Description / Narrative / Protocol:

Bus liaison(s) will be there to greet the buses that take 12.5K runners to their race start when they arrive (about 7:45AM), hold them back from the start of the 25K race until it has started, guide them into the Lutsen surface lot / “bus stop”, answer any driver questions and answer any runner questions. Wear a fluorescent safety vest (located in race trailer).

See THIS diagram https://www.superiorspringtrailrace.com/wp-content/uploads/Superior-Spring-Trail-Race-Bus-Staging-and-Pickup-Diagram-Map-Revised-5-7-23.jpg

See the Caribou Highlands diagram HERE https://www.superiorspringtrailrace.com/wp-content/uploads/superior-spring-trail-race-finish-area-diagram-rev-4-30-22.jpg

Narrative: Buses for the 12.5K should stage on Ski Hill Road well back from the Lutsen gravel surface-lot turn-in / not pull into the parking lot until the 25K race has started and the road has cleared. The lot is across Ski Hill Road from Caribou Highlands – 371 Ski Hill Road, Lutsen MN 55612. We start the 25K race from Caribou Highlands at 8:00AM and want all of those runners clear before we pull the buses in to pickup the 12.5K runners. 12.5K runners have been told that the busses depart at 8:15AM We hope to have the busses staged on Ski Hil Road by 8:00AM, moved in front of the Caribou Highlands Lodge by 8:10AM, loaded by 8:20AM and departing by 8:25AM. It is an approximate 10 minute drive to the 12.5K race start at Cathedral of the Pines Camp – 760 Caribou Trail, Lutsen, MN 55612. The hope is to have runners unloaded by 8:40AM for the 9:00AM race start.

A few questions runners may ask:

What time does the 12K start? 9AM

Is there water at the start? No

Are there toilets at the start? Yes

Can I send “warmups” back to the finish? Yes

Is there an aid station on the 12.5K course? No

Is there anywhere to bail out on the 12.5K course? No

Day: Friday Start: 8:15 AM Finish: 9:45 AM

Report To: Race Director at Caribou Highlands

Description: Travel with small team to the start of the 12.5K race start on Caribou Trail. This includes the RD, one person from the timing team, the 12.5K course sweepers and an additional helper or two.

Responsibilities: Help facilitate the start of the 12.5K race which starts at 9:00AM per THIS plan https://www.superiorspringtrailrace.com/wp-content/uploads/12KM-Race-Start-Layout-Logistics-Plan-Revised-5-7-23.jpg

The direct link to this information is https://www.superiorspringtrailrace.com/volunteer-jobs/#oberg

Important: Note that the aid station open and close times listed below are projections based on current course record times – you should  plan to arrive well before the earliest projected arrival time of the first runner to allow ample time to setup your aid station and be ready for the first runner.  

Day: Saturday

Open: 7:15 AM Saturday (First expected runner approximately 7:50 AM – Arrive early for time to setup)

Close:  2:00 PM Saturday (last runner expected around 1:30PM – add time for cleanup and teardown)

Cutoff: 1:30PM Saturday

Report To: Oberg Mountain Aid Station / Aid Station Captain – Sam Olson

Description:
The Oberg Mountain aid station is located at mile 7.6 of the 25 KM, where it also serves as the turnaround point for that race. 50 KM runners likewise reach the Oberg Mountain aid station at mile 7.6, and revisit it at mile 23.4 on their return trip.  First expected 50K runner in to this aid station around 7:50 AM.  The Oberg Aid Station Cutoff is 1:30 PM (17:00 minute miles or 3.5 MPG average for 50K runners)

Driving Directions:
Turn off of Hwy. 61 at mile post 87.5 (Forest Rd. 336 or Onion River Rd.) Go north approximately 2.2 miles to parking area on left side of road.

Responsibilities:
Work the aid station see Aid Stations 101!

Parking and Traffic Control:
The United States Forest Service asks that the Oberg Trailhead parking lot be used for non-race-related parking only.

The Oberg aid station captain understands how parking and traffic control is supposed to happen. Specific parking and traffic control leaders will also be assigned. These “leads” will work with the aid station captain to rotate aid station volunteers in and out of the parking and traffic control position throughout the day so nobody has to do it all day (unless there is someone who prefers to work this position).

Volunteers helping with parking and traffic control should politely communicate with those entering the parking area to determine if they are “with the race” (i.e. spectators, volunteers, crew etc.) if so, those folks should park on the road – all other trail users should be allowed into the lot to park. THIS guide illustrates exactly how / where parking is permitted https://www.superiorspringtrailrace.com/wp-content/uploads/Superior-Spring-Trail-Race-Spectator-Guide-v1.pdf

Ham Radio volunteers and aid station captains may have their vehicles in the parking lot if desired, additionally, race supply / resupply should be allowed into the lot along with folks from our medical staff and the Race Director.

Questions about any of this?  Please ask!  This is a very critical task and it is critical that we interface well with the public / those not associated with our race!  Thank you!

Related Information:
Maps and Directions
Aid station Supplies Provided
Aid Stations 101

Day: Saturday Start: 9:00 AM Finish: 5:00 PM

Report To: Cheri Storkamp or other designated lead at race finish line at Caribou Highlands

Description: Work finish area (as opposed to the finish line itself)

Responsibilities: Assist runners, answer questions, liaison between runners and medical volunteers, keep food and drink replenished, assist with merchandise sales, interface and assist finish line and timing volunteers as needed, clean-up and tear-down.

Related Information:  NA

Day: Saturday Start: 9:00 AM Finish: 5:00 PM

Report To: Race Director or designated lead at finish line at Caribou Highlands

Description / Responsibilities: Work finish line; hand out medals, assist runners, answer questions, interface with and assist timing volunteers as needed, liaison between runners and medical volunteers, help with cleanup and load-out at end of day.

Related Information:  NA

Report To:
Race Director @ Finish Line / Caribou Highlands Patio / Pool Area

Description:
Final Clean-Up, Tear Down and Haul-Out

Responsibilities:
Help us hit it home!  Everyone is tired at the end of a long race day but we need to make one final push until every last piece of equipment is in the trailer and the area is cleaned up – if you can stay and help – that is just huge!

Related Information: NA

Report To: Race Director

Description: Shadow / Assist Race Director

Responsibilities: Stay with race director to act as right-hand

Related Information: NA

Day: Saturday Start: Saturday 6:00 AM Finish: Saturday 4:00 PM

Report To: Ham Radio Coordinators Rick and Jayne Johnson

Description: Provide communications for race – a team will be stationed at each aid station.  Assignments / times will be provided and emailed to HAM Radio team by HAM Radio Coordinator.  https://bwarc.wordpress.com/

Responsibilities: Communications

Related Information: NA

The direct link to this information is https://www.superiorspringtrailrace.com/volunteer-jobs/#logistics

Day: Saturday Start: 5:45AM Finish: 5:30PM

Report To:
Caribou Highlands – Logistics Lead, Scott Radke

Description & Responsibilities:
Most of the supplies will be loaded and distributed out of a large sprinter van driven by the logistics lead. If space in the Sprinter is an issue, some water or supplies may get broken out and loaded into another logistics volunteers truck / SUV. Distribute supplies to each aid station and pick up supplies when aid stations close. Bring additional supplies out to aid stations and refill water as needed throughout the day. Set up two road signs (caution race in progress) on Sawbill Trail and one on Onion River Road.

VERY IMPORTANT: Always check in with HAM Radio when you arrive at a new location; Finish, Oberg or Sawbill. They may have instructions for you. Stay in touch with your fellow logistics volunteers throughout the day via text and call.

VERY IMPORTANT / THE CRUX – Timing and Coordination:
Meet at Caribou Highlands at 5:45AM and do any final loading of water and supplies. Depart Caribou Highlands by 6:20AM at the latest. It is a 15 minute drive to the Oberg Aid Station. Arrive at Oberg Aid Station by 6:45AM and drop supplies for aid station captain Sam Olson. It takes about 15+ minutes to unload. The first runners is expected in at Oberg at 7:55AM. Depart for Sawbill by 7:00AM, it is a 15 minute drive. Arrive at Sawbill Aid Station at 7:15AM and drop supplies for the aid station captain Dale Immerfall. The first runner is expected in at Sawbill at 8:35AM.

Water:
There is likely enough water being dropped off at each aid station to make the entire day. That said, it needs to be monitored, and as good as the aid station captains are, they get busy and may not be monitoring super closely. You can do the following. Get a count from the HAMS of how many runners are yet to come through an aid station. Then get a count of remaining / full (7 gallon) water jugs. You can then run some quick ‘race math’ scenarios – example; 130 runners yet to come through, each will take 20 ounces of water. 130 X 20 = 2600oz / 128oz per gallon = 20 gallons / 7 gallons per water jugs = 3 water jugs needed.

Food / Resupply: 
There will be some extra food and snacks in the race trailer. There will be a few extra camp stoves as well. If an aid station runs out of something that we do not have in the trailer, it can be procured from Tofte General Store or Holiday Gas Station. Scott can purchase with his card, Cheri can provide cash, or if time is an issue, other logistics volunteers can charge it and we will reimburse (please save your receipts).

** This document is a work in progress and I am open to suggestion on how to refine it / inprove its accuracy. Thank you.

Related Information:
https://www.superiorspringtrailrace.com/maps-and-data/

The direct link to this information is https://www.superiorspringtrailrace.com/volunteer-jobs/#parking

Narrative:
Participant, spectator and volunteer parking for the Superior Spring Trail Race start and finish, takes place across Ski Hill Road / directly to the east of Caribou Highlands lodge in Lutsen’s large gravel surface parking lot. While runners and spectators that are staying at Caribou Highlands Lodge will be parked on Caribou Highlands property (to the west of Ski Hill Road), those staying elsewhere / traveling up from Duluth on race morning, etc., will park in Lutsen’s lot on the east side of Ski Hill Road.

Parking volunteers will report to the ‘parking lead’ [ Edward Sandor in 2025 ] at 5:00AM on Saturday morning at the ‘all black race trailer’ adjacent to runner check-in, which is held behind Caribou Highlands under the large white party tent. Parking volunteers will be issued fluorescent yellow safety vests so they are visible / easily identifiable by motorists and will be issued radios (parking uses channel 1) so they can communicate with other parking volunteers. The parking ‘lead’ will be issued an orange fluorescent safety vest so they are easily identifiable to parking volunteers, and others. If you are running late, grab those items for yourself from the trailer and report to the large gravel surface parking lot on the other side of Ski Hill Road from Caribou Highlands, introduce yourself to the parking lead in person, or announce yourself over the radio. The parking task should be wrapped up by 9:00AM.

Parking is an extremely important volunteer position. We place an extremely high level of importance on this task. Parking is our first touchpoint with participants on race day, and we want it to be a good experience for them. It is important to note that is great as our trail running community is, people can be weird in the morning, when in their cars, and nervous with anticipation for their race – kill them with kindness! Importantly, if parking is not managed, people do not park efficiently, and we run out of parking. It is also very important to note that Lutsen Mountain owns the majority of the parking lot that we use for both the Spring and Fall race and graciously allows us to use it for both races – we need to manage parking well so they continue to allow us to use their parking lot for the races.

The parking lot is an irregular shape and parking spots are not delineated (painted / striped). The goal is to get cars parked in an orderly manner, making the best use of available space in the parking lot, while helping to ensure no cars or infrastructure are damaged. Common sense goes a long ways.

Please also see this diagram.

Capturing the race in pictures is such an important and appreciated part of the event. We love working with hobbyist, aspiring and professional photographers. Most folks that shoot with us have a DSLR, mirrorless or other decent camera of some kind. In order to fully cover the race, we aim to have photographers on all three race courses and at the finish line.

If you have hosting for your other photography work already (Google Photos, Flickr, SmugMug, etc.) that works great – after the race you can upload your photos and provide a link for us to post on the race website. If you do not have anywhere to host photos, get them to us after the event and we will host them on our own Google Photos account (giving you credit for the photography of course).

Please know that we respect, value and appreciate your work!  We ask the following of all of our participants: “If you are sharing or posting photos for personal use, it is always good form to credit the photographer. If you’d like to use an image for a commercial purpose (e.g. publish in a magazine, use to promote a product etc.), please contact photographers for permission and terms of use.”

Examples of past years work can be found HERE https://www.superiorspringtrailrace.com/photos/

Monday is the day all the equipment comes back out of the trailer and gets cleaned, dried and put away, it is no small feat!  If you would like to help you are more than welcome, please email for more details / directions on where to go.  Takes place in the Twin Cities – 25 minutes south of St. Paul, MN.

Day: Friday Start: 6:00 AM Finish: 9:30 AM

Report To: Cheri Storkamp or other assigned ‘lead’ at Caribou Highlands

Description: Help Check in runners and facilitate the start of the race.

Responsibilities: Unload equipment, make coffee, check in runners,  clean-up, pack-up.  Morning Packet pickup starts at 5:30 AM.  50KM starts at 7:00AM, 25KM starts at 8:00AM and 12.5K starts at 9:00AM

Related Information: NA