RACE WEEK RUNDOWN
Welcome to our Race Week Rundown! Here, you’ll find everything you need to know about your race day experience. Please take a look, and if you have any questions, do not hestiate to reach out to us at lutsen99er@ltevents.zendesk.com
Welcome Racers,
On behalf of this great community of Lutsen, our Lutsen 99er volunteers, local fire and search and rescue department, Lutsen Mountains, Visit Cook County and Life Time Fitness, the Healthy Way of Life Company, we are honored to provide you with a very warm and gracious welcome.
Nearly 125 years ago and after exploring the shoreline of Lake Superior while fishing from a boat, C.A.A. Nelson is forced to find shelter during inclement weather in a small bay at the mouth of a north shore river. It was there he discovers the virgin wilderness beauty of the area he named Lutsen and quickly files a homestead claim for $14. Shortly thereafter, C.A.A. and his wife begin a lifetime of providing hospitality and sharing of this great land with visitors now extending through four generations of the Nelson family.
The Lutsen 99er, 59er, 49er, and 25er start and finish are all staged at Superior National at Lutsen Golf Course. The golf course was yet another dream of the Nelson family. George Nelson, Jr, grandson of C.A.A., was with the famed 10th Mountain Ski troops in World War II. After returning from the Northern Italy Theater shortly after the war, George completes one of his dreams for this special area and opens Lutsen Mountains in 1948. In the late 1980’s, George Jr and his wife Patti donated nearly 360 acres of pristine land to the people of Cook County to develop a masterpiece of a golf course. The golf course opened in 1992 with unmatched beauty not otherwise found in golf courses throughout the entire country.
Lake Superior will serve as your backdrop as you begin your bike journey from the clubhouse area as it leads you up and through the ancient Sawtooth Mountains, around inland glaciated lakes, across glacial eskers and through trails and forest roads of unparalleled wilderness beauty and splendor. As you begin to find your way to the finish line, you will experience some of the spectacular beauty of the course as you weave you way down from the mountain onto the golf course and to the finish line right back from where you started. The Nelson family could not have scripted this better….the combination of this 99er event taking place covering two legacy properties. Wow!
Take some time while riding to enjoy this special area. And most important, this event is about family, friends, building community and camaraderie. Have fun, be safe and enjoy all of God’s wonderful creation. You are truly in for a treat.
Best Regards,
Mike Larson and Jana Larson, Co-founders
Lutsen Representative – 99er Team Members
FRIDAY, JUNE 27th
2:00 PM – Venue Opens
- Location: Superior National Golf 5731 MN-61, Lutsen, MN 55612
3:00 – 8:00 PM – Event festivities
- Check-in
- Live Music
- Food onsite: T-Rex Inferno (pizza), Big T’s Rollin Smoke BBQ, Honey Badger Bites, and Superior National’s beverage carts with hot dogs and brats!
- Fulton beer and North Shore Winery sampling
- Location: Superior National Golf 5731 MN-61, Lutsen, MN 55612
3:00 – 5:15 PM – Little Niners check-in
- Location: Visit Cook County Info Tent at Superior National Golf Clubhouse 5731 MN-61, Lutsen, MN 55612
5:30 PM – Little Niners Event
SATURDAY, JUNE 28th
5:00 AM – Breakfast Options
5:30 AM – Parking Open
5:30 – 6:30 AM – Check-in
- Location: Superior National Golf Clubhouse
7:00 AM – Start of Fika Watch Party!
- After you drop off your rider(s), head down to Fika Coffee for the watch party. Cheer on your friends and family as you sip on a North Shore Blend coffee and chomp on a delicious donut!
7:30 AM – Start of the 99ers
7:32 AM – Start of the 59ers
7:34 AM – Start of the 45ers
7:36 AM – Start of the 29ers
4:15 PM – 7:15 PM – Pre-awards party with live music, food, and drink!
- Location: Outside at Caribou Highlands
7:30 PM – Awards Ceremony
- Location: Outside at Caribou Highlands
*Note – GPS File Users: There are some minor areas where these GPX files are not totally accurate. The course will be marked for the event.
Need a checklist? Here’s something to get you started:
- Bike
- Helmet
- Cycling glasses
- Cycling shoes
- Shoe covers
- Cycling rain jacket
- Wind vest
- Arm warmers
- Consider – Knee and/or leg warmers
- Consider – Base layer for each day of riding
- Long sleeve warmer jersey for potential colder riding
- Shorts
- Socks
- Gloves
- Sunscreen
- Chamois cream
- Your planned nutrition (optional)
- HR monitor/power device/GPS (optional)
- PRO TIP: bug net – light, packable, and might want to have in case you get stuck fixing a flat on the side of the trail…
5:15 AM – 7:15 AM – BAG DROP OFF
- Drop your bags at the Bag Drop Vehicle near the front of the SNG Club House
Where will your bag be on course?
- Mile 32/68 | Spectator Zone | Sawbill & The Grade
- Note:
- Athletes must provide their own bag.
- Drop-off and pick-up will be in the front of Superior National Golf Club House.
When will my bag return to the venue?
Expect to pick up bags at 5:00 PM.
The Spectator Viewing area can be found at Mile 32/68, located at Sawbill & The Grade. Please see the map before for reference.
Have a family member or friend racing and you want to track your athlete in near-real time? Head to link below and sign up for SMS updates. You’ll get a notification every time your athlete crosses a timing split.
Please note: due to back country terrain, there may be lag time on SMS alerts based on cell signal availability.
TRACK YOUR ATHLETE
Aid Station Locations:
29er
- Aid 1 | Mile 17.5 | Barker Lake
45er
- Aid 1 | Mile 22 | Rice Lake
- Aid 2 | Mile 33.8 | Barker Lk Road
59er
- Aid 1 | Mile 22.5 | Rice Lake Rd
- Aid 2 | Mile 35 | Rice Lake Rd
- Aid 3 | Mile 46.2 | Barker Lake Rd
99er
- Aid 1 | Mile 22.7 | Rice Lake Rd
- Aid 2 | Mile 36.2 | The Grade
- Aid 3 | Mile 50.8 | 600 Rd
- Aid 4 | Mile 64.1 | The Grade
- Aid 5 | Mile 72.4 | Rice Lake Rd
- Aid 6 | Mile 83.6 | Barker Lake Rd
We will have GU Energy products such as Roctane energy drinks, gels, and waffles, as well as Bobo’s PB&J, Fig, and Oat bars at all aid stations. Additionally, you can find water and electrolyte hydration options. Please plan to stop and open your hydration pack or bottle to allow contactless filling from a volunteer. Don’t miss Pretzelized snacks, Hoist Hydration, Splendor water, and Mighty Spark Meat Sticks once you cross the finish line. Then you can celebrate with a beer from Fulton Brewing or a Cider from North Shore Winery – all tabs located on your bike plate.
Want to learn more about these products, check out their websites!
29er Course Cutoff Times:
Minimum Pace Average to avoid cutoffs: 4.4 MPH
- 11:30AM – Aid 1 | Barker Lk
45er Course Cutoff Times:
Minimum Pace Average to avoid cutoffs: 6.5 MPH
- 11:00AM – Aid 1 | Rice Lake/ATV Trail
- 12:42PM – Aid 2 | Barker Lk Road
59er Course Cutoff Times:
Minimum Pace Average to avoid cutoffs: 7.6 MPH
- 10:30 AM – Aid 1 | Rice Lake Rd
- 12:07 PM – Aid 2 | Rice Lake Rd
- 1:35 PM – Aid 3 | Barker Lake Rd
99er Course Cutoffs Times:
Minimum Pace Average to avoid cutoffs: 9.2 MPH
- 9:58AM – Aid 1 | Rice Lake Rd
- 11:26AM – Aid 2 | The Grade
- 1:01PM – Aid 3 | 600 Rd
- 2:28PM – Aid 4 | The Grade
- 3:22PM – Aid 5 | Rice Lake Rd
- 4:35PM – Aid 6 | Barker Lake Rd
The Awards Ceremony will be held outside at:
Caribou Highlands
371 Ski Hill Road
Lutsen, MN 55612
Awards Breakdown
99er, 59er, and 45er awards will be 3 deep in each category:
*Note: Overall winners will be removed from Age Class awards.
Age Groups are based on your age as of race day.
- Overall Men
- Men 16-29
- Men 30-39
- Men 40-49
- Men 50-59
- Men 60-69
- Men 70+
- Overall Women
- Women 16-29
- Women 30-39
- Women 40-49
- Women 50-59
- Women 60-69
- Women 70+
- Para Men
- Para Women
- Non-Binary
- Single Speed Men
- Single Speed Women
- Tandem
- Fat Bike
29er awards will be 5 deep in the below categories:
- Overall Men
- Overall Women
29er awards will be 3 deep in the below category:
- Overall Non-binary
The Life Time Lutsen 99er is a qualifier for the Life Time Leadville Trail 100 MTB.
There are a minimum of 35 LT100 qualifier coins up for grabs at each of the Leadville Race Series qualifier events.
- Qualifier coins will only be given to athletes who finish the longest distance race.
- Coin winners MUST BE PRESENT at the awards ceremony and claim their entry immediately.
- Coin winners must complete and pay for their registration for the Leadville Trail 100 MTB during the designated time offered.
- All registration fees for the LT100 MTB are non-transferable, nonrefundable, and subject to the Leadville Race Series deferral policies.
The 35 coins will be distributed based on overall, age group, and division performance, as well as an event lottery at the end of the awards ceremony.
PERFORMANCE-BASED COIN DISTRIBUTION
The performance based coins will be distributed to the top overall performances, as well as the top performances of each category. The distribution is simple:
- OVERALL: The 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place of the men’s and women’s overalls will each receive a coin. Overall winners will be removed from their respective age groups. Any coin that is not accepted by the overall winners will go into the lottery.
- All remaining categories, with the exception of the fat bike category, will receive (1) coin for the top podium spot.
- If an athlete from the age group or division categories elects to not accept their slot, the coin will “roll down” to the next top athlete in their category until accepted.
LOTTERY
- The event lottery is available to all official finishers who completed the 99er distance within the official course cutoff time.
- TO ENTER THE LOTTERY: simply put the lottery tear-off tab bearing your unique number from your bike plate into the drawing when they are called for after the awards ceremony.
- Names will be randomly drawn in the lottery from all eligible and interested athletes to distribute these coins until none remain.
Visit our LT100 MTB Qualification System page for more information
Parking onsite at the Superior National Golf Course can be found on the venue map below.
Overflow parking can be found at the corner of Highway 61 and Ski Hill Road, just a short walk or ride from the golf course. Please only park on the EAST SIDE of Ski Hill Road referenced by the red line on the map below.
If you are planning on using the rider drop off located at North Shore Winery, please note that this is drop off only, and should not be used for parking.
PLAN AHEAD + PACK SMART
- Know the Course – Study the route, aid stations, portapotty locations, and terrain before race day.
- Pack Light + Right – Bring only what you need (hydration packs, snacks, gear); consider reusable or biodegradable gear.
- No Littering – Be prepared to deposit waste at aid stations throughout the course or back in the finish expo area. Intentional littering on the course will be grounds for disqualification.
BATHROOM RULES
- Use Portapotties – Provided along the course and at aid stations. No exceptions.
RESPECT THE LAND
- Leave What You Find – Don’t move or take objects.
RESPECT THE LOCALS
- Be Courteous – Don’t block driveways or disrespect residents. Your behavior reflects on the entire race.
Peter Spencer
Event Manager
Joe Wilkinson
Marketing Manager
Ryan Esser
Athlete Services Manager
lutsen99er@ltevents.zendesk.com
Lily Burns
National Account Manager
Emily Jeffers
Volunteer Coordinator
emilyj@brushpoint.org