2020 Preliminary Race Information
Thank you very much for your interest in the Superior Fall Trail Race 100 Mile, 50 Mile and 26.2 Mile. The tentative date(s) for this coming years race(s) are Friday September 11 and Saturday September 12, 2020 – the race having always / historically been held the weekend after Labor Day. Race registration is held via lottery as demand outstrips available race slots. The 15 day lottery registration period is tentatively set to open on January 1, 2020. Please feel free to review the information on the website, but keep in mind that the site has not yet been updated for the 2020 race. We reserve the right to make changes to dates, the course, logistics, cutoffs, entry fees, qualification requirements, the registration process, and any other aspect of the event – that said we do expect that most of the details will be the same for the 2020 race. Final details will be published later this Fall – please check back. Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact me. Race Director John Storkamp – racedirector@superiortrailrace.com
2019 Lottery Selection
We thank everyone that entered the 2019 Superior Fall Trail Race 26.2MI, 50MI and 100MI lottery. The lottery drawing for the September 2019 event took place on Thursday January 17th, 2019 in accordance with our lottery protocol and procedures. Complete 2019 lottery drawing information can be found HERE https://www.superiorfalltrailrace.com/2019-lottery-selection/
2019 Superior “Fall” Trail Race 100, 50 and 26.2 Mile, Detailed Lottery Registration / Application Information and Procedures: 2019 Race Date(s) Friday Sept 6 and Saturday Sept 7, 2019
PLEASE NOTE: The link to register for the lottery is at the end of this page for a reason – please read this page in its entirety before registering. This is a 7 minute read.
Dates:
The 15 day lottery registration / application period for the 2019 event will open on Tuesday January 1st, 2019 at 12:01 AM CST and will close on Tuesday January 15th 2019 at 11:59PM CST. The lottery drawing will be held thereafter with accepted registrations processed and the resulting start list published within 10 days of lottery registration closing (so, on or before January 25).
IMPORTANT NOTE: Do not enter the lottery unless you fully intend to register and run this race. Do not enter the lottery until you have familiarized yourself with all lottery rules and procedures on our website. Accepted applicants selected at the end of the lottery registration period will have their credit card automatically charged and will be officially entered into the event as a registered runner. Once an accepted registration has been processed and published to the start list there will be no refunds. Detailed information regarding registration fees and policies can be found below.
History & Description of the Superior Trail Race Lottery:
The number of applications received for the 100, 50 and 26.2 mile races has grown exponentially each year with the field limit being met in increasingly shorter periods of time (the race selling out in a couple of hours the last time that we held conventional registration). The lottery has been chosen as the method that will be used to select those who will participate as a registered runner and was instituted in an effort to provide for the fairest means possible of choosing the starting field for each respective distance.
The lottery and resulting registration will be hosted through UltraSignup. Those participating in the lottery will be randomly selected by the race director and race committee in accordance with the following registration limits for each distance: 100MI (285 registrants), 50MI (200 registrants), Marathon (425 registrants). One lottery will be held for each of the three race distances. There is no fee to enter the lottery.
Procedure for Entering the Lottery:
To enter the lottery, applicants will submit their registration information (including credit card information) via UltraSignup during the 15 day online lottery registration / application period as referenced above. Applicants for the 50 and 100 mile races must also meet the qualifying standard(s) as outlined below. There is no fee for entering the lottery, you will only be charged if you are selected to run the race.
Drawing Procedure:
Within 10 days of the lottery registration / application period closing, the lottery drawing will be held by the race director and race committee and accepted applicants (along with those who qualify for automatic acceptance – see below) will have their credit card charged by UltraSignup. They will see their names added to the list of registered runners after the drawing and within 10 days of the lottery registration closing (so, on or before January 25). Accepted applicants who have accidentally provided invalid payment information or have the payment transaction fail for some other reason will be notified with instructions on resolving the issue – if the issue is not resolved within 48 hours of the email correspondence their acceptance will be revoked / void and the spot made available to someone else. It will be the applicants responsibility to check their email and ‘spam’ as mail-servers routinely ‘spam’ non-malicious transactional email from all types of companies / senders.
Applicants Not Selected:
Applicants not selected will find that their names do not appear on the list of registered runners – it will be your responsibility to check the list as we will not send out additional notification to those that were not selected. Those applicants not selected will not have their credit card charged.
Payment Terms and Conditions:
If your name is drawn in the lottery your credit card will be automatically charged and you will be officially entered in the race. For those that are selected please note that entry fees are not refundable under any circumstance, race registrations are not transferable to other participants, future years races or other Rocksteady Running events, and transferring between distances (up or down) is not allowed. Please consider all of these factors very carefully before entering the lottery registration / application process. Entry fee(s) 100MI: $265.00, 50MI: $150.00, 26.2MI: $110.00 (plus UltraSignup fee).
Automatic Acceptance:
For 2019, the previous year’s (2018) male and female (overall) winners for each distance along with 100 mile runners with 5 or more finishes at the Superior 100 will be guaranteed entry, however we make no guarantees of these exceptions beyond 2019. Those automatically accepted will be required to pay the full registration price like all other accepted applicants.
Waiting List (No Waiting List Will Be Kept):
Please note that we do not keep a waiting list. Instead we accept extra runners up front so that everyone has the same opportunity to train, make reservations, get a babysitter, etc. This means that a withdrawal prior to race day does not create an opening in the race field – it just brings us down to our predetermined field limit which is set in accordance with our permitor(s) including; the United States Forest Service, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Superior Hiking Trail Association, Lake County and Cook County. We have found that a percentage of those chosen in the lottery will not make it to the starting line due to injury, illness, or other “real life” interventions and adjust the number of allocated lottery spots (registration limit) accordingly year to year based on historical averages.
If the Field Limit for Any of the Distances is Not Met Via the Lottery:
In the very unlikely event that the field limit for any of the distances is not met via the lottery, remaining spots will be made available until the field limit has been met via a “conventional” registration process.
Group Lottery Entry:
People may choose to enter the Superior Trail Race lottery as a “Group” / with the contingent that everyone that has listed themselves as being part of the group are also selected (max 6 people per group). A group may be mixed between all three race distances. Everyone in that group is either “all in” if selected, or “all out” if the group is not selected. It is important to note that the groups name is entered into the lottery only once and is drawn against all other groups and individuals – entering as a group does not increase your chances of being selected. The group lottery option was implemented for those that only want to participate in the race if their friend, spouse, family member gets in as well – if this is not you, then do not enter the lottery as a group.
To enter the lottery as a group you will need to do the following:
1.) Decide on a VERY UNIQUE “Group” name ahead of time.
2.) Notify everyone in your “Group” of your chosen name ahead of time.
3.) Each individual within the “Group” must register for the lottery via UltraSignup and provide their individual registration and payment information per the lottery registration policy and procedures.
4.) Enter your “Group” name where indicated on the online entry form.
5.) Check the list of registered runners after the lottery drawing to see if your group has gotten in (group will not be listed, just individuals who comprise the group.)
Should your group get in your credit card will be automatically charged and your registration will be subject to all lottery registration policy and procedures as outlined.
Please Note: Groups are for registration purposes only. There is not a team component to the Superior Trail Races.
UMTR Gnarly Bandit Ultra Series:
The Superior 100 Mile Trail Race is part of the Upper Midwest Trail Runners Gnarly Bandit Ultra Series. Gnarly Bandit runners will need to register for the Superior 100 via the lottery as set forth on the Superior Fall Trail Race website. Gnarly Bandit hopefuls ARE NOT guaranteed entry into Superior 100 via the lottery process. If a Gnarly Bandit hopeful does not make it into Superior 100 via the lottery they will be guaranteed entry into Superior 100 post lottery (and charged accordingly) if / once the following criteria have been met. 1.) Are registered for the Gnarly Bandit Ultra Series with UMTR 2.) Have entered the Superior Lottery and have not been picked 3.) Have completed Zumbro 100, Kettle 100 and Black Hills 100. If you are not registered for Superior 100 and have met the preceding criteria it will be your responsibility to contact the Superior 100 race director for instruction on how to register for the race and pay your entry fee.
Qualifying Standards:
In order to enter the lottery for the 50 and 100 mile races, registrants must meet the following qualifying criteria.
100 Mile:
In order to register you must have finished at least one 50 mile or longer trail race since January 1, 2017 [WILL BE JANUARY 1, 2018 FOR THE 2020 RACE], or ANY previous years Superior 50KM, Moose Mountain Marathon, Superior 50 Mile or Superior 100 Mile. Completion of 50 miles or more during a 12 hour or less timed trail running event will also qualify you. Qualifying races submitted on the race application must be accompanied by a link to official / verifiable (published) results which will be checked. Those not meeting the requirements will not be allowed entry to the race.
50 Mile:
In order to register you must have finished at least one 50KM trail race or longer since January 1, 2017 [WILL BE JANUARY 1, 2018 FOR THE 2020 RACE] or ANY previous years Superior 25KM, Superior 50KM, Moose Mountain Marathon, Superior 50 Mile or Superior 100 Mile. Completion of 50KM or more during an 8 hour or less timed trail running event will also qualify you. Qualifying races submitted on the race application must be accompanied by a link to official / verifiable (published) results which will be checked. Those not meeting the requirements will not be allowed entry to the race.
26.2 Mile:
No qualifying requirement needed.
Rights Reserved:
The Superior Trail Race reserves the right to allow into the race or disallow from the race any applicant (regardless of stated lottery procedures) as the race director and / or the race committee deem in the best interest of the race. Please note, this is not an invitation for those not meeting the qualification requirements to email and ask for an exception.
Cancellation Policy:
The Race Director reserves the right to modify or cancel the race or course for safety concerns, trail condition concerns or natural disaster. In such cases there will be no refunds of race entry fees. Each athlete must accept any such risk of their entry fee paid. There is no complimentary race entry to a future race. Entry fees collected are used to develop and produce the event, starting well in advance of the race date – including course preparation, race supplies, permits and administration. We will make every effort to produce a fair and safe event for all participants. Any decision we make that impacts the race date or potential cancellation is carefully considered and based on the overall event safety, sustainability and manageability.