2023 Volunteer Thank You

by | Jul 8, 2023 | Volunteer Thank You's

Trail time with friends – Photo Credit Cary Johnson   I have a confession to make. As I’ve gotten older, there are times I have feigned, hedged and ‘toned it down’ as to not sound like a running / endurance sports fanatic. Surely running...

2022 Volunteer Thank You

by | Jul 6, 2022 | Volunteer Thank You's

TRECs Volunteers at Afton 2022 – Photo Credit Cary Johnson   After the last volunteers departed Afton this year, I did a ‘once over’ of Afton State Park and Afton Alps, then hopped in my truck to bring the first of a couple trailers back to...

2021 Volunteer Thank You

by | Jul 7, 2021 | Volunteer Thank You's

Wednesday July 7, 2021 TO: 2021 Afton Trail Run Volunteers Dear Friends, A few of you had a chance to meet him over the weekend, the new(ish) State Park staff member who is a retired Army Chaplain. Not having been on staff in 2019, this weekend was the first time he...

2019 Volunteer Thank You

by | Jul 8, 2019 | Uncategorized, Volunteer Thank You's

Monday July 8th, 2019 TO: 2019 Afton Trail Run Volunteers Dear Friends, My good friend Jason is pretty well known for telling it like it is. He rarely sugarcoats anything, a trait that I usually like (when his words are ones that I want to hear) and sometimes dislike...

2018 Volunteer Thank You

by | Jul 8, 2018 | Uncategorized, Volunteer Thank You's

Sunday July 8th, 2018 TO: 2018 Afton Trail Run Volunteers Dear Friends, Another year is in the books. This one just so happened to be a significant milestone as it was the 25th running of the Afton Trail Run. That is a quarter of a century, perhaps with some luck the...

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.