2021 SFTR Trail Marking Team – Photo Credit Scott Rokis

 

“Well good morning Mr. John! It sure is a great day, but I do believe it is also going to be a little bit of a bearcat.”

When I was younger I worked construction with a wonderful human named Ross. Ross was known for his ‘Ross-isms’.  Ross would drive some of our co-workers a little nuts with these ‘Ross-isms’. Picture a bunch of cranky blue-collar construction workers on a Monday morning, after a hard-charging weekend, walking into some kind of issue, broken equipment etc. and being greeted with “Why Mr. [so-and-so], I think what we have here is an opportunity for growth”. I freaking loved Ross, I still think of him often and apply his ‘Ross-isms’ to many situations in my life.

Superior is a bearcat through and through, and you better believe it will always provide opportunities for growth – no matter which side of the aid station table you are on. As you are all quite familiar with, in a race that spans 38 hours, there are no short shifts. It is not just the runners that have to hurt for it, it is a lot of work for everyone involved. Ever notice how we assign less value and have less attachment to things that come easy?  But things that come hard – they burrow in, and fill a special place in our heart. Our most valued relationships, our children, our running, and SUPERIOR to name a few. And the fruits of this labor and toil? An experience like few others; deep connectedness, uncomplicated and genuine friendship, and the purest joy that we can only attain when we work in service to others. Sadly, the incentive structures built into our society do not give us the opportunity to apply these principles often enough. I think that is why this feels as important and fulfilling as it does and why it continually draws us back in. Ideally we can integrate these lessons and experiences into our everyday lives, so we may live in service to others, and as importantly, find the peace and connectedness that living in this way manifests.

We are so fortunate to have this. It is an honor to walk this path with you. Thank you for it.

In Gratitude,

John Storkamp
Race Director
Superior Trail Race

 

* Housekeeping: Our aid station captains typically do a great job of getting volunteer t-shirts out to you, but sometimes things stay just busy enough at the aid stations and a few shirts don’t get passed out.  If you did not get your t-shirt for volunteering at an aid station, or another position, please email me and we will get one in the mail for you. While I do have your info, including the size you want and your address helps to ensure I get the right address and streamlines the process on our end. Thanks!

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.