General
This is a winter event! The race staff, volunteers, sponsors, etc. is NOT responsible for your lack of preparation! The weather can be mild, up to 33F degrees during the day. It can also be very cold and windy, down to -20F. Make sure you are conditioned physically and mentally and have all the proper clothing that you need. It wouldn’t hurt to carry some extra heat pads. If you are unsure of your abilities, please have a support crew that can aid you along the way.
Have fun, be courteous to other athletes, and don’t hesitate to help someone in need. Be safe, don’t take any unnecessary risks. This is NOT the Olympic trials, so leave your ego’s at home.
Use common sense. Don’t try to bend or sneak around the rules, we have a zero tolerance policy. We are all grown adults, don’t act like you are still 5yrs old. Don’t cheat by cutting the course. If you are caught, we’ll just ask you to not come back.
Starting Times
We will be starting in waves, five minutes apart from each other in the following order:
- 8:00 am – 48 mi Cycling Men & Women
- 8:05 am – 88 mi Cycling Men & Women
- 8:10 am – All Running Teams
- 8:15 am – 48 mi Running Men & Women
- 8:20 am – 88 mi Running Men & Women
There is a mandatory meeting at 7:30 am for all racers at the pavilion near the start line.
Directions (East Superior St. and Lester River Road, Duluth, MN 55804) – Mapquest – Google Maps
Parking
Parking is on Lester River Road, as soon as you turn off of Superior St. there is a parking lot on the left. There is no charge for parking.
The start/finish line and packet pick up is in the park at the pavillion across the river from the parking lot.
If you need any more assistance or have any questions, please call Tone Coughlin (Race Director) – 218-721-2571. If I don’t answer, please leave a message!
Time Limit
There is a 24 hour time limit for all categories and races. If you are planning to participate, please be aware of the time cutoff in your training preparations.
Protests
All protests must be taken up with the race promoter and be put in writing within 30 minutes of crossing the finish line. Multiple witnesses will help your case.
Emergency
Stay to the right! There are some sections of the trail that are 30 ft wide, plenty enough to pass. Anyone caught deliberately riding on the left side of the trail, will be issued a 5 min time penalty. 2nd offense is an automatic DQ.
All athletes, including running teams must have a small emergency bivy and a cell phone on them at all times! Anything can happen out here, and you could be stuck in the woods by yourself for hours on end.
We will have several course marshals on the trail with sleds, enforcing these rules. There will also be sag wagons, picking up tired, injured, or broken down athletes.
All athletes must yield to snowmobile traffic and obey all trail signs including stops! There are several heavy traffic road crossings that will not be manned. Failure to obey these rules during the event, could result in a disqualification.
Refunds
No athletes will be reimbursed. Sign up and show up, no excuses.
Support Crews
It is not mandatory to have a support crew, but strongly suggested that you have someone that knows where you are at on the course at all times. Support crews cannot assist their athletes with any mechanical issues. They are allowed to feed, change clothes, etc. You can feed & hydrate your athletes as much as you like.
Nutrition
Athletes must carry at least 1 liter of water from the start line, runners can carry 1 small water bottle. All solo athletes must leave the start line with an equivalent of 1 energy bar and 2 gel packs or more.
Cycling
Bib Numbers must be placed on the left side of your back. Do not fold, wrinkle, cut, or modify your bib numbers.
Required Equipment
At registration check in, riders are required to show they have the proper equipment ready to race with them.
Tubes & Pumps
All riders must have 2 tubes with them. A small functional pump is also required. You must show that it is functional.
Helmets
You are not a European professional, all cyclists must wear helmets! Helmets must be ANSI or SNELL approved. There are a lot of road crossings with traffic that does not stop and snowmobiles that ride up to 60 mph.
Running Teams
Runners are allowed to relay exchange only at major checkpoints. See map for details.
Nutrition
Teams do not run as far as solo athletes, so you must carry at least 1 small water bottle on a waist belt or hand and 2 energy gels each time you exchange runners.
Bib Numbers
Each time a runner exchanges, they must hand over their race number to the next runner.
Runners
Bib numbers must be placed on the front of your body, either by waist belt or pinned to your jersey/jacket. Do not wrinkle, fold, tear, cut, or modify your bib numbers.
You must also carry 1 small water bottle out of the start with 1 energy bar and 2 energy gels.
No Yak-Tracks or snowshoes are allowed. If you need traction, wear cross country spikes.
The race organization (sponsors, volunteers, emergency crew, land owners, county and state) reserves the right to stop or DQ any athlete at any time for not using common sense. We also are not responsible for you or your crew. You are willingly participating knowing that you can finish this event without injury, hypothermia, etc. and obey all trail crossings yielding to oncoming and crossing traffic.
