St. Paul ultramarathoner cruises to fastest known time on Superior Hiking Trail

DULUTH — Alan Chapman left the northern terminus of the Superior Hiking Trail early last Monday with a 28-pound pack on his back, and the sun rising over the Minnesota-Canadian border.

Five days, 14 hours, 12 minutes later, he successfully set the unsupported fastest known time running the rugged 300-mile route along the North Shore of Lake Superior.

Chapman completed the challenge without support, relying on just the scant items he could carry in a pack — mostly food, but also a first aid kit, sleeping pads and his phone. He was chasing a record set in 2020 by Jeff Rauenhorst, whose time he beat by more than 3 hours.

The finale was surreal, said Chapman, 40.

"When I rounded the corner and saw my wife and the Wisconsin border, the main things I felt were gratitude for the experience, relief that it was over, fatigue, and also hunger — immense hunger," the St. Paul ultramarathoner said.

The Superior Hiking Trail runs from the top of northeastern Minnesota to a deeply wooded spot south of Duluth near the Wisconsin border. It has 41,000 feet of elevation change —most significantly in the peaks of the Sawtooth Mountains — and a diversity of terrain.

This goal was part of Chapman's progression from marathoner to trail runner to an ultramarathoner who has competed in races along portions of this route. After a 100-miler, his ambition grew: He wanted to experience the whole trail all at once, he said.

Chapman's run had a few hiccups. He had to double back a mile after leaving his phone at the Caribou River, where he was drawn in by the purity of the water and rock formations and took time to care for his feet. As he approached Finland, Minn., there was a thunderstorm that turned the trail into a river. Thunder clapped and trees snapped off around him, he said. He was twice stung by hornets as he neared the finish.

Chapman slept in short spans on the trail, using the mats he carried for a bit of comfort, and ate calorie-dense bars, dehydrated meals prepared in cold water, gummy worms and potato chips.

In addition to colorful hallucinations, including trailside piglets, he saw real porcupines in front of him, seemingly running at the same pace. During a stop, he was charmed by a 3-inch diameter swirl of water he described as "the tiniest, cutest little eddy you've ever seen."

"Maybe it's experience like this that tune you into the magic that happens in normal moments every day that you're not in tune with," he said.

John Storkamp, who hosts trail races through Rocksteady Running, said there are only a handful of serious attempts to set a record each year. The time, logistics, training, fitness and experience narrow it down to a niche group of people who are interested or able, Storkamp said.

After posting to the Superior Hiking Trail Association's Facebook group — along with a link to his GPS tracking system — Chapman drew a following as he progressed, support he asked be kept to the page and off the trail. He didn't want his time nullified if it looked like he was getting in-person encouragement.

This was Chapman's favorite trail before he set the record; hundreds of miles later, it remains so.

"It's got character," Chapman said. "It's like any human, where it's got some amazing traits that are incredibly attractive. It's got its flaws. And seeing it all at once like that, being able to survey its entire character and personality, was a unique experience."

After finishing, Chapman reported, he went back to his father-in-law's house and fell asleep in the bathtub while eating pizza.