Race Info – Frequently Asked Questions

See the Race Pricing Schedule for current race pricing information.

Registration Details:

Interested in registering for more than one Run Stillwater event at the same time? The registration system lets you do just that. Watch for that option within the registration process.

Only one person may register at a time because we need to ensure we have all the correct safety information and a separate waiver for each race participant.

All registrations are sent an email confirmation to the address provided during sign-up. If you have a Run Stillwater account or created one when you registered, you may also log in to see the races for which you are registered.

Please note the registration process also asks for the runner email address. Future communications about a race event will be sent to the runner email provided, which may be different than the primary email associated with a registration.

“Processing” means your order is set and you’re ready for the event in the future. No worries; we’ve got you.

All registered participants will be sent an email Thursday before the race from our timing company, Mtec Results, with your bib number and details about logistics, directions, etc. Watch for it and save noreply@mtecresults.com to help ensure it doesn’t end up in spam. If you do not receive it, you can look up your bib number at packet pickup.

Beginning about a month out from race day, registered participants will get updates via email from info@runstillwater.com. In the meantime, the race’s webpage will be updated as the race approaches. Check back often to find the information you may need HERE.

Registration is open for all races beginning in October the previous year. At this time, the field of runners is not limited in number. For each race:

• Online registration closes at midnight the Wednesday before a race. Online registration ensures participants will receive their race shirt in the size they request at packet pickup before the race.
• Will Call registration is available online until noon Friday before a race. Runners registering as Will Call are assigned a bib number before packet pickup and receive their race shirt after the race.
• In-Person registration is available Friday and Saturday before the race at Packet Pickup. In-Person registrants are assigned a bib number at packet pickup and receive their race shirt after the race.

Registration for all Run Stillwater races is nontransferable and nonrefundable.

Runners Receive:

• Gender-specific, premium quality cotton blend shirt NOTE: Will Call and In-person registrants receive their race shirts after the event at packet pick-up (if your size is available) or in the mail following the event.
• Collectible medals to all finishers – each year Run Stillwater medals fit together as a set to commemorate your season
• Personalized race bibs up to 10 characters (Deadlines apply. See Race Pricing Schedule for details)
• Timing by Mtec Results (Half, 10K, 5K) – a leader in race timing technologies and based in the Twin Cities
• Participant tracking using the Mtec Results app. Track and easily share participant performance, see current and projected runner locations, view chip and gun times, get real-time results including overall and division place, and more
• Bag drop at each start location with bags provided at the starts (clear, 15″ x 18″ with drawstring)
• Pacers for half marathon runners
• Staffed water stations to serve and cheer you on with water and Gatorade available (Most race-day support staff is provided as part of Run Stillwater’s Volunteer for Donation program. Learn more HERE.)
• Restroom facilities at each start and at approximately two-mile intervals along the courses
• Finish line recovery food and beverages – fruit, protein bars, salty snacks, Gatorade and bottled water
• Selfie clock at the finish showing your name and time
• Video finish accessible along with results at mtecresults.com
• Free photos available to download on Mtec Results and the Run Stillwater Facebook page
• Keepsake age group awards – personalized with name, date, time, distance and division – for top three finishers in each age group (based on 10-year increments) are mailed to winners after the event
• Access to showers after the race at our sponsor, River Valley Athletic Club. Show your bib and bring your own towel, then hit the sites and enjoy everything Stillwater has to offer.
• A Buy-One/Get-One at Lift Bridge Brewing for a cold beer or beverage! Redeemable at Lift Bridge Brewing Company tap rooms in Stillwater and New Richmond

… and more

Course Information:

Course maps are available on the Course Maps page.

USA Track & Field (USATF) Course certifications:

Half Marathon: MN19037RR
10K: WI22001JHP
5K: MN19036RR

All three distances run on fully-paved roads and trails, including the Loop Trail, which is paved in asphalt and concrete.  The entire route is coned for safety and to provide direction. In some areas runners may choose to run on either pavement or gravel.

Race Time Limit: 4-hours

Slow runners and walkers are welcome provided you maintain constant progress on the course and do not deviate from the course.

A sweeper-runner follows the last runner helping to encourge runners and keep the field of participants within the 4-hour time limit at an average pace of no more than 18-minutes per mile. The average walking pace is 15 minutes per mile. Aid stations are available throughout the course to provide hydration, restrooms, and assistance with medical needs or voluntary withdrawal from the race.

Stopping for an extended period of time may result in disqualification from the race.

Exceeding the time limit could mean race support is no longer available, including aid stations, public safety and medical assistance.

Packet Pick-up:

Packet pick-up July 25, 3 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Race day (July 26), 5:30 a.m.

Location: Water Street Inn; 101 Water Street, Stillwater MN 55082

NOTE: Runners will receive an email Thursday, July 24 with their bib number information. Remember this number. You will need it to pick up your packet.

Picking Up Someone Else’s Packet

Yes, you may pick up another runner’s packet. Pleases agree amongst yourselves in advance so there is no confusion.

Packet Pickup can be a very busy place and resolving a missing bib can be time-consuming. (For the record, Run Stillwater has never simply lost a bib.)

If you paid for the Mail-My-Packet option, you can expect your packet to arrive within two weeks of race day. See the Race Pricing Schedule for specific mailing date information.

Changing Your Distance

Injured or feeling so fit you want to run further? You may change your distance at packet pickup. For guests moving to a longer distance, you’ll just pay the difference to move up to the longer distance. There’s no charge for moving to a shorter distance. Just pick up your packet as usual and bring it to the In-Person/Changes table to make the switch.

Shirt Exchange

You may exchange your unworn shirt for a different size after the race. Shirts are ordered based on the sizes specified at the time of registration. To ensure everyone gets the size requested, exchanges can be made after the race. Staff remains at Packet Pickup at the Water Street Inn until approximately 10:45 a.m.

• Bag Drop is available at each start area with bags provided for your convenience
• Bag Drop pick-up is at the finish line area
• Bags provided at each start are clear and 15″ x 18″
• All Bag Drop items must be in a bag
• You may use your own bag provided it is approximately 15″ x 18″
• No large backpacks or suitcases are accepted in Bag Drop
• Race bibs have a tear-off tag with your bib number to be used for Bag Drop
• Place the bag drop tag INSIDE the clear bag where it is EASILY VISIBLE for sorting
• Your race bib and Bag Drop tag must match to pick up your items
• Bag Drop pick-up will be staffed at the finish area until approximately 11:00 a.m.
• Run Stillwater, Inc. is not responsible for lost or damaged items left in Bag Drop

Parking Information:

The city of Stillwater uses Passport Parking technology in most downtown parking areas. Kiosks are available to pay for parking or use the Passport Parking mobile app to make parking fast and easy. See the map for locations and check the city’s parking information for details about days and hours when fees are required.

Directions, recommended parking information and shuttle locations will be available closer to race day.

Parking Information:

Free parking is also available throughout the downtown area, as shown on the map. Parking is free until 10:00 a.m. in most downtown paid parking areas. Check area signage before you leave your vehicle. The city’s parking information has additional details about days and hours when fees are required.

Pacers for the Half Marathon:

The St. Croix Crossing race will have pacers, provided by Midwest Pacers, for all half marathon participants to help runners reach their race day goals.

Great idea! There are plenty of reasons to spend some time in Stillwater before and after the race.

• America’s Most Picturesque Small Towns (North Carolina Traveler)
• Best Weekend Getaways in Minnesota (The Lora Hotel – Family Destination Guide)
• #1 Best Day Trip from the Twin Cities (Bring Me the News)
• Best US Towns for Antiquing (Fodors)
• Fall in Love with Stillwater (Samantha Brown’s Places to Love)
• Most Romantic Midwest Getaways (Midwest Living Magazine)

For hotels, we recommend our headquarters hotel: The Water Street Inn. Contact the Water Street Inn directly to book accommodations. More options can be found through Discover Stillwater.

Our sponsor, River Valley Athletic Club, offers all registered runners an opportunity to shower after each race. Show your bib and bring your own towel, then hit the sites and enjoy everything Stillwater has to offer.

Start Time:

7:00 a.m.  All races start at the same time.

Last bus to start areas leaves at 6:30 SHARP

All start areas have portable restrooms, water and bag drop available.

Shuttles to the Starts:

All runners will be shuttled to the start areas. Shuttles run continuously from 5:40 a.m. to 6:35 a.m. The loading area is in Parking Lot #1 on the south end of downtown Stillwater. Walk two blocks south from the Water Street Inn on the Loop Trail sidewalk to reach the bus loading area. Buses are clearly marked for each distance. The last bus leaves at 6:35 a.m. SHARP.

Transportation:

All runners will be bussed to the start lines for all distances from downtown Stillwater. We strongly encourage using the bus system for the safety of everyone. Drop off areas are congested and no parking is available for personal vehicles. Buses load in Lot #1, two blocks south of the Water Street Inn. Bussing to start lines begins at 5:40 a.m. and ends at 6:35 a.m. SHARP.

Weather Considerations:

Runner safety is our number one priority. The race will occur rain or shine. We have direct contact with the National Weather Service in the Twin Cities and rely on their forecasts in making decisions concerning weather and race-day conditions. The decision to postpone or cancel an event is not subjective; it is based on current and forecasted conditions and WetBulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) provided by the National Weather Service in Shakopee, Minnesota, which monitors weather for us based on the latitude and longitude of the course.

Weather conditions that may prompt consideration of postponement or cancelation include the following:

• Electrical activity in the area. Races will not start until the area is clear of lightening for 30 minutes
• Hail
• High winds
• WetBulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) conditions – a scientific measurement provided by the National Weather Service of the body’s heat stress in direct sunlight, taking into account temperature, humidity, wind speed, sun angle and cloud cover, and based on U.S.A. Track and Field guidelines for running events:
  • WBGT less than 65 degrees Fahrenheit is Green Flag/No Warning to runners necessary
  • WBGT 65 to 72 degrees Fahrenheit is Yellow Flag/Recommend participants at increased risk for heat collapse. Slow pace. Warn all entrants of increased risk of heat collapse
  • WBGT 73 to 82 degrees Fahrenheit is Red Flag/Recommend participants at increased risk for heat collapse withdraw from race, and other slow pace to match conditions
  • WBGT above 82 degrees is Black Flag/Cancel or recommend voluntary withdrawal

There will be over 65 course marshals and public safety officers stationed around the course to guide runners in good weather and bad.

Post Race Information:

Race results are available in near real-time at www.mtecresults.com after the race.

Celebrate your victory with breakfast – available for purchase at the Water Street Inn. Come to relax and refuel after a great race!

We will not hold an awards ceremony after the race. Top three finishers in each age category will receive awards in the mail after the event.

Safety and Rules of the Road:

• For the safety of all runners and walkers, the following are NOT allowed on the course: Unregistered participants (including family, friends, or pacers); bicycles; in-line skates, external speakers
• Pets are not allowed on the course. This is for the safety of all runners and your pet
• Service animals, by law, are allowed. Please notify Run Stillwater at least seven days in advance so staff and shuttles can be informed
• The following are allowed with prior approval from race staff: runner escorts for parasports athletes, adapted wheel chairs, jogging strollers
• Headphones and earbuds are permitted. Runners are strongly encouraged to use only one ear bud and turn the volume down so you are alert to traffic and able to follow instructions from race officials.
• The race courses are not 100 percent closed to traffic so we ask that you be aware of your surroundings at all times.

We welcome adaptive athletes at our events. All athletes, including escorts, must be registered in advance and where a bib number. The following are allowed with prior approval from race staff: runner escorts for parasports athletes, adapted wheel chairs with runner escorts, jogging strollers, certified service animals. Please contact us if you need more information.

Return/Refund and Privacy Policy

All Run Stillwater, Inc. races occur rain or shine. Fees are not refundable and race numbers and timing chips are not transferable to a different person than the individual to whom the bib number is assigned. Participants must agree to the terms and conditions of participation prior to entering payment information during the registration process. For details regarding the Run Stillwater, Inc. privacy policy, click HERE.