Volunteer Communication 1 2013

Date: Wednesday June 2th, 2013
Subject: Afton Trail Run Volunteer Email 1 2013

Afton Trail Run Volunteer Team,

First off, we want to thank all of you for your willingness to volunteer at this years race – we could never put on a race of this magnitude without the help of volunteers like you. We are super excited to have a great field of nearly 600 runners and about 100 volunteers to help out on race day.

The race is coming up quick (Saturday July 6th) and volunteer positions are being finalized – there could still be a few tweaks here or there before race day but the assignments that you have been seeing on the website are pretty much dialed in now https://www.aftontrailrun.com/volunteer-assignment/. Be sure to sort the list on the volunteer assignments page by name as many of you have more than one position and also by position so you know who you are working with. As always, when managing so many people it is inevitable that we will make a mistake or two with scheduling, so if there is a problem or conflict please let us know. As a rule if you did not provide a finish time or number of hours you are available to work, we assumed that you are in to the bitter end, if this is not the case, again, please let us know! Conversely, if you want to do more, comer earlier, stay later or come Friday (and you have not been assigned to do so) we will not turn you down!

Please be sure to use the website as a resource to familiarize yourself with where you are going, what your doing, whats involved etc. A list of volunteer jobs (what they entail, where to go and when) can be found HERE https://www.aftontrailrun.com/volunteer-jobs/ Be sure to learn everything you can about the race from the website so you can be a resource for runners, spectators and fellow volunteers on race day. Aid station volunteers, if you have never worked an aid station before, this might be helpful https://www.aftontrailrun.com/volunteers/resources/aid-stations-101-2/
If you do not have a state park pass, just come in and park, the state park counts cars and we pay for all those without stickers. Your aid station captain or position leader will be given your shirts to hand out to you, if for some reason you don’t see yours, please be sure to find us so we can get one for you. Once your aid station or position is done, please be sure to come to the finish area and have something to eat at the post-race-picnic – (those at Aid Station 5, we will send something out to you as you will be there until the very end.)

Again, thank you, and please let us know if you have any questions – we look forward to seeing all of you on Saturday July 6th at the Afton Trail Run.

Thank You,

John Storkamp

Race Director

Afton Trail Run
http://www.aftontrailrun.com

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.