Date: Thursday August 19, 2021
Subject: Superior Fall Trail Race 2021 Volunteer Email 2
Hello Faithful Volunteers!
[ I realize that this is a LONG email with a lot of information but please know that it is all very important – it will likely take you around 10 minutes to get through this email and the links provided – if you do not review this email, you will be really lost come race weekend! Volunteer Email 1 was just a recruitment email, so if you did not see that one, you did not miss anything. ]
We would like to officially welcome you to, and thank you all for signing up to volunteer for the 30th Annual Superior 100, 50 and 26.2 mile trail races on September 10 & 11, 2021! Superior was founded in 1991, it is one of the original ten 100 mile races in the country (there are well over 200 now) and because of you it is one of the best organized, best staffed and most well reputed trail / ultra races in the country! We have 220 volunteers signed up to help and expect about another 25 between now and race day. It is going to be a smaller field than in years past and that is AOK! We have the following number of registered runners: 100MI = 200, 50MI = 105, 26.2M = 279.
This email contains most of the important information that you will need. HAM Radio, Runner Tracking, Marking and Sweeping, Medical, Equipment and Supply, Finish Line / Area, Monday Cleanup volunteers, and those that require help with lodging should be on the lookout for additional emails specific to those positions in the next 10 days or so.
Volunteer Assignments:
Preliminary volunteer assignments have been made and they are available to review HERE https://www.superiorfalltrailrace.com/volunteer-assignments/ – you should search and sort both by last name and volunteer position (you can use the search box and can click on header rows to sort), please note that many of you have more than one assignment / job – please let us know if we have gotten anything wrong, assigned you to too much or if you want to do more / take on additional assignments! I have been known to make some assumptions, take some liberties and make some mistakes, so please just reach out if anything does not work for you or is out of line. If you are really a glutton for punishment, we always need more help later in the day / evening on Saturday at the finish line and on Monday at our home in the Twin Cities for cleanup – let us know if you are interested! Many of you are assigned at aid stations for very long durations, the idea is that you will work with your aid station captain and fellow volunteers to fine tune the schedule, take breaks, naps etc., you can pitch a tent nearby, crash in the car or, while not as ideal can even go off-site if needed – think of this as an overnight camping trip with very little sleep! Volunteers are assigned to Volunteer Jobs – after you take a look at what you have been assigned to, you can learn more about your job HERE https://www.superiorfalltrailrace.com/volunteer-jobs/ please keep in mind that as we get closer to the race we will have more volunteers signing up and needs might change so there is a (very slight) chance that you could be reassigned, so please check the list of assignments around 10 days before the race.
Aid Station Captains:
All aid station captains (and anyone else that has time) should read THIS https://www.superiorfalltrailrace.com/as-captains-section/
Obviously during the busy times / when the aid stations are slammed captains will be hands on helping runners, filling water bottles etc. but the primary job that aid station captains are responsible to do is to manage the aid station and other aid station volunteers – this includes making sure long duration volunteers are getting some rest, keeping an eye on volunteer / spectator parking (making sure it is safe / people are parking in the designated places or on one side of the road only), making sure there are volunteers safely helping at the road crossings, making sure volunteers and crews are staying out of the road, working with the HAM Radio operators and generally overseeing the big picture at the aid station – in essence it is a management position, let your helpers do the specific (albeit very important tasks) normally associated with working an aid station. You in essence are my / the race directors surrogate at your aid station and we need your help focusing on the big picture.
Captains, take a look at who you have been assigned, if you feel you need more help feel free to recruit (and have anyone you recruit sign up on the website https://www.superiorfalltrailrace.com/volunteer-signup/ ) or let us know and we will look for more help. Aid station volunteers, be on the lookout for an email from your aid station captain sometime before the race.
Road Crossings, Parking and Traffic Control – VERY IMPORTANT:
For aid stations with road crossings and parking issues we have made specific assignments for parking and traffic control leaders, but ask that aid station captains work with these leads and all of the volunteers at the aid station to rotate ALL volunteers in and out of these positions throughout the day. This is one of the most critical volunteer positions we have as it is the interfacing between runners and roads / drivers and spectators and crews and roads that constitute the most dangerous aspect of the entire event. That said, it is not everyone’s favorite position (it is mine however!), so if everyone takes a turn, it spreads the load out nicely. We are making a huge push again this year to see to it that spectators and crews are not hanging out on / standing or sitting on roads – please help us! Remember that at road crossings we do not stop cars to let runners pass, we stop runners and let them pass when there is no traffic. You will want to review the page HERE https://www.superiorfalltrailrace.com/wp-content/uploads/Superior-Fall-Trail-Race-Crew-Directions-V1-Revised-8-27-17-708PM.pdf that applies to your aid station
*TIME SENSITIVE Volunteer Lodging (If Needed, Please Read then Sign Up Via Link Below):
We have always tried to provide communal lodging for our volunteers that need it, so that volunteering would not be costly or prohibitive for anyone. Due to Covid we are going to do everything in our power to keep units from being crowded and will seek to put people together who are already in each other’s bubbles. As a result, we are going to have less capacity than normal as we can only find and afford so much lodging. We are asking that wherever possible, volunteers who are not working 3 or 4 days (those volunteers will be given priority for obvious reasons) look for their own arrangements. If you like camping, there are many affordable options in the area, if you have friends or family who are running, perhaps you could share some space. See what you can do. Ultimately we will do everything in our power to make sure you have a place to crash if you need it, but we want to be upfront about the concerns, considerations and limitations this year. Please do not let lodging issues be a reason that you do not come and volunteer, if you need lodging, sign up. Please let me know if you have any questions. Complete details about this lodging can be found HERE https://www.superiorfalltrailrace.com/volunteer-lodging/ If after reading you decide you need a place to stay at any point during the weekend we ask that you please follow this link and indicate to us when / signup HERE https://forms.gle/Ad5r7UqkQG6jas3L8 – if you need lodging please indicate this to us AS SOON AS POSSIBLE!
Trail Markers and Trail Sweepers Specific:
Your names are on the volunteer assignment page but specific volunteer assignments for these positions will be made and emailed to you within the next 10 days or so – generally speaking markers will all need to be available to meet at Caribou Highlands on Thursday Sept 9 at 6:30 AM and be available until evening. Sweepers, the idea is that you are available for multiple sections on both Friday, Friday-Overnight and Saturday until the finish – some of you will be helping in other capacities as well (aid stations prior to a sweep). We are looking pretty good for markers and sweepers – please note that at this time we are only taking on new markers and sweepers that feel they are interested in making a long-term multi-year commitment to marking and sweeping – if you feel you might be interested in this in the future, please let us know.
HAM Radio Operators Specific:
Your information is on the volunteer assignment page but specific volunteer assignments for these positions are made by the HAM Radio Coordinators Rick and Jayne Johnson and emailed to you, so if you have assignment specific questions please contact Rick or Jayne. Thank you for taking the time to sign up on the website so we have your up to date emergency contact information, shirt sizes etc!
Important Links To Review:
Please review everything you can at https://www.superior fall trail race.com/ in addition to the following links – this makes you the best resource possible for runners and other volunteers!
Volunteer Assignments
Volunteer Jobs / Aid Station Info
Aid Station Supplies
Aid Stations 101
Aid Station Captains Info
Maps and Data
Covid Considerations:
• Volunteers are required to stay home if they are Covid positive, have been exposed to someone that is Covid positive in the past 14 days, are not feeling well or are experiencing any of the symptoms listed HERE https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptoms-testing/symptoms.html
• Volunteers should hand-sanitize frequently and disinfect their work / volunteer areas frequently – we will provide supplies.
• We are hoping that the majority of the aid stations where we have permitted crew / spectator access in the past, will be the same this year – we will have some final info on this in the weeks to come.
• Aid Stations will generally have more pre-packaged food items than in the past – that said, aid station captains will be planning / coordinating some hot food items for 100 mile runners. A handful of the prepackaged snacks should be put out on the tables for runners to grab. Huge quantities should not be put out at once, so runners do not contaminate / lean over / sweat on all of the food items.
• Runners should not self-serve water out of the water jugs, instead runners should open and hold out hydration packs, water bottles and soft-flasks for volunteers to fill from the provided pitchers.
Still Need:
We are still looking for a few graveyard shift volunteers for Sawbill and Oberg. Sonju is still doing some more of their own recruiting. We are always looking for good photographers. If you know anyone that could help in any of these areas, please reach out to them and have them sign up to volunteer or contact us.
In Closing:
The overall the plan is coming together nicely, we will be adding some more volunteers and will be making tweaks to assignments over the next couple of weeks. Keep an eye on the volunteer assignments page for changes and look for one final email from me with info about any revised volunteer assignments and communal lodging information / instructions for those that sign up. In the meantime, should you have any questions please feel free to email me.
Thank You,
John Storkamp
Race Director
racedirector@superiortrailrace.com