Tuesday April 9th 2019 7:45PM CST
[The communication “2019 Zumbro Endurance Run Weather Update 1” was sent to all registered runners and volunteers on Monday April 8th 2019 at approximately 12:45PM CST – a copy of that communication can be found on our website HERE https://www.zumbroendurancerun.com/2019-zumbro-endurance-run-weather-update-1/ This communication provides important context to the information that follows.]
Dear Runners,
As of this early evening, Tuesday April 9th 2019 7:45PM CST, the 2019 Zumbro Endurance Run 100, 50 and17 mile races have NOT been canceled. All of the race equipment is loaded in trucks and trailers and either has been deployed or is ready to deploy. We marked one third of the race course today and started mobilizing equipment to the race site. We are planning to mark the balance of the trail tomorrow and will be mobilizing more equipment into the early evening. The cruel irony is that the trail is in some of the best Spring shape I have ever seen – wildflowers are even starting to bloom.
At this time we are holding out hope that we can have the race. Please know that we are trying, but can only provide as much certainty to you as we are getting from the weather forecast. Know that there is a good chance that the races may still be canceled or modified. A cancellation or modification may come at anytime – before any particular race has started, after any particular race has begun OR even during any particular race. Since we know you are checking the weather forecasts on your own, we will not attempt to transcribe or distill the myriad of weather forecasts available. From what we are observing, they vary wildly. Even the National Weather Service acknowledges that there are still significant unknowns as to the exact track of the storm, the amount of precipitation in any given location, and the distribution of that precipitation (rain vs. snow).
Our estimation is that there may be enough of a window to allow 100 mile racers safe passage to the race and to start the race (albeit in what will likely be cold rain). It then appears that by the time that those in the 50 and 17 would be traveling, the weather may have run its course. We do acknowledge that conditions will vary significantly throughout the region, and that while conditions may be safe enough to venture out in one place, they may not in another. We expect that all runners and volunteers will use the news and weather outlets available to them, along with their own best judgement, to determine if it is safe to travel from their locale to the event. We also acknowledge that while conditions outside of the Zumbro Bottoms Management Unit may provide for safe and unencumbered travel, the conditions in the Zumbro Bottoms Management Unit may be hazardous/unsafe or become hazardous/unsafe. We will only proceed with the races if conditions at and around the race site are safe enough to do so. These race-site conditions may change and become hazardous/unsafe even after the storm has begun or slowed.
I know that this does not provide a ton of clarity and does nothing for those seeking certainty. I also recognize that this is a very challenging situation for those traveling from far away, and even more so for those of you that have flights to catch. We are unified in this uncertainty, and I am sorry that I cannot remedy that for us all.
We want to attempt to hold the races but will only do so if it is within a reasonable margin of safety. We will attempt to provide our next update on Wednesday evening once we return from the race site. Forthcoming updates will be emailed to you and posted on our website HERE https://www.zumbroendurancerun.com/news-and-updates/ just as this one was.
Sincerely,
John Storkamp
Race Director
Zumbro Endurance Run
* Please note that future correspondence may come directly from my email address OR may come from me via UltraSignups (our registration providers) email platform, as our email server only allows so many emails to be sent in a 24 hour period. Please be sure to check your SPAM folder in the coming days.