The suspension bridge over the High Falls of the Baptism River within Tettegouche State Park was damaged during historic flooding in May of 2022. The bridge has been closed indefinitely until it can be replaced.

As a result of the bridge closure the Superior 100 Mile Trail Race race course will be rerouted through Tettegouche State Park. We will make use of a series of non-SHT trails within the park. Runners will come off of the Superior Hiking Trail in order to cross the Baptism River via the parks auto and pedestrian bridge adjacent to the Highway 61 bridge, both of which are just above Lake Superior. This will add approximately 1.8 miles to the race – which can be viewed as more of a “gaining back” of distance lost since 2015 (more info on this towards the end).

HERE is a map illustrating the change, the reroute will be clearly marked. PDF format | JPG format

The non-SHT trails being used, cross the main park road three times. There will be course marshals at each crossing. Course marshals will stop runners, not cars – runners crossing once it is safe to do so.

The new aid station location will be in the cart-in campsite parking lot / trailhead off of the park road. There will be no crew access allowed at Tettegouche this year. Drop bags will be allowed (they usually are not). There will be a portable toilet at the aid station.

As a result of these late changes, for the 2022 race [remains in effect for 2023] we will make the following adjustments: Start the 100 mile race at 7:50AM, 10 minutes earlier than normal [this is reverting back to 8:00AM for 2023]. Extend the cutoffs at Tettegouche, County Road 6 and Finland each by 10 minutes. No other cutoffs will be extended. Additionally, pacers will be allowed for all runners at County Road 6, not just after 6:00PM as is the rule currently.  If this reroute continues for the 2023 race we will go back to an 8:00AM start time and the cutoffs at Tettegouche, County Road 6 and Finland will revert to their normal times / no additional time will be given.

The total distance of the 2022 [and 2023] race will be about 102 miles, still 1.3 miles short of the “historic” (2005-2014) overall race distance. It is also important to note that in 2015 due to an SHT trail closure, the first segment of the race (Gooseberry to Split Rock) was shortened and the first 4.5 miles were moved off of technical single-track and onto a much quicker running paved bike trail. In 2017 that segment was further shortened due to the loss of the Split Rock River bridge and the wet crossing that happens short of the old bridge site.

A final note about documentation and signage. As you can see the race route changes slightly over time. Due to the fact that there are so many documents, printed assets, signage, etc. you may notice slight discrepancies in places – that said we have updated the Aid Station Chart, Course Maps and Crew Directions found HERE https://www.superiorfalltrailrace.com/maps-and-data/  The information contained above should align with most information you come across, but probably not all. The specific information above overrides other documentation as it pertains to the 2022 [and 2023] race.

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.