Photo Credit Mike Wheeler
Greetings Runners,
With just three weeks to go I wanted to check in and extend an early welcome to everyone. I will, as usual, be sending out our final / week-of ‘2025 Afton Trail Run Runner Welcome’ email, with final updates and more about one week out from the race, but I wanted to share a handful of things with you prior to that…
The 32nd annual Afton Trail Run is on Saturday July 5 2025. If your plans have changed and you can no longer make it to the race, there is no need to contact us. We will know you are not running if you do not show on race day.
If you have friends or family thinking about signing up, registration is open until Thursday June 26, 2025 at 11:59PM CST, or once the field limit has been met. Please give the nudge to those around you so nobody that is intending to run misses out. Those signed up by the end of day on June 15 will have their names printed on their bib numbers.
Now is a good time to study up on the Afton race website – everything you need to know about getting to the race, the distance you are running, and the race course can be found there.
VERY VERY IMPORTANT PARKING DETAILS. It is EXTREMELY IMPORTANT that you understand how parking works for the Afton Trail Run. Most participants will park at Afton Alps and will have a 15 to 20 minute walk up to the race start. Detailed information is available via the 25KM and 50KM race info pages and a recap of the information is available HERE https://www.aftontrailrun.com/parking/
As I have been training for an early summer goal race myself, it has been fun seeing so many of you out at Afton ‘running the loop’ on the weekends. We have also been out weed whipping and clearing trails at the park over the last few weeks and everything is coming together nicely for race day!
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T-Shirts:
After a three year hiatus in order to do some different hat styles, we are back to t-shirts for 2025. We are very excited about these! All registered runners and volunteers will receive one.
While not the most common raptor you may spot on a run at Afton State Park, we chose this stunning illustration of a Peregrine Falcon for this year’s shirt in order to represent all of the incredible raptors that one can see at Afton State Park, in the St. Croix River Valley, and throughout the state of Minnesota. The Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus), which occurs on every continent but Antarctica, is probably the most wide-ranging land bird in the world. Despite its broad distribution, this falcon came dangerously close to extirpation in the United States in the 1950s and 1960s and declined significantly in many other parts of its range. It was listed as a Minnesota endangered species in 1984, downgraded to threatened in 1996, and downgraded again to special concern in 2013, where it remains today. These reclassifications reflect its improved conservation status in the state since it was originally listed in the 1980s. The Peregrine Falcon is readily distinguished from most other raptors by its long pointed wings, narrow tail, and strong direct flight, all typical of falcons. The Peregrine Falcon is best distinguished from other Minnesota falcons by its large size combined with extensive black facial markings. Adults have dark blue to slate gray upperparts, white throats, and spotted or barred underparts. In the past, Peregrine Falcons in Minnesota nested on cliff ledges along rivers or lakes. Presently, they are often spotted on buildings and bridges in urban settings and also use historic eyries on cliffs along Lake Superior and several lakes in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and along the Mississippi River in the rugged bluff country of the southeastern part of the state. Because Peregrine Falcons specialize in direct aerial pursuit of avian prey, they prefer open non-forested areas for hunting. A fun fact often cited is that Peregrine Falcons are known as of the world’s fastest birds; in power-diving from great heights to strike prey, the Peregrine may possibly reach 200+ miles per hour.
Beyond the giveaway t-shirt we will as always we will have all kinds of Superior and RSR goodies available for sale at the race (including a companion poster and sticker with this years t-shirt design). We also have items available on our website HERE https://www.rocksteadyrunning.com/shop/
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Afton Trail Run Wood Print Map and Elevation Charts:
We are happy to offer these super cool Afton Trail Run course map and elevation chart art prints for sale again in 2025. We produce these prints with a close friend of ours, in his local shop. Each print starts its life as a full sheet of plywood that we are going and picking up, transporting, ripping to size, routing, sanding, printing, packing and transporting to the race(s). If interested, you can learn more and place your order for in person pickup on race weekend HERE https://forms.gle/HiD9aCbfpxrB8EG66
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As always, a huge thank you to the Afton Trail Run sponsors and partners. Please take a moment to click the link and check them out https://www.aftontrailrun.com/sponsors/
If you are not quite ready to get back to what you were doing, linger a few more minutes and get stoked for what’s to come! https://www.aftontrailrun.com/photos-2024-highlights/
That is all I have for you today – thank you for your time. We can’t wait to see you all in three weeks!
Thank You,
John Storkamp
Race Director
Afton Trail Run