2026 Fall Superior 100 Race Report

10 finishes on this course. I’m still trying to wrap my mind around it.

“Take your best pony & ride it into your worst fear,” was the tagline to my running blog, Miles along the road of life, that I started September 22, 2005. I have been writing race reports, and writing about my running for 21 years. 21. Years. My running self is more than old enough to drink!

I ran my first marathon in 2003. I ran with Team in Training & figured I’d only run one marathon, so I signed up & completed the Honolulu Marathon. (Guess I was wrong about that one & done idea!) I have run a marathon or longer every single year since then. 76 races so far, ranging from marathons, to Ironman distance triathlons to ultra marathons over 250 miles.

People will say running shouldn’t define you. I’m pretty sure at this point, it is a defining part of my life. And let’s be clear, every mile, every run, every race, is truly a gift.

Superior 100 this year was such a gift. Coming off Cocodona in May, my training felt lackluster & inconsistent for what I would “normally” do leading up to this race. I only had a few weeks of really solid training before it was time to taper, as a nagging hamstring kept me humbled.

Race morning dawned & my bestie, Alisha, & I made our way to Gooseberry State Park with 250 or more other runners. The weather forecast was predicting late afternoon thunderstorms & the temps were warm enough that shorts and tank tops were enough even while mingling at the starting area.

The race started & it wasn’t long before Alisha was a few paces ahead of me. I’m a slow starter, and knew that if she got out ahead of me, I wouldn’t be able to catch her. My only hope was to catch up with her at the first aid station, as she would need to refill bottles and I was set until the second aid station at Beaver Bay, mile 18.

I shared some of those early miles with two other long time Superior runners, Tracy & Kathy. Kathy & I had a lovely chat about grief, losing parents, and the magic that they are always still with us.

I passed through the first aid station at Split Rock enroute to Beaver Bay. I had gotten separated at the aid station from my friends, Tracy & Kathy, and was running on my own. I would be running solo for the remainder of the race. I did not have any pacers lined up & was actually looking forward to the night sections on my own. In all of my times here, I have always had a pacer or buddy to run the night with.

The clouds had moved in & the sky started to rumble. Ominous was the word I would use to describe it. The sky was unsettled & it was thundering, but I wasn’t sure where it was coming from. The course is so technical that pulling my gaze from the trail to the sky would definitely result in a trip or fall. So I just kept moving. The first rain drops hit at 11:30am. Not just a little drizzle, but actual soaking rain, along with that continued rumbly thunder. I pulled out my trekking poles and continued on.

Rain & wet boards can make for slick conditions. PC RSR photographers.

The day continued, Beaver Bay, Silver Bay, Tettegouche aid stations. It continued to rain & rumble on and off. If it wasn’t actually raining, the humidity was so high that it felt uncomfortably warm. Everything was wet. I worked on keeping a positive mindset - “this is a gift,” was my mantra every time the trail opened up and I could run a bit more.

Coming down Mt Trudee, I was so hot, I took off my hat. PC Scott Rokis.

Getting to the County Road 6 aid station before dark is always a goal of mine. I didn’t quite make it this year. Because of the thick clouds and rain, I had to turn my light on in the woods before getting there. Once I arrived, Matt & my friend, Ali, helped me get organized for the night sections. I wouldn’t see Matt again for another 30 miles.

I left County Road 6 and it was onward to Finland, Sonju Lake Road & the Crosby aid stations. The night was wet - it was either raining or humid. My skin started to chafe under my pack. At the Sonju Lake Road aid station I made sure to lube up the irritated skin with a protectant cream that ended up burning like crazy. The volunteers commiserated with me as they saw the conditions my sides were in. The space on my torso below my rib cage where my pack & the top of my shorts rubbed was already completely raw.

For the first time in the race, I put on headphones & some music as I left the Sonju Road aid station. It was 1 in the morning, and I knew the next few sections would feel long. I kept my strong hike/run as I made my way to Crosby Manitou aid station, mile 62.

Once there, I used a bit of time to refill all my bottles, change socks, relube my skin & make sure that I was ready for the upcoming 9+ mile section. I continued to feel good, with steady energy as I left the aid station and descended into the Manitou River gorge. The wet rocks & on going rain/high humidity made this already technical descent even a bit more sketchy. I took my time, using my poles and managed to make it down to the river unscathed. Then it’s the long climb out, the unending horse shoe ridge followed by wet, mucky trail before the runnable section leading to the Sugarloaf aid station.

The day started to brighten as I finished the last few miles of this section. At the Sugarloaf aid station I ate some food, grabbed a few things from my drop bag & scooted on out to get to Cramer Road another 5+ miles down the trail.

The marathon starts Saturday morning at 8am at the Cramer Road aid station. Historically, I have been arriving there just before the marathon kicks off. On one hand the energy of the marathoners can be helpful, but on the other hand, getting passed by all the super fast folks can be a little annoying, even though they are usually super encouraging to us 100 mile runners.

This year, as I approached Cramer Road, I could hear the pre-race marathon announcements, and I anticipated arriving shortly after they had started. Having never done the marathon, I’m not exactly sure how they route the start of that race, but as luck would have it this year, I was in the final quarter mile of trail before the aid station when the marathon leaders started to pass me. You want to feel like you are moving at a snail’s pace - get passed by the lead men & women of a marathon 75 miles into your 100 mile race! As usual, they were super encouraging, but I was relieved to get to the aid station & get out of their way, while the remainder of the marathon field continued on.

Once in the aid station, I showed my badly chafed sides to Matt & Ali, and they dug Tegederm out of my crew bag & started applying it to my skin. Tegederm is this skin protectant sheet of material that is used for burns & sometimes for fresh tattoos. A number of years ago, I had a similar issue & a race volunteer had some that saved my skin. Since then I have been carrying it preventively! I was so glad to have it here! I changed my shirt & Matt gave me a freshly made breakfast burrito to take for the next section.

The day was heating up & I found myself pretty uncomfortable. Between my horribly chafed sides, the new day of full sun & more humidity, and the effort of getting through the night solo, I was finding myself at the brink of a low. After Cramer Road, I passed a number of the slowest marathoners, on the way to the Temperance aid station. From here there are only 2 more aid stations before the finish. I told myself that I could take a bit longer at Temperance aid station, but then would push through the final 2 aid stations to get this done.

At Temperance, I changed my shorts and my socks. I was hoping that a fresh pair of shorts would help that chafing, by just changing where they sat on my sides. I’m not sure it actually helped, but fresh shorts & socks were nice nonetheless. I left Temperance and then it’s a big push over Carlton Peak; once I was on the backside of Carlton Peak I was hit with my biggest low of the race. Tears, sobs & emotion hit like a ton of bricks. No one was around, which was ok - I didn’t need another runner to come by & ask if I was alright (trail runners are so good about that - pull off on the side of the trail & basically everyone will check in with you.) I just needed to let the emotions run their course. And they did, by the time I arrived at Sawbill aid station, I was less emotional. Still low, still uncomfortable, but knew I only had one option - continue on.

I spent very little time at the Sawbill Aid Station. Check in with my crew, grab some calories for the trail & off I went. Soon after, my friend, Dan, was passing me on a training run of his own. I asked him for a pep talk, and while I don’t remember all that he shared with me, I do remember feeling better. Thanks, Dan. I needed your wise words.

I hit the Oberg aid station with continued determination to get this done as efficiently as I could. I knew from the start, this wasn’t going to be a year for a personal best. But I also wanted to hold myself to a standard of 32-33 hour finishes that I have maintained for many of my 9 other finishes.

In and out of Oberg aid station, I was headed to the finish. 7+ miles with 2 challenging climbs stood between me & getting my pack off. I was horribly uncomfortable. I was still feeling quite warm, my sides chaffed to open wounds, and my feet barking with each step. (Sounds great, doesn’t it? When can I sign up for the next one?? haha!) But we can do hard things. It was all temporary. My skin would heal & my feet would feel better as soon as I stopped. So we push on. My time between Oberg & the finish line was my 2nd fastest time on that section in all of my Superior finishes.

I started checking off the landmarks on the way to the finish, the turn on the trail where when it’s clear you can see/hear the finish area, the SHT campsite at Mystery Mountain, the fresh boards that lead you down to the river crossing. The river crossing. It’s iconic. I stopped for a moment to take it in. I had pulled my ear buds out already, so I could be fully present in these final miles. Then it was the final push to the finish, maybe a mile to go. Up the two track around the gondola, past the condos, and soon I was there. Last year I hated the finish route as it was different from previous years. This year, I was determined to run as much of it as possible.

The Superior Finish Line is always a welcome sight. Everyone cheering and there are so many friends around, it makes this so special. Another year. Another finish. Number 10. What a ride it has been.

Finally getting the pack off! PC Tone Coughlin photography

Thank you to Matt, Alisha, Ali, Wade, Rich & Katie; all the race volunteers, John & Cheri the race directors & all the volunteers that make this race happen. Thank you to each of you for reading & supporting me along the way. Cheers to you!

And until next time, “Take your best pony & ride it into your worst fear.”