Eugene Curnow Trail Marathon
- Date: 12 July 2025
- Distance: 26.2 mi
- Start: Duluth Superior Zoo, Duluth, MN
- Finish: Munger Trailhead, Carlton, MN
- Ascent: 2,969 ft
- Descent: 2,566 ft
The Eugene Curnow Trail Marathon is run over rough woodland trails on a point-to-point course from the Lake Superior Zoo in Duluth, MN, to Carlton, MN.
The course encompasses one half of the Minnesota Voyageur Trail Ultramarathon, plus a bit extra to reach 26.2 miles. NMTC introduced the race in 1992 as a thank you to Voyageur volunteers and an introduction to the course for those exploring the 50 miler. The race has become wildly popular in its own right.
Originally called the Half Voyageur Trail Marathon, in 2013 the race took the name of its indefatigable founder, the local trail and ultramarathon running legend Eugene Curnow. Gene’s energy, enthusiasm, and volunteer spirit played a significant role in the success of the Minnesota Voyageur, the growth of the northern Minnesota running community, and the development of the sport of trail running in general.
Course map
Aid stations
Course data:
We make data available with the cautionary note that race courses are subject to change based on trail conditions and other factors. Race directors may share changes by email and/or during the prerace briefing.
Runner support
Aid station items:
- Drinks include water, electrolyte drink, and various sodas.
- Food includes fruit, cookies, potato chips, and other sweet/salty options.
- We do *not* supply electrolyte supplement capsules, such as Endurolytes or S-Caps.
- We do *not* supply cups. We strongly recommend you carry water during the race in a bottle or other hydration system.
Crew access:
¡ ATTENTION ! Runners’ crews and spectators are *not* allowed at Hwy 210 or Peterson’s aid stations due to limited parking. We have to disqualify runners who ignore this rule. As a runner participant, you are responsible for your crew and fans understanding this limitation.
Drop bags:
- Note available drop bag locations on the aid station chart.
- Please keep your drop bags reasonable in size.
- You must label drop bags with your name and race number. Do this at home so you don’t have to worry about it on race morning. Duct tape and a Sharpie marker work well. Unmarked bags will not be delivered to the aid station.
- At the race start location, place your clearly marked bags by the signs for the aid station and the finish line, and we will deliver them to the appropriate place.
- We will return aid station drop bags to the finish line.
Schedule
4:45 AM: Buses depart to bring runners from the finish to the start.
5:45 AM: Pre-race briefing. Attendance is mandatory.
6:00 AM: Race starts promptly to ensure accurate splits.
12:40 PM: Front runner close to finish.
Runners receive awards as they finish.
Mid-afternoon: Dinner will be provided by Magnolia Cafe at the school, runners free. A small charge for “extra eaters” can be paid at the door. Includes a variety of meat, vegetarian, and vegan / gluten-free sandwiches, pasta salad, and ice cream.
4:00 PM: Final cutoff.
Getting to the start
Bus from finish area: When you park at the finish, your car is ready and waiting when you finish! Park near the Munger Trailhead at Magnum Trucking and Ponderosa Sales in Carlton, MN. Buses depart at 4:45 AM and arrive in plenty of time for check-in and bib pickup.
- Finish Address: 406 South Ave, Carlton, MN 55718
- GPS: 46.6620848, -92.4205273
Parking at start: Runners are encouraged to take advantage of the bus from the finish line; however, there are spaces available in the Fairmont Park gravel parking lot (adjacent to the Lake Superior Zoo). Runners are responsible for finding a way back to their vehicles.
- Start Address: 7210 Fremont St, Duluth, MN 55807
- GPS: 46.7264351, -92.1902315
Details
Trail markings: Follow the hot orange pin flags with “NMTC” on them. If you don’t see one in about 0.1 miles, you are off course! Turns are marked with a series of pin flags a few feet apart on the side to which you’ll be turning—for example, a right-hand turn marked with three pin flags on the runner’s right hand side. For more, see course marking.
Traffic warning: Use care on bike paths and roads. Runners must yield to traffic when crossing roads! A race is just a run; a road crossing is life and death!
Footing warning: The race is run primarily on rugged woodland singletrack with roots, rocks, and other potential hazards. Watch footing on the bridges; they can be slippery, especially when wet, and some may have boards missing.
Cupless: NMTC races are cup-free races. We will not provide paper cups at aid stations, and runners will need to carry their own cups (for example, collapsible cups, bottles, or other hydration vessels) for use at aid stations.
Cutoffs: Curnow aid stations enforce cutoffs (with the exception of the water-only Hwy 210 aid station, which is uncrewed). Please see the aid station chart for specific cutoff times. Runners must reach the finish in 10 hours, by 4:00 PM.
Results: Results are posted on Ultrasignup and MTEC.
Photos: Photos are often uploaded to the Curnow Facebook page.
Awards: Top 10 men and women receive a pottery mug; all finishers receive a medal.
Race rules
Please review the Eugene Curnow Trail Marathon race rules at nmtc.run/rules.
Register or view results
Registration via Ultrasignup typically opens in March. In addition to the info on this page, runners should review the race rules, and the registration and refund policies.
Volunteer
NMTC is a nonprofit grassroots trail running organization. We rely on volunteers to create an outstanding experience for runners. If you know someone who might be interested supporting the race, please encourage them to sign up at nmtc.run/volunteer.
As a reminder, Curnow volunteers enjoy discounted race registration fees for the Minnesota Voyageur Trail Ultramarathon (and vice-versa). See the volunteer page for more information.