Hi Friends!

In the first part of this email I am going to talk about the Superior Spring Trail Race, later in the email I will provide updates on Afton, the Superior Fall Trail Race and the Endless Summer Trail Run Series.

We are excited to announce that we will be holding a Covid-modified Superior Spring Trail Race on May 20, 21, 22 & 23, 2021. We will run the 12.5K, 25K and 50K each of the four days. There will be ten, 15 minute start windows to choose from each morning. Runners will not be grouped, held and released at the start, instead it will be a time-trial type format – start whenever you are ready within your chosen 15 minute start-window. We will provide a safe and physically distanced check-in experience, start line, a marked course, hands free water dispensers out on the course, drop bags transported for 50K runners, the overall event safety net you have come to expect from us, a finish line, chip timing / results, and a shirt and medal mailed to you in the weeks after. The 25K and 50K race courses are slated to be the same as normal – the 12.5K will be a modified out and back course and not quite as interesting as the point to point course of years past, this in order to eliminate busing. Please note, this entire event will be extremely low key. It will be much more a personal challenge to do by yourself or with a couple of friends or family already in your bubble vs the full-blown race experience of past years.

If you want a better idea of what to expect prior to signing up, ask around ( HERE is a good place https://www.facebook.com/groups/rocksteadyrunningcommunity ) and get feedback from those that ran our Zumbro race earlier in April. I also wrote up a brief recap about Zumbro HERE that you may find helpful https://www.zumbroendurancerun.com/2021-zumbro-recap/

Throughout the day today (April 22) runners that made it through last year’s Superior Spring Trail Race lottery and were subject to last year’s cancellation will be sent a special invitation to register (invitations will be rolling out slow throughout the day). This invitation will be sent to the email address that you used to register for the 2020 race. If you don’t see the invitation, please check your SPAM folder, if you still don’t see it (by the end of the day) and would like to run, please contact me so I can get you squared away. Starting on April 28, registration for any remaining spots will open, first come first served to the general public, no lottery.

** VERY IMPORTANT. We are requiring that anyone who plans on registering for this year’s race, please read THIS in its entirety prior to signing up https://www.superiorspringtrailrace.com/superior-spring-trail-race-2021/

Finally, here are some updates for those that are wondering about our other remaining events this year:

Afton Trail Run – we are hopeful that it will happen, Covid-modified of course. Afton is always held the first Saturday in July – this year that is Saturday July 3. Given ongoing state guidelines for running events, associated capacity limits and a busier than ever Afton State Park, we expect that this will be a multi-day event, exactly how many days TBD.

Superior Fall Trail Race – we are hopeful that it will happen. The Superior Fall Trail Race is always the Friday and Saturday after Labor Day. This year those dates are Sept 10 & 11. While we expect that events this Fall will still be subject to many Covid-modifications, our hope is that the races can be held over two days only (read; as normal) with numbers close to our usual field limits, but this is all yet to be seen.

For both Afton and Superior Fall, it is important for you to note; that currently, the Minnesota DNR, one of our primary permitting agencies, will not review or approve permit applications outside of 60 days. As a result of this, as things sit today, we are not announcing event specifics or opening registration outside of that window. Until state restrictions change / ease, registration for events will not be opening until we are very close to the event dates.

Endless Summer Trail Run Series – unfortunately several of the usual series races will likely not be happening, this due to parks that are busier than ever, and event economics – ESTRS always having been a very unique event in that it is a full-fledged race for only $25. That said, we do hope to be able to figure out how to hold one or two of them, later in the Summer.

That is all I have for you today – As always, thanks so much for your time!

Thank You,

John Storkamp

Rocksteady Running
john@rocksteadyrunning.com
Zumbro, Superior(S), Afton, Superior(F), ESTRS

Superior Spring Trail Race
50KM, 25KM & 12.5KM
Lutsen, Minnesota
Saturday May 16, 2020
50KM 7:00AM
25KM 8:00AM
12.5KM 9:00AM

Registration / Lottery:
Opens Wednesday January 1st, 2020 – 12:01AM CST
Closes Wednesday January 15th, 2020 – 11:59PM CST
* Due to high demand, registration for the Superior “Spring” Trail Race is held via a lottery, more details about the lottery can be found HERE

Directions to Race Start:
Caribou Highlands Resort / Lodge
371 Ski Hill Road
Lutsen, MN 55612
Google Maps Directions HERE
Approx Travel Times
1:15 North of Two Harbors, MN
1:45 North of Duluth, MN
4:00 North of Minneapolis, MN

Terrain / Course Description:
The Superior 12.5KM, 25KM and 50KM Trail Races are extremely hilly, rugged and technical out-and-back (100% trail) trail-races which traverses the Sawtooth Mountain Range on the Superior Hiking Trail in the far reaches northern Minnesota .  The course parallels Lake Superior, the greatest freshwater lake in the world, climbs to near 2000′ peaks with breath-taking vistas of the lake and inland forests and crosses whitewater rivers and serene streams while meandering through mystic Boreal forests.  The races start and finish at Caribou Highlands Resort in Lutsen Minnesota.

Superior 50KM
25KM Out & Back Course = 50KM (31MI)
Elevation Gain 4,200 FT
Elevation Loss 4,200 FT
NET Elevation Change 8,400 FT
4 Aid Stations
9 Hour Time Limit
Starts at 7:00AM Saturday
Compete 50KM Info HERE

Superior 25KM
12.5KM Out & Back Course = 25KM (15.1MI)
Elevation Gain 2,300 FT
Elevation Loss 2,300 FT
NET Elevation Change 4,600 FT
1 Aid Station
8 Hour Time Limit
Starts Saturday at 8:00AM
Complete 25KM Info HERE

Superior 12.5KM
12.5KM Point to Point Course. 12.5KM = 7.75MI
Elevation Gain  900 FT
Elevation Loss 1,050 FT
NET Elevation Change 1,950 FT
NO Aid Stations
7 Hour Time Limit
Starts Saturday at 9:00AM
Complete 12.5KM Info HERE

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.