Crew, Pacer, Family Member and Spectators Information.

Runners, please forward this information to all of your crew members, pacers, attending family members and spectators.  Crews and spectators are required to read, print and keep a copy of this document in their vehicle on race weekend.  We suggest reviewing this a couple of times early, then printing it about a week before the race as this information is subject to updates and changes.

REQUIRED: Download and Print Crew and Spectator Directions HERE

IMPORTANT CHANGE FOR THE 2022 100 MILE RACE: There will be NO CREW ACCESS at Tettegouche. More info can be found HERE https://www.superiorfalltrailrace.com/superior-100-tettegouche-reroute-and-logistics/

Welcome spectators, family members, crews and pacers to the Superior Trail Race!  We are very happy to have you with us for this years race!   Thank you for coming and supporting your runner, we know how much it means to them!  Thank you in advance for taking the time to review this page and print the above document.  This is all very important logistics and safety information just for you i.e. your very own homework for this race!

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 because of great people like you taking the time to study up in advance!  Many of you are new to the area, navigating back roads you have never been on and at all hours of the day and night, we want to help make it the best, safest and most enjoyable experience possible for everyone!   Please take the time to review our entire website, you can be the most effective crew person, pacer or spectator and of the most benefit to your runner by knowing as much as you can about the event.

 

Failure of crew members to obey any of the following guidelines will result in a time penalty being assessed against their runner – worst case will be the disqualification of their runner. Cell and 4G coverage is limited on the North Shore – be sure to print all maps, directions and information you may need (including this document) as we will not have printed materials available for you on race weekend.

 

Aid Station Access:
Crews may only visit the aid stations that are crew accessible per the aid station spreadsheet available on our website.

All aid stations except the following are crew accessible for the 100 mile – Split Rock, Tettegouche, Sonju Lake Road.

All aid stations except the following are crew accessible for the 50 mile – Sonju Lake Road and Temperance River.

All aid stations except the following are crew accessible for the marathon – Temperance River.

 

Driving, Parking and Unloading:
Crew members should exercise extreme caution when driving between aid stations keeping in mind that many of the roads that you will be traveling on are narrow, remote, gravel roads – so please keep speed at or well below the posted speed limits and exercise extreme caution when approaching aid stations as in these areas the trail and runners almost always cross the road.

Crews should park in designated areas only and at the aid stations where there is no parking lot, be sure to pull well off to the side of the road, PARKING ON ONE SIDE OF THE ROAD ONLY.

Never stop in front of or unload in front of an aid station – expect to haul gear quite a ways so make use of a backpack.

RVs and motor-homes are not allowed at any of the aid stations – we understand that the definition of an R.V. or motor-home is broad but basically any vehicle that is longer or wider than a standard pickup truck is how we define it – this is due to many extremely narrow roads leading to aid stations where cars will also be parked on one side of the road.

 

Pacing and Crewing:
50 mile and marathon runners are not allowed pacers but may have crew and spectators.

Crew members may only give aid to runners at aid stations and nowhere else on the course.

Crew members should not crowd the aid stations, please give the aid station volunteers plenty of room to do their jobs.

100 mile runners may have ONE pacer at a time starting at County RD 6.  100 Mile runners may have up to TWO pacers for the last section of the race, Oberg to Lutsen.

All pacers must wear a PACER bib number which will be issued to runners at the pre-race meeting on Thursday night.

Pacers may not mule for runners – i.e. carry food, water or gear.

Crew members should not partake in aid station food or refreshments however those actively pacing a runner out on the trail are welcome to get aid from the aid stations.

 

Finish Line & Post Race:
Parking (unless you are staying at Caribou Highlands) is across Ski Hill Road from Caribou Highlands in the large gravel parking lot.

Finish line food and refreshments are for registered runners only – you may purchase food and refreshments from Caribou Highlands gift shop and from Mogul’s, Caribou Highlands onsite restaurant.

Results for all races and Runner tracking links (100 mile only) are available via our website.  Results will be published in real time as runners cross the finish line.  100 mile runners will be tracked in and out of aid stations but there can be gaps, delays or omissions in this information – we consider this information as being there for “entertainment purposes only”.  We suggest saving the results and runner tracking links in your phones so you can quickly access your information.  Unless there is a legitimate fear that there is an emergency we will not / cannot query the specific location of your runner at the finish line on Saturday as we need to keep our communication channels open for emergency communications.

 

In Closing:
We would like to thank you again for coming and supporting your runner and participating in a fun and unique event.  Thank you for your care and attention in helping to make our event as safe as possible!

 

 

 

 

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.