A rugged, relentless, remote point-to-point across the Sawtooth Mountains on the Superior Hiking Trail, paralleling Lake Superior the entire way. Founded in 1991, it’s the 9th oldest 100-mile trail race in the United States and one of the true legacy hundreds.
Quick facts
- Location: Gooseberry Falls State Park, Two Harbors, MN (start) to Caribou Highlands Lodge, Lutsen, MN (finish)
- Date: September 11–12, 2026, 8:00 AM Friday start
- Distance: 102.9 miles point-to-point, 95% technical single-track, 38-hour cutoff
- Website: superiorfalltrailrace.com
- Contact: RD John Storkamp, Rocksteady Running — via the site’s contact page
- Registration: 15-day lottery, January 1–15. A Western States 100 qualifier and 6-point UTMB qualifier.
Course description
A point-to-point run south to north along the Superior Hiking Trail, tracing the ridgeline of the Sawtooth Mountains above Lake Superior’s North Shore through boreal forests of birch, aspen, pine, fir, and cedar. The course climbs to near-2,000-foot peaks with sweeping vistas of the lake and inland forest, crosses whitewater rivers and quiet streams, and includes a shin-to-knee-deep ford of the Split Rock River around mile 6.5. Runners take two short, well-marked spur trails off the main route to reach the Split Rock and Finland aid stations before rejoining the Superior Hiking Trail. It is 95% technical single-track — rocks, roots, and constant elevation change define nearly the entire route.
Elevation change
17,350 feet of elevation gain and 17,350 feet of loss, for a net elevation change of roughly 34,700 feet — constant rolling climbs and descents along the ridge rather than a few large mountains, which is part of what makes Superior feel harder than its total vert alone suggests.
Aid stations
13 aid stations along the route, including Split Rock (mile 8.5), Beaver Bay, Silver Bay, Tettegouche (mile 33.3, where hot soup starts appearing), County Road 6 (mile 42.6, first pacer access), Finland (mile 50.5, a mandatory spur-in/spur-out station), Sonju, Crosby-Manitou, Sugarloaf, Cramer Road, Temperance, Sawbill, and Oberg before the finish at Lutsen. It’s a cupless race — runners must carry a reusable cup for water and soda. Some stretches run up to 10 miles between aid.
Special conditions & average temps
Early September on Minnesota’s North Shore can swing from highs in the mid-80s to lows in the mid-30s within the same race, with rain a real possibility; official average high/low is 65°F/47°F, with recorded extremes of 81°F and 37°F. Cell coverage is unreliable across most of the course. Bees, ground hornets, and wasps become active in late August — runners with known allergies must carry their own medication, since some sections run 10 miles between aid stations. Most runners need lights by Silver Bay for the overnight hours.
Recent results — top 3, men & women
2025
- Men: 1. Jakob Wartman 20:13:02 · 2. John Vallez 20:39:19 · 3. Joe Laue 21:06:33
- Women: 1. Rachel Turi 25:36:15 · 2. Shannon Hogan 25:47:42 · 3. Andrea Louwagie 27:40:00
2024
- Men: 1. Scott Wopata 20:54:03 · 2. Andrew Warg 21:42:54 · 3. Ross Ring-Jarvi 21:49:05
- Women: 1. Cheryl Matson 27:41:54 · 2. Erica Thomas 27:58:30 · 3. Kellee Brown 28:17:10
2023
- Men: 1. Kyle Moss 19:40:16 · 2. Andrew Warg 22:38:08 · 3. Patrick Griffith 23:17:11
- Women: 1. Gretchen Metsa 21:54:10 · 2. Jaclyn Noshay 25:20:30 · 3. Margaret Macdonald 27:16:01
Registration deadline & how to get in
Entry is via a 15-day lottery each year, January 1–15, through UltraSignup — read the full Participant Guide and Registration Info page before entering, since there are no refunds, transfers, or distance switches under any circumstance. Superior is an official Western States 100 qualifying race and earns 6 UTMB qualifying points, and is also part of the Upper Midwest Trail Runners Gnarly Bandit and Ultra Series.
Traveling to this race? Find lodging near the venue via Hotels.com.