Wednesday, October 24, 2012

2012 Photos Added

Some photos added to our Photos page from the 2012 Wild Duluth Races.  Thanks to Todd Rowe and Eve Stein.

Also, there are a couple of errors in our results that we are figuring out and will re-post.  Please be patient.  Thanks!

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

2012 Results Posted

 2012 Wild Duluth race results posted.  Check out the Results page.

Thanks to all of the runners at the Wild Duluth races on Saturday! Once again, seeing all of your smiling faces at the finish made all of the work worth it! Thank you also for your understanding about the re-route and some of the confusing intersections that caused some of you to go off course. We hope to be back on the regular course next year which will be much less confusing. We'll also continue to try to make the event better each year. Thanks!

Monday, October 15, 2012

Important Course Update V.2.1

There has been a small change near the start of the 50K course and turnaround for the 100K.  Instead of turning off Old Skyline Parkway which crosses the Spirit Mountain ski runs, you will now turn left onto the Superior Hiking Trail Spur Trail that goes up to the Spirit Mountain Campground.  You will no longer be turning left onto a mountain bike trail.  The course directions have been updated to reflect this change.  The change is as follows:

Once past the ski runs, make a sharp Left off Old Skyline Parkway past the Spirit Mountain Zip Line onto the Superior Hiking Trail SPUR TRAIL.  The spur trail is marked with WHITE blazes.  Don't miss this sharp Lefthand turn.  If you reach paved Skyline Parkway, you've gone too far.  Follow the SHT spur trail rather steeply downhill.  Just before the intersection with the main Superior Hiking Trail, you will angle to the right on a vague deer path, follow the pin flags.  Near a small bridge on the main Superior Hiking Trail you will go directly across the main SHT and continue downhill.  This will be a confusing point on the trail.  Do not turn right or left onto the main SHT, continue straight across down the hill.  This intersection will be marked well with extra signage and possibly a course marshal.  Continue down the hill to the old DWP rail grade.

Friday, October 5, 2012

Thursday, October 4, 2012

Information Page Specific to 2012 and Course Re-route

Please refer to the new page with information specific to the 2012 course re-route.  Click HERE to go to the 2012 Race Information page.

Harder 'n He!! Information Page

Click HERE for a page with information specific to the Harder 'n He!! Half Marathon

2012 Maps

Please click the link below to view the 2012 course maps:

2012 Wild Duluth Course Maps


2012 Aid Stations and Distances

2012 Wild Duluth 50K aid stations and distances:

50K Aid Stations
Cumulative Dist.
Dist. Between
Start – Spirit Mountain
0
0
Magney-Snively #1 AS
2.5
2.5
Skyline Parkway AS
6.9
4.4
Munger Trail AS
11.7
4.8
Magney-Snively #4 AS
15.9
4.2
Highland-Getchell Rd AS
22.7
6.8
N 24th Ave W AS
27.8
5.1
Bayfront Park Finish
31
3.2

2012 Wild Duluth 100K aid stations, distances, drop bag locations and cutoff times:

100K Aid Stations
Cumulative dist.
Dist. Between
Cutoff
Drop Bag
Bayfront Park Start
0
0


Y
N. 24th Ave. W AS
3.2
3.2




Highland/Getchell Rd.
8.3
5.1


Y
Magney-Snively #4 AS
15.1
6.8




Munger Trail AS
19.3
4.2


Y
Skyline Parkway AS
24.1
4.8




Magney-Snively #1 AS
28.5
4.4




Spirit Mountain
31
2.5
3:00 p.m.
Y
Magney-Snively #1 AS
33.5
2.5




Skyline Parkway AS
37.9
4.4




Munger Trail AS
42.7
4.8
8:00 p.m.
Y
Magney-Snively #4 AS
46.9
4.2




Highland/Getchell Rd.
53.7
6.8


Y
N. 24th Ave. W AS
58.8
5.1




Bayfront Park Finish
62
3.2
12:00 a.m.
Y

Important Course Update V.2

Important course update for the Wild Duluth 50K and 100K races.  Please pass this along to your friends.

The 50K race and 100K turnaround has been changed to the upper SPIRIT MOUNTAIN PARKING LOT.  This is the same location as the Harder n' Hell Half start.  The course is now almost exactly 31 miles and will avoid the congestion and conflict with the Boo at the Zoo event taking place at the Lake Superior Zoo that same Saturday.

The new starting location will have the 50K runners drop quickly down the ski hill to the Old Skyline Parkway running across the ski hill (same old road runners cross in the Voyageur 50).  Traverse across the ski hill then drop down a switchbacking mountain bike trail to the DWP railgrade.  Then follow the railgrade as before.  This will add a significant downhill for 50K runners and a significant climb up to the turnaround for 100K runners in addition to the descent.  Adding this climb will make up for the fun climbs and descents that were lost when we had to re-route out of Jay Cooke State Park.  The views from the turnaround will be spectacular!  This will make for a more exciting and enjoyable start to the 50K and turnaround for 100K runners and avoid the congestion of the zoo. We think you'll like it!

Wild Duluth 50K Start and 100K turnaround map:



View Spirit Mountain Parking Lot in a larger map

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Wild Duluth 100K and 50K Course Update

The re-route for the Wild Duluth 100K and 50K races is set.  The Harder n' Hell Half course will be the same.

The 50K race start and 100K turnaround will be at the Duluth Lake Superior Zoo EDIT Spirit Mountain Ski Area.  The course will leave the zoo Runners will leave the Spirit Mountain gravel parking lot by dropping down the ski hill on a dirt access trail, connecting with the Old Skyline Parkway access road and turn right.  Follow Old Skyline Parkway and drop down a twisting mountain bike trail to the DWP railgrade.  Runners will remain on the old DWP rail grade, except for one detour, all the way out to where the rail grade goes over a bridge over Skyline Parkway near Becks Road.  Runners will drop down off the rail grade onto Skyline Parkway and then cross and follow Becks Road for a short stretch before dropping down old 7 Bridges Road.  Runners who have run the Voyageur 50 will be familiar with this section from Becks Road and down 7 Bridges Road.  Runners will then turn onto the Superior Hiking Trail where it intersects with 7 Bridges Road.  Once on the Superior Hiking Trail here, you will proceed the rest of the way on the Superior Hiking Trail to the finish at Bayfront Park.  100K runners will start at Bayfront and run the 50K course backwards to the zoo and then back to Bayfront.  Approximately the first 10 miles of the 50K course will be different this year.  The remainder of the course (20 miles) will be the same.

Your first impression might be that the old railgrade will suck. Well, that's not entirely the case.  From the zoo, you will rise ever so slightly all the way to the intersection with Skyline Parkway (100K runners will descend ever so slightly to the turnaround).  There is also a detour off the grade, under an old trestle that is somewhat unsafe to cross, up a singletrack trail to the aid station at Magney-Snively and then back down a rough, rocky old road/ATV trail to the railgrade.  Once this detour is completed, you'll stay on the railgrade the rest of the way...skirting some washouts, enjoying some tremendous views of the St. Louis River, and passing cool rock cuts.  It's actually pretty darn nice.  A little easier than the normal Wild Duluth course, but also about a mile longer.  I ran the whole thing to determine the distance, and it really is interesting and I don't like railgrades myself.

One thing to note.  Runners with very minimal shoes without any rockplates will have sore feet after running on the grade.  There is a lot of gravel and small rocks that poke the bottoms of your feet and they will be sore.  You may want some more beefy shoes for this section.

Complete update with maps will be posted soon.  Please refer to the main page of the website for all of the 2012 changes and info.


Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Jay Cooke is Out but Re-route Planned

I spoke with Jay Cooke officials today. The park is officially closed until at least November 1. The race will not be able to take place in the park nor will any camping or other activities be available in the park during race weekend. We will not be able to have any aid stations in the park which means Grand Portage aid station is out as well, so the course we used the first year of the race is not possible. HOWEVER, all is not lost! :-) I have a re-route in mind already and it comes out to about 31.5 miles on my mapping programs. A majority of the course will still be on the Superior Hiking Trail and it should work out just fine. I'll be out doing some more GPS work and tweaking and we'll have a real nice course for everyone come race day. Stay tuned!

Saturday, September 1, 2012

2012 Wild Duluth Races are On!

For those wondering if the Wild Duluth races will be held in 2012 due to the severe damage caused by the June flood, the answer is YES!  We will be running the races in 2012 with some re-routes necessary.  How significant those re-routes will be will be determined in the next couple of weeks.  We will be meeting with Jay Cooke State Park officials to determine whether or not we can use the park.  If not, we will have a significant re-route and we already have a route in mind.  Stay tuned!

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Online registration and Printable Registration From Updated

Go to our Registration page for updated online registration and an updated printable registration form for the 100K, 50K and Half Marathon.  Mark it down - October 20, 2012!