Welcome Superior 50 Mile Runners!
We are just over one week out from this years race / Saturday September 7th, 2019! We are very excited to be hosting another extraordinary field of runners at this years Superior Fall Trail Race – represented are runners from 34 states, 6 countries and 166 Minnesota cities! Over 325 volunteers have stepped up in order to make this an incredible weekend and assist you in achieving your goal of finishing one of the more challenging 50 mile races in the entire country!
If for some reason you can no longer make the race, we are sorry to hear it and look forward to seeing you sometime in the future. We DO NOT need you to contact us – we will know you are not running when you do not check in at packet pickup or on race morning.
Listed below are a few important reminders and perhaps a few small changes from years past – we will not overwhelm you with all the details that are readily available on the website under the https://www.superiorfalltrailrace.com/50-mile-info/ and https://www.superiorfalltrailrace.com/maps-and-data/ sections, rather, we will hit a few key points and then let you explore the website in more depth on your own.
Please take the time to read through this email and all of the information on the website in its entirety and print any information, maps, directions etc. that you or your crew may need as cell and Internet service is intermittent on the North Shore and you will most likely not be able to access the website on your phone much of the time. We will NOT have these printouts for you at the race.
This is your race and your responsibility to know this stuff – if after reading this email and reviewing everything on the website should you still have questions please contact us. We like the vast majority of our fellow trail runners, but the ones that don’t read all of the race information provided… not so much.
Packet Pickup and Pre-Race Meeting:
Friday, September 6, 5:00 – 8:00 pm
Caribou Highlands, Village Chalet
371 Ski Hill Rd Lutsen, MN 55612
Packet Pickup 5:00PM – 8:00PM
(Optional) Pre-Race Meeting 7:00PM
50 Mile Race Start:
Saturday 5:15 AM – Finland Rec Center, Finland MN
Shuttle Bus Time:
For those taking the shuttle bus from Caribou Highlands / Lutsen (race finish) on race morning to the race start (Finland) – be on the bus by 3:45AM, ready for a 4:00 AM (sharp) departure for the 5:15 AM start (it is about a 45 minute ride from Caribou Highlands to the race start at the Finland Rec Center). Morning check-in will be held inside the Finland Rec Center and there will be plenty of space to stretch out, bathrooms, access to water etc.
Warmups:
You will have the option of sending “warmups” / clothing from the race start back to the finish – please place in a plastic bag (that you provide) with your name, race distance and race number. No valuables please.
Drop Bags:
Reminder, we do not accept drop bags on race morning, drop bags must be left during packet pickup on Friday night at Caribou Highlands – if you plan on going directly to the race start in the morning and skipping Friday Packet Pickup but would like to have a drop bag, you will need to find a fellow racer, friend or crew person to deliver it to Caribou Highlands for you / to Packet Pickup on Friday Night. All drop bags must be marked with runners name, runners distance, runners bib number and drop bag location – drop bags without this information will not be delivered. Drop bags will be delivered back to the finish line on Saturday sometime after 8:00PM.
Check-In & Re-Check-In:
Even if you have checked in the night before the race at packet-pickup you must “re-check-in” on race morning – to make it easy, we will take down your bib # number as you exit the shuttle bus at the race start – if you are not taking the bus you must check-in or re-check-in at the tables in the morning.
Know Your Bib # at Packet Pickup:
Please know your bib number when you come to packet pickup on Friday and check back in on Saturday / race morning – your bib number can be found HERE https://www.superiorfalltrailrace.com/2019-bib-assignments/
Same “New” / Modified Race Start as in 2017 & 2018:
This change was met with rave reviews the last two years, so it remains. In order to help better spread out the field before getting on to the Superior Hiking Trail we will once again be running a total of approximately 2 miles on a combination of gravel road, logging roads and wide snowmobile trail before you are routed onto the Superior Hiking Trail – this will once again be clearly marked and there will be course marshals at key intersections.
Headlamps:
Everyone will need a headlamp for the beginning of this race. It will be dark for about the first hour. Many 50 milers will finish after dark, thus needing it again later.
Bees, Hornets and or Wasps!
The bees / ground hornets and / or wasps are always bad this time of year on the Superior Hiking Trail, if you are allergic you need to be carrying your medication, ointment, EPI-Pen or whatever it is that has been prescribed to you, there are sections of trail that are 10 miles without aid (so you could be 5 miles / well over 1.5 hours from help) and if you get stung and have a reaction you need to be able to self medicate. * Do not consider starting this race if you have known life-threatening allergies to bees, hornets or wasps if you do not have, are unable or unwilling to carry your potentially life-saving medicine.
VERY VERY IMPORTANT Share / Email the following link to Your Crews and Spectators:
It is unlikely that anything a runner does will ever put another participant, crew, pacer, spectator or the Superior Trail Race as a whole in jeopardy – more likely it would be a runners crew or a spectator inadvertently doing something in a vehicle near or at an aid station that could negatively impact the race – thankfully, to date, we have had very few problems! Please review the following link and forward this link on to your crew, pacers, family members and spectators. https://www.superiorfalltrailrace.com/crew-pacer-family-member-spectators-information/ – We require that all crews, family member, friends, spectators etc. that are visiting the aid stations print and have with them the following document https://www.superiorfalltrailrace.com/wp-content/uploads/Superior-Fall-Trail-Race-Crew-Directions-V1-Revised-8-27-17-708PM.pdf – REMEMBER THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NEW CREW OR SPECTATOR ACCESS ALLOWED FOR THOSE IN THE 50 MILER AT THE SONJU LAKE ROAD OR TEMPERANCE RIVER AID STATIONS AS SPACE IS SEVERELY LIMITED – YOUR CREWS / SPECTATORS SHOULD UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCE VISIT THESE AID STATIONS AND IF THEY ARE FOUND DOING SO, YOU (THE RUNNER) WILL BE DISQUALIFIED.
Some Stuff For Sale:
As in years past we will have some cool t-shirts, sweatshirts, hats, buffs, posters, stickers and more for sale on race weekend – you can see some examples HERE https://photos.app.goo.gl/7EHBrcfwjofkdCiTA – Cash or check only.
Results, Tracking & Media:
Results will be posted live / in real time as all runners finish the race via the following link https://results.chronotrack.com/event/results/event/event-49452 – We will have live runner tracking through each aid station for the 100 MILE ONLY available HERE http://www.ultralive.net/superior100#tracking/overview (please note that this is for entertainment purposes only and we make no claim that it will always be 100% accurate or 100% up to date) – Leading up to the race and during the race we will be posting all kinds of fun photos and commentary on our Facebook page HERE https://www.facebook.com/superior100/ – follow the link and LIKE our page. If you have not yet come across it yet, there is all kinds of interesting and entertaining information on THIS https://www.superiorfalltrailrace.com/news-and-updates/ section of our website as well. A preview of this years race has been written by our good friend Kevin Langton and can be found HERE https://www.superiorfalltrailrace.com/superior-fall-trail-race-100mi-50mi-and-26-2mi-2019-race-preview-by-kevin-langton-and-john-storkamp/
Sponsors:
Along with our volunteers, sponsors are the lifeblood of our event – we work with great companies and great individuals from those companies who are passionate about our event, please check them out and if possible show them your patronage. https://www.superiorfalltrailrace.com/sponsors/
SHTA – Superior Hiking Trail Association:
The Superior Hiking Trail is one of the premier long distance hiking trails in the country, without it, there would be no race. The Superior Hiking Trail Association builds, maintains, and manages the trail with the help of hundreds of volunteers and thousands of donors. The Superior Trail Race and Rocksteady Running make significant financial contributions and provide extensive volunteer support to the Superior Hiking Trail Association each year. Please help by joining, donating or volunteering. If you use this trail in training or as a part of this race you should become a member for at least one year – it is the right thing to do. You can become a member of the Superior Hiking Trail Association HERE http://www.shta.org/ – there will also be a campaign after the race where will petition you, the runners to join or donate to the trail en masse, please keep an eye out for that and join or donate if you can.
Enjoy your taper, travel safe and we will see you on race weekend!
Thank You,
John Storkamp
Race Director
[email protected]