Upper Midwest Trail Runners

The Ice Age Trail 50K/50M races were held last weekend in the southern unit of the Kettle Moraine forest. Christi Nowak now leads the women overall and in the open class, with Maria Barton and Vicky Begalle continuing to lead the masters and grandmasters, respectively. On the men’s side Ethan Richards continues to lead overall and in the open class – but only just! None of the masters were racing this past weekend so Wayne Nelson remains on top. While in the grandmasters Bill Pomeranke’s top finish edges him closer to Rick Bothwell who also raced and continues to lead the way! The race series moves to Minnesota for the Superior 50K on May 19.

As always, drop us a line if you notes any errors / omissions. No volunteer info has been submitted for Ice Age thus far. Let us know if you were there. Full standings can be found … Continue Reading

For those of you that have run in Duluth’s Magney-Snively park – if you’ve run the Voyageur 50 Mile or the Half Voyageur Trail Marathon, you’ve passed through – you know that the trail is frequently very wet and needs work to make it sustainable. The Northern Minnesota Track Club and the City of Duluth are hosting six trail work days this spring to help bring the trails up to a usable condition. The first two work days occurred Thursday, May 3rd and May 10th. The remaining work days are:

Thursday, May 17th, 5:00-8:00pm
Thursday, May 24th, 5:00-8:00pm
Thursday, May 31st, 5:00-8:00pm
Sunday, June 3rd, Noon-5:00pm

Come out and join us! Besides having fun playing in the dirt with fellow runners, you’ll be ensuring the sustainability of one of Duluth’s greatest natural resources: it’s trails. No experience is required – just bring a pair of work gloves and your own drinking water. … Continue Reading

If you love running, athletics, and a great story about a Midwestern boy who made it big in a niche sport, you need to save Tuesday, June 19. Scott Jurek will be at Gear West Ski & Run in Long Lake to lead a group fun run (all abilities welcome) and talk about his new book, Eat & Run, which will be available beginning on June 5.

This event is being sponsored by The Bookcase in Wayzata and Gear West Ski & Run of Long Lake – the same local businesses who brought Christopher “Born To Run” McDougall to town. For more information, go to: Gear West’s Event Link

Finn Sisu (www.finnsisu.com) is sponsoring a new trail run series this summer at Lebanon Hills Regional Park.  Check it out at www.twincitiestrailrunning.com.

UMTR men showed up in numbers and in speed for the fabled Runnin’ in the Ruff 10K, with 5 finishing in the top 11 overall.  Douglas Hegley used a podium finish to reassert himself as the man to beat.  Joe Bissen and Steve Chillstrom took age group wins. Marise Widmer used a strong race to extend her lead in the women’s field.  After a week off, the series will continue at the Superior 25K.

Complete standings are available on our UMTR Trail Series page.

Almost every runner has experienced an overuse injury. Many methods claim to hold the solution to injury free running. Are injuries influenced by foot strike patterns? Please help Chelsea Rowan, a graduate student at Southern Utah University, determine if a simple change in running habits can help prevent overuse injuries. If you run more than 10 miles per week and have been running longer than 6 months, please fill out the survey! The survey will take approximately 5-10 minutes to complete. The following link will provide you with more information as well as the survey:

https://qtrial.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_cPfQe9PZmHNwTXu

From the UMTR Board: Ms. Rowan approached the UMTR asking if we could help her gather some research for this study. As this area of interest is a hot topic at the moment and our membership is a natural survey population, we agreed. We hope you will take a moment and … Continue Reading

1. When and how did you start running? When did you start running trails?

I remember running through puddles on our gravel road when I was about five years old! My parents used to do marathons when I was younger and I’d cheer them on at Grandma’s and Twin Cities. I started Cross Country in 8th grade because I felt I was too uncoordinated to do much of anything else, and LOVED it – how FUN to run on GRASS. I also liked the concept of no time-outs and no subs – it was just you out there running for you and your team. I went to three high schools and found running was a nice way to meet new friends. I also ran Cross Country in college for the pure joy of … Continue Reading

Gear West Ski & Run in Long Lake, MN is hosting the 2012 Salomon Trail Tour at their store Friday May, 18th. At this free event Salomon will be bringing 200+ pairs of demo shoes to try on the trails in the area – plus a TON of free swag just for trying things out, including water bottles, bags, stickers, DVDs, posters, and, of course, shoes.

Gear West will have a group run on nearby trails at 6:15 p.m. Demo shoes will be available to try out all day. And don’t forget, your UMTR membership gets you 20% off!

Adapted from trailrunner.com with nods to Leave No Trace and IMBA for leading the way.

Don’t Litter – Pack out what you pack in. Be mindful of “micro-trash” (the tops of gel containers, wrappers from energy bars or hard candy). Consider carrying a small resealable bag to put your garbage in (this will help to keep your pockets/pack cleaner) until you can find a trash receptacle.

Stay on the Trail – Run in the middle of the trail. Running around the puddles/mud only widens the trail, causes further erosion and negatively impacts the surrounding vegetation. If the trails are extremely wet consider running elsewhere until they dry out to minimize damage to the trail.

Don’t Litter – You are responsible for your trash. If you can carry it in full, you can carry it out empty.

Be Friendly / Don’t Startle other Trail Users – Let … Continue Reading

1. When and how did you start running? When did you start running trails?

I started running in early 2006 after I quit smoking, and I’ve been running trails since later that year. I started running trails (mostly) barefoot in 2009.

2. What’s your favorite local trail for training?

I really enjoyed the new singletrack at Elm Creek Park Reserve last summer and fall. And I’m at Lake Elmo Park Reserve a lot. I’m not really a long distance runner… yet.

3. How did you decide to try barefoot running?

I started running barefoot in September 2009, after spending most of that year suffering from PF and patellar tendinitis, because a friend casually mentioned Fivefingers. I ordered a pair, and while I waited for them to come, I did some experimental barefoot running. And nothing hurt.  … Continue Reading

We’re looking forward to having you join us for a great season of trail running in 2012! Don’t forget to renew your membership!