Sponsors

Sponsors & Partners

Sponsors provide critical support for our events. We are very fortunate to work with so many great businesses and organizations. Click on the sponsor logos below to learn more, and please if possible support them with your dollars / patronage, and / or drop them an email and thank them for supporting our event. If you are interested in becoming a sponsor you can learn more HERE.

Art and Science Family Dentistry - Woodbury, Minnesota

We are super excited to have Mill City Running as a sponsor of the Afton Trail Run! Owned by husband and wife Jeff and Bekah Metzdorff, Mill City is a culmination of their life’s passions of running and community building. Both avid runners, they opened Mill City Running in 2013 after spending a decade working in a variety of running related positions. The homegrown Minnesotans are living their dream and are excited to help you on your path to fitness. Our staff of 13 includes teachers, students, social workers, professional runners, artists and moms, all brought together by our passion for running. When you visit Mill City Running you will find a staff of experts here to help, whether you’re just getting started or a seasoned competitor. From finding the perfect shoe, to nutrition suggestions and training advice, we’ve got you covered.

Salomon is a footwear and apparel company that needs little introduction, but we will make one anyways! The Afton Trail Run is very excited to continue our longstanding relationship with Salomon! The collaboration between engineers, athletes and the trail running community gives Salomon a unique advantage in providing the very best, most innovative trail running products. Salomon supports trail running worldwide; from elite-level races to grassroots events. With input from sponsored athletes Salomon continues to evolve products and help drive the progression of the sport.

Vanicream is a proud sponsor of the Afton Trail Run. Vanicream Moisturizing Ointment will be available at our aid stations. Vanicream Moisturizing Ointment is a long-lasting ointment helps prevent water loss and soothes dry, irritated, and itchy skin and lips. Soothes irritated skin caused by rubbing associated with running, biking, and other activities. Ideal formula for dry skin associated with atopic dermatitis (eczema), psoriasis, ichthyosis, and winter itch. For dry to extra dry skin. Formerly known as Vaniply™ Ointment.

Trail Transformation is a coaching service aimed at providing you with the framework to reach your highest potential and will help you become the best trail runner you can be. Coach Jake Hegge’s background in Exercise and Sport Science and Physical Therapy allows him to address the physiology, running mechanics, injury prevention, periodization, nutrition and psychology of running. Jake will tailor your training program to your individual needs, while minimizing the risk of injury. Your training program will include expert advice and guidance throughout your trail running journey, wherever it may take you. Jake enjoys coaching runners of all abilities and can coach for any distance. In addition to being a Doctor of Physical Therapy with a B.S. in Exercise and Sport Science, Jake has run (and won) many ultramarathons around the Upper Midwest. You can learn more at http://www.trailtransformation.com/

A huge thank you to Afton Alps Ski Area for providing overflow parking for the Afton Trail Run. Just minutes from the Afton Trail Run start / finish area, Trailhead Treats at the Crest is an awesome option for a post-training-run or post-race beer, lunch or snack. Enjoy great views of Afton Alps and Afton State Park from their deck while unwinding with friends after your run. You can preview their menu HERE (subject to change from time to time).

Steve has been known to say that he is just a “so-so” runner but a pretty good realtor, we think both of these comments are extremely understated! Steve has been running some pretty good times on the trails over the last couple of years and at the same time has tons of happy customers, many of whom are runners! We like doing business with runners – they are the type of people who follow through. Having sold over 450 homes in last 14 years throughout the Twin Cities and Western Wisconsin – if you are in the market or looking to sell, get to know Steve on the trails and we are sure he will be your guy.

If you’re looking for gentle, courteous and friendly dentists we are here to serve you and your family. Our dentists, Dr. George Kinney, Dr. Thomas Musser and Dr. Renee Kinney, provide families throughout the St. Croix Valley and St. Paul, MN area with the full range of general and cosmetic dental services for every age and dental need. Dr. Renee Kinney is a trail runner and Nordic skier and excited to be a sponsor of the ATR. We are available and eager to answer any dental questions you may have. We invite you to contact us by email or by phone with your dental questions or concerns. We are here to help you. 651-739-1894 http://www.artsciencedentistry.com Part of our commitment to high-quality, personalized patient care includes providing you with information to make well-informed decisions about your oral health care needs. Our entire dental team is dedicated to providing you with an outstanding dental experience and the gentle and personalized care that you deserve.

Jerry is a reliable and trusted mortgage professional, and a trail runner! Jerry is committed to exceeding the expectations of his real estate partners and clients. Dedicated to providing the very best combination of products and rate – service and results. Jerry has been helping people finance and refinance their homes, cabins, and investment property for over 15 years.

As one of the country’s largest privately owned banks, Bell embraces a simple yet powerful commitment to our employees and customers. Our core values of family, unequaled service and giving back are at the heart of what we do. Employees and customers alike are treated like family, and Bell is recognized as a top place to work and to do business. We’re a place where people matter, and results matter. That’s the Bell difference. http://www.jshomeloans.com NMLS# 452472

Kelly Mortenson is a longtime sponsor and volunteer at the Afton Trail Run. Kelly / RunMN’s mission is to help runners whether beginner or elite reach their personal potential. Going out and running each day at the same pace can be fun and suits many runners fine, but it isn’t going to enable you to achieve the best results if your goal is an upcoming race. Simply running more each day isn’t going to maximize your potential either. What each runner needs, and what I believe in providing, is a balanced training program with a specific purpose driving each run. Getting started with a coaching program is easy – I’m ready whenever you are. All it takes is a few minutes of your time. Read about the different coaching plans I offer, and then email me to start the process. Now the real work begins!

Northwoods Running is a run coaching service that is highly personalized. Certified Running Coach Jeff Miller has over 40 years of competitive running, cycling, Ironman, trail running and ultrarunning experience. No cookie cutter programs. One-on-one time with your coach on a regular basis. You already lead a busy life, but you have goals and dreams. Most training plans are pretty rigid. Running should add to your life, not be another challenge to squeeze into it. I am passionate about running and helping others stay active and healthy — not just for a race, but for your entire life. NORTHWOODS RUNNING – Real Coaching For Real People Chasing Extraordinary Dreams. https://www.northwoodsrunning.com/

Performance Running Gym is the Twin Cities’ gym specifically for runners. Runners are a unique breed. We march to the beat of our own drummer. We are stubborn enough to hit the roads and trails day in and day out, but many of us neglect the very thing that can take our running to the next level. Strength training. That is why we created Performance Running Gym. https://www.performancerungym.com/

Get a free entry to the Afton Trail Run, lots of great swag and support a great cause by becoming a Mile in My Shoes (MiMS) FundRacer! Learn more HERE https://www.aftontrailrun.com/mile-in-my-shoes/

Rocksteady Running is proud to have Mile in My Shoes as an official Afton Trail Run charity partner. MiMS is a local nonprofit that uses the power of running to bring together people from diverse backgrounds to build connections, boost wellness, spark social change, and center people traditionally excluded from running spaces. Based in homeless shelters, addiction recovery programs and re-entry centers for people exiting incarceration, MiMS views running as a tool for both personal and collective transformation. By focusing on people and spaces often marginalized in our society, MiMS teams use movement as a catalyst for social justice. By bringing together people from all walks of life, Members not only find common ground, but learn from and reach out to one another for support.

Bill Pomerenke is an ardent supporter of many trail and ultrarunning events and organizations in Minnesota. We are thrilled to partner with Bill as our official real estate sponsor of the Superior Spring Trail Race. Why an official realtor partner for a trail run you ask… well, Bill can help you find a house near any of our great trail running venues and that equals more trail time, what could be better! Visit http://www.buyandsellwithbill.com

We thank St. Croix Law and Joel Button for their support of the Afton Trail Run! The St. Croix Valley is a special place to live, raise families, do business, and prosper. Superb legal guidance is a valuable component of assuring the continuity of our interests and assets. St. Croix Law provides such legal guidance for anticipated and unexpected matters. Our sense of community is a major benefit of living in this area. The importance of discretion, trust, integrity, and accountability are perhaps higher in our lives. St. Croix Law recognizes the value of legal counsel that knows you professionally as a client and treats you as a neighbor.

Critical Connections Ecological Services Inc.

CCES owners and local ultrarunners Jason and Amy Husveth have been long time supporters of Minnesota trail / ultra-running and the Afton Trail Run. We thank Jason, Amy and CCES for providing detailed course mapping / modeling for the Afton Trail Run. Critical Connections Ecological Services (CCES) is a natural resource and ecological restoration consulting firm based in Marine on Saint Croix, Minnesota. The company was originally incorporated in 2000, with the goal of providing the highest quality scientific expertise and innovative environmental solutions to local municipalities, state and federal government agencies, and select private clientele. CCES provides a number of environmental services including large-scale natural resource inventories, greenway and open space planning and design, land cover mapping, focused botanical inventories, rare plant surveys, natural community restoration design and implementation, wetland delineations, wetland mitigation design and monitoring, and technical/scientific report writing. Furthermore, we excel at integrating detailed natural resource field data into GIS, CAD, and database software applications, enabling our clients to make cost effective and ecologically sensitive land use and land management decisions.