and if you get stung and have a reaction you need to be able to self medicate. * Do not consider starting this race if you have known allergies to bees, hornets or wasps if you do not have, are unable or unwilling to carry your potentially life-saving medicine.

VERY IMPORTANT Share / Email the following link(s) to Your Pacers Crews and Spectators:
It is unlikely that anything a runner does will ever put another participant, crew, pacer, spectator or the Superior Trail Race as a whole in jeopardy – more likely it would be a runners crew or a spectator inadvertently doing something in a vehicle near or at an aid station that could negatively impact the race – thankfully, to date, we have had very few problems! Please review the following link and forward this link on to your crew, pacers, family members and spectators. https://www.superiorfalltrailrace.com/crew-pacer-family-member-spectators-information/ – new this year, we are requiring that all crews, pacers, family member, friends, spectators etc. that are visiting the aid stations print and have with them the following document https://www.superiorfalltrailrace.com/wp-content/uploads/Superior-Fall-Trail-Race-Crew-Directions-V1-Revised-8-27-17-708PM.pdf

Cool Stuff For Sale:
As in years past we will have some cool t-shirts, sweatshirts, hats, buffs, posters, stickers and more for sale on race weekend – you can see some examples HERE https://photos.app.goo.gl/6s5e88JM7DSbZa6L7 – Cash or check only.

Results, Tracking & Media:
Results will be posted live / in real time as all runners finish the race via the following link https://results.chronotrack.com/event/results/event/event-39136 – We will have live runner tracking through each aid station for the 100 MILE ONLY available HERE http://www.ultralive.net/superior100#tracking/overview (if sharing with your friends / loved ones please let them know that this is for entertainment purposes only and we make no claim that it will always be 100% accurate or 100% up to date) – Leading up to the race and during the race we will be posting all kinds of fun photos and commentary on our Facebook page HERE https://www.facebook.com/superior100/ – follow the link and LIKE our page. If you have not yet come across it yet, there is all kinds of interesting and entertaining information on THIS https://www.superiorfalltrailrace.com/news-and-updates/ section of our website as well. A preview of this years race has been written by our good friend Kevin Langton and can be found HERE https://www.superiorfalltrailrace.com/superior-fall-trail-race-100mi-50mi-and-26-2mi-2018-race-preview-by-kevin-langton-john-storkamp/

Sponsors:
Along with our volunteers, sponsors are the lifeblood of our event – we work with great companies and great individuals from those companies who are passionate about our event, please check them out and if possible show them your patronage. https://www.superiorfalltrailrace.com/sponsors/

SHTA – Superior Hiking Trail Association:
The Superior Hiking Trail is one of the premier long distance hiking trails in the country, without it, there would be no race. The Superior Hiking Trail Association builds, maintains, and manages the trail with the help of hundreds of volunteers and thousands of donors. The Superior Trail Race and Rocksteady Running make significant financial contributions and provide extensive volunteer support to the Superior Hiking Trail Association each year. Please help by joining, donating or volunteering. If you use this trail in training or as a part of this race you should become a member for at least one year – it is the right thing to do. You can become a member of the Superior Hiking Trail Association HERE http://www.shta.org/ – there will also be a campaign after the race where will petition you, the runners to join or donate to the trail en masse, please keep an eye out for that and join or donate if you can.

Enjoy your taper, travel safe and we will see you on race weekend!

Thank You,

John Storkamp
Race Director
[email protected]

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.