Afton 2021 Registration Opening Soon!

Jun 2, 2021 | Race Updates, Uncategorized

I am excited to announce that we will be holding (a modified) 27th annual Afton Trail Run, over two days; Friday July 2 and Saturday July 3, 2021!

The special invitation registration period for those that were registered for the canceled 2020 race will start on Wed June 2 and will end on Mon June 7 at 11:59PM. Registration for everyone else will open on Wed June 8 at 9:00AM and close on Thurs June 24 at 11:59PM OR once the field limit has been met.

VERY IMPORTANT: Anyone interested in registering needs to read THIS https://www.aftontrailrun.com/afton-trail-run-2021/ in its entirety prior to signing up so they understand what will be different for this years race.

Those that were registered for the 2020 race will have the first opportunity to register via a special invitation that we will be sending out today, Wednesday June 2. The invitation will be good until Monday June 7 at 11:59PM, after which, we will open up registration to everyone else. If you do not use the invitation to register between June 2 and June 7, you will still be able to sign up by going to the registration page on our website like everyone else. (Note, If you have a chance today, please go into your email settings and “whitelist” / tell your mail server not to SPAM emails coming from info@ultrasignup.com so the special invitation makes it to you.) If you do not see your invitation by 5PM CST on Wednesday June 2, please contact me and we will get you sorted out.

We look forward to seeing many of you at Afton!

Thank You,

John Storkamp

Rocksteady Running
john@rocksteadyrunning.com
Zumbro, Superior(S), Afton, Superior(F), ESTRS

Afton Trail Run
50KM & 25KM Trail Races
Afton State Park – Hastings, Minnesota
Saturday July 4, 2020
• 50KM 6:30AM
• 25KM 7:30AM

Registration:
Opens Wedneday January 1, 2020 at 12:01AM CST
Closes Friday June 26, 2020 at 11:59PM CST
*Or once the field limit has been met
Complete Registration Details HERE

Directions to Race Start:
Afton State Park
6959 Peller Avenue South
Hastings, MN 55033
Hastings, Minnesota
Google Maps Directions HERE
Approx 25 minutes East of St. Paul, MN and 40 minutes East of Minneapolis, MN

Terrain / Course Description:
The Afton Trail Run consists of a hilly 25K loop (two loops for the 50K), winding through Afton State Park’s trail system. The race is held 100% off road, primarily on very runnable / not very technical single double and single track. There are 7 long climbs per loop, rising from the river valley and down again with a good mix of rolling and flat terrain between the hills.  Be sure to see maps, elevation charts and stats provided on this website HERE.

50KM:
2 x 15.5 mile loops =  31 miles
Elevation Gain 4,670 FT
Elevation Loss 4,670 FT
NET Elevation Change 9,340 FT
11 Aid Stations
9 hour time limit
Complete 50KM Info HERE

25KM:
1 x 15.5 mile loop = 15.5 miles
Elevation Gain 2,335 FT
Elevation Loss 2,335 FT
NET Elevation Change 4,670 FT
5 Aid Stations
8 hour time limit
Complete 25KM Info HERE

More About the Race / Area:
The Afton Trail Run is one of the most challenging and beautiful trail races around.  The race was established in 1994 and is now one of the oldest, largest and most competitive trail races in the country and routinely draws runners from all 50 states and beyond.  The race takes place entirely within the borders of Afton State Park.  Afton State Park lies on a glacial moraine, scribed with deep ravines running down to the St. Croix River.  The 169 mile St. Croix River was one of the original eight United States rivers to have significant portions placed under protection by the National Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968.  Within the park sandstone outcrops have been exposed in some of the ravines. The vertical drop from the blufftop to the water is 300 feet.  A few patches of remnant prairie survived the decades of farming that took place on the blufftop. Today the former fields are being restored to prairie and oak savanna. The ravines leading down to the riverbank are thickly wooded with oak, aspen, birch, and cherry.