The Superior Fall Trail Races 100MI, 50MI & 26.2MI are extremely hilly, rugged and technical trail-races that traverse the Sawtooth Mountain Range via the Superior Hiking Trail in far Northern Minnesota. All three distances are run point-to-point, finishing at Caribou Highlands Lodge on Lutsen Mountain. The race is approximately 4.5 hours North of Minneapolis. The course parallels Lake Superior, the largest lake in the world by surface area, climbs to near 2000′ peaks with breath-taking vistas of the lake and inland forests, and crosses whitewater rivers and serene streams while traversing through boreal forests.
The Superior 100 Mile Trail Race was founded in 1991 and is the 9th oldest 100 mile trail races in the United States – Western States (’74), Old Dominion (’79), Wasatch (’80), Leadville (’83), Angeles Crest (’86), Vermont (’89), Mohican (’90), Arkansas Traveller (’91) and Superior (’91). Currently there are about 250 one hundred mile races held each year in the US alone. Superior quickly earned it’s reputation of its namesake today – Rugged, Relentless and Remote, and is considered one of the tougher 100 mile trail races in the country. 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. In 2003 a companion event, the Superior Spring Trail Race was added and takes place each May. Due to both the Spring and Fall races popularity, registration for the races are held via a lottery registration process.
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 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.
The Superior Trail Race makes significant annual financial donations to the Superior Hiking Trail Association ( in the neighborhood of $45,000.00 as of 2021 ) and the races organizers, volunteers and runners contribute 100’s of volunteer hours to the trail annually. Additionally, many of those that participate in our race are Superior Hiking Trail Association members and make additional personal financial donations to the association each year.
The Superior Fall Trail Race is organized by Rocksteady Running and directed by John Storkamp. Rocksteady Running produces several trail and ultrarunning races in the state of Minnesota. Our races are put on by longtime trail and ultrarunners. Our focus is on sustainability, runner safety, runner experience and giving back to the trail, parks and communities where our events are held. Our mission is to create experiences that facilitate connection. All credit is due to our army of volunteers and our wonderful Minnesota trail running community.
Photo Credit: Ian Corless