2018 Lottery Selection & 2019 Lottery Registration Info

We thank everyone that entered the 2018 Superior Fall Trail Race 26.2MI, 50MI and 100MI lottery. The lottery drawing for the September 2018 event took place on Thursday January 18th, 2018 in accordance with our lottery protocol and procedures. Complete 2018  lottery drawing information can be found HERE https://www.superiorfalltrailrace.com/2018-lottery-selection/

The lottery registration period for the 2019 Superior Fall Trail Race 26.2MI, 50MI and 100MI is scheduled to open on January 1st, 2019 – (subject to permit(s) approval and subject to date change, potential applicants should check back periodically for updates).

The lottery information listed below is from the 2018 event and while the 2019 lottery information when published will be similar; details such as field limits, entry fees,  lottery registration open and close dates and more are subject to change.

[2018 ARCHIVED] Lottery / Registration Information

2018 Superior “Fall” Trail Race 100, 50 and 26.2 Mile, Detailed Lottery Registration / Application Information and Procedures: 2018 Race Date(s) Friday Sept 7 and Saturday Sept 8, 2018

Dates:
The 15 day lottery registration / application period for the 2018 event will open on Monday January 1st, 2018 at 12:01 AM CST and will close on Monday January 15th 2018 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.

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 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 (265 registrants), 50MI (175 registrants), Marathon (400 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.  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: $250.00, 50MI: $150.00, 26.2MI: $110.00 (plus UltraSignup fee).

Automatic Acceptance:
For 2018, the previous year’s (2017) 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 2018.  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:
If 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.  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, 2016, 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, 2016 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.

~ During the lottery registration period follow the link below to enter the lottery.

Enter Lottery Via UltraSignup
+ Click HERE for Quick Info

Superior Fall Trail Race
100MI, 50MI, 26.2MI Trail Race(s)
Lutsen, Minnesota
(approx 4hrs North of Minneapolis, MN)
September 7 & 8, 2018
• 100MI Friday 8:00AM
• 50MI Saturday 5:15AM
• 26.2MI Saturday 8:00AM

Registration / Lottery:
Registration via 15 day lottery registration period.
Opens Monday January 1st, 2018 – 12:01AM CST
Closes Monday January 15th, 2018 – 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
16.5 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 17MI 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.