Superior 100 Mile Endurance Run 2026
I went into this event knowing that I might not finish it and I was okay with that. It wasn’t really the goal in 2026, at least not after the Creede 50 Mile attempt. I did keep the door open though. I still packed all my aid station bags and dropped them off on Thursday night in Two Harbors.
Jesse and I left around 12:30pm on Thursday, September 10, 2026 and headed to Larsmont. I thought our lodging was Superior Shores if that tells you anything about where I’ve been lately. We stopped at about every rest area as hydration was the most important thing on the drive up. We also stopped at a wayside rest on the scenic route between Duluth and Two Harbors for a dip in Lake Superior. It was cold and refreshing at the same time.
We were able to check in at Larsmont a bit early and started getting organized. I had all of my drop bags packed from earlier in the week with calorie and electrolyte dense drink mix and three types of SiS gels. Isotonic is the best in my opinion.
We left Larsmont around 4:30pm and headed to Gooseberry Falls just to time it out. On the way through Two Harbors we stopped at Subway and grabbed a bite to eat. The door was heavy but we made it inside. After we ate, we headed to Gooseberry. It took about 25 minutes from our hotel to get to the spot where the event would kick off. We probably could have just mapped it but we had some time to kill and it was nice to see the road in case there was construction or anything requiring us to leave earlier on Friday morning. There wasn’t.
On the way back to Larsmont we stopped by packet pickup at the 4H building in Two Harbors, picked up #121, bought a couple of RSR things at the things table and Scott Rokis took my before picture. After stopping to chat with John and Todd for a minute, Jesse and I headed back to Larsmont to finish preparing for Superior.
It had been seven years since I toed the line at a fall race. I didn’t realize it had been that long until the ride up. From 2013 to 2019 I was there every year and finished three times, in 2014, 2018 & 2019. In addition, three Superior 50 Mile finishes and DNF’s in 2013, 2015 & 2016. I love this course. I love these people. I love this environment and I love this event. It will always be a part of me.
The bed was harder than I am used to but I still slept pretty well. It was fun to watch football with Jesse and we were up an at ‘em as the sun came up on Friday, September 11, 2026. My alarm was set for 5:58am. After a cup of coffee I heard a rumbling from outside the window. It was Jesse. He had dropped a jar of pickles and pickle juice was all over everything. I actually didn’t mind and would have been fine if everything just smelled like pickles but Jesse found a sweet laundromat in Beaver Bay after race start and got it all cleaned up.
Once we got sorted out we left Larsmont and headed to Gooseberry. The mood changes at some point prior to all ultramarathons. It’s part of what makes these events special. There’s a depth to the idea of what’s about to happen that is difficult to explain. Even though I knew this could be a short course for me, that depth showed up in full force. I am thankful to have felt it.
Once we got to Gooseberry there were lots of cars, more than I can ever remember. This race has grown but it didn’t feel different. It was great to see so many familiar faces, some people I hadn’t seen in seven years. There were lots of people that I’d never seen before, more than I thought there’d be.
Another example of how things have been going lately, John needed to call my name as I forgot to check in at the race start. It was a bit embarrassing but what are you going to do… John told us about the course markings, the rocks, roots, mud and weather and we were off. Jessie Diggins was there, maybe the most decorated cross-country skier in American history. She would go on to win the female title in a little bit over 25 hours. Congratulations Jessie!
The course winded back through private land after the private land owners had revoked easement rights for a number of years. We covered ground on snowmobile trails and dropped down to the road at Split Rock Trailhead before heading to the aid station.
This trail is different from most. It’s known as one of the hardest, most technical hundreds in the country. It’s relentless. The rocks, roots and hills never stop coming. Most of the events, at least the longer ones, in the last few years for me, have been long sustained climbs in the mountains of Colorado and these climbs are more punchy and they keep coming. There are more steps and a great range of motion is required to scale them. The descents are quad busting and my knees began to feel the downhills.
Leaving Split Rock I felt good and was ready to go to Beaver Bay. I think it will rain here. It was not too bad but it did make the rocks, roots and boardwalks a bit more slippery than they were without it. As I visualized for this race I had a hard time recollecting this section and I do now even as I write this. It was great to spend some time with Troy on the trail and a few miles flew by as the rain started and registration provided a solid pacer. Congrats on your finish Troy.
It was good to see Jesse at Beaver Bay. I changed into different shoes and socks since the rain soaked the ones I was wearing. The water bottles were already full when I pulled in and I felt great leaving. As I headed through the tunnel Aaron showed up. Once again another built in pacer and it was great to catch up. Aaron, you’re a beast on the hills and Roll Tide. Congrats on your finish.
Jesse was at Silver Bay too and so was Susan, not running, but supporting other runners on their way to Lutsen. It was good to see you Susan. This is one of the most infamous sections on the whole course and it didn’t disappoint. The hills are shorter than I remember and, looking back, even though it felt like I was moving super slow, I could have probably continued once I got to Tettegouche. At the top of mount Trudee I saw Scott, told him this was my last section and we looked off into the distance as clouds rolled in and darkness devoured the sun. The storm was moving North and there was a chance it wouldn’t hit the course. I had texted Jesse hours before, just before my phone died, to let him know this would be my last section. It wasn’t my last section because I wasn’t able to continue. I’m not sure why it was my last section but I’ve come to realize that I don’t need to explain myself to anyone.
Performance Run Gym had their tent set up at Tettegouche and it was good to see Aaron. The Ham operators already knew Jesse was in the parking lot waiting for me and I turned downhill and ran to the car. We would soon be on the road, back home.
The official DNF reads 32.4 miles in ten hours flat. Every time I’ve ever left that course under my own choosing I have always wondered if it was the right decision. I’ve beaten myself up over DNF’s in the past. This time, I’m ready to move on and see what’s next.
One thing that I realized as I look back on the weekend is how many new faces I saw. There were a lot of familiar faces too and it was good to see everyone. I saw Cheri, John, Jason, Brian, Troy, Troy, Susan, Aaron, Laurel, Matt, Mark, Todd, David, Maria, Bill and so many others. Jesse was still right there by my side. We had a pretty good rhythm going through Tettegouche even after he dumped pickle juice on everything.
The sport of ultramarathon is strong. The lessons learned from pushing through when it seems too hard to continue are transformational. I believe, even though I chose not to this year, pushing beyond what most people perceive as limits is part of what we are called to do. It truly does take a village. After not being here as a participant since 2019 I realized how special this place is and how special these people are.
I felt missed. I felt like people were happy to see me at Superior. I’m not sure why I am surprised by that. There is no judgement in ultramarathon. The people accept each other as they are and are excited to see you no matter how you show up. I’ll always be a part of this community and I don’t think it’ll be seven years until I come back again.
Congratulations to everyone who toed the line at The Superior 100 Mile Endurance Run 2026. It was great to see so many new people and so many familiar faces. No matter how far you made it or decided to go, I hope you found what you were looking for. Happy trails.
Thank you to all the photographers who were out there taking pictures. I know pictures aren’t the reason we do these things but it is always fun for me to go through and see how I showed up. Thank you to Christine Armbruster, Cindy Baron, Jenny Birkinbine, Tone Coughlin, Alex Falconer, David Gamache, Pete Hagen, Rava Istifadah, Andy Lohn, Mary Luebke, Emiliano Monroy, Scott Rokis & Emily Tidwell, Tryg Solberg, Mike Wheeler, Anna Woletz, David Markman and all of the others. It’s always a pleasure to see you on the trail.
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