Wilderness Athlete’s 2012 Gnarly Bandit Ultra Trail Series

Are you tough enough? The Wilderness Athlete 2012 Gnarly Bandit Ultra Trail Series schedule is official; the Gnarly Bandit himself crawled out of hibernation in his barn to approve it.

Wilderness Athlete, the nutritional authority on outdoor performance nutrition, raised their 2012 Gnarly Bandit bounty to $600. This means all Gnarly Bandit entrants who are official finishers of each series ultra trail race participates evenly in the pot.

Adam (c) receiving his Wilderness Athlete Check from Gnarly Bandit RD as John Storkamp presents original 2011 Gnarly Bandit artwork for the series winner

2011’s winning list of the 17 entrants signing up for the series was just one: Adam Schwartz-Lowe. All are invited to join the 2012 edition of misery, discomfort, pain and the demented adoration of rutty rocky trails.

First, just ask yourself one question: Are you tough enough? Of course you are . . . so here’s how to enter:

Daryl Saari: the only two-time winner in the Gnarly Bandit Ultra Trail Series

The Wilderness Athlete Gnarly Bandit Ultra Trail Series is one of several under the auspices of Upper Midwest Trail Runners (UMTR). Join (just $20) and then check the Gnarly Bandit series, one of the many benefits of membership. This is the link: http://www.umtr.net/membership/

You enter and pay for each event. Then after your finish (or non-finish—nobody fails in Gnarlyville ultras) of each event kindly email the series director (phillip@ultrasuperior.com) your results.

Wild Duluth 100K Logo

The Wilderness Athlete cash prize and a John Storkamp original artwork commemorating the 2012 Gnarly Bandit finisher(s) will be awarded at the November night of the UMTR Awards Fest, an annual trolley recapping the dirty trail (and snowshoe) race-year.

The 2012 Wilderness Athlete Gnarly Bandit Ultra Trail Series schedule:

Zumbro 100 Mile Endurance Run

Zumbro has added a midnight-start 50-mile race for 2012

Zumbro Falls, MN – 04/13/2011
“Blue Tarp of Shame”
http://zumbro100.com/

Kettle Moraine 100 Mile / 100 Km
Eagle, WI – 06/02/2012
“Silent Killers”
http://www.runrace.net/findarace.php?id=12154WI

Black Hills 100 Mile / 100 Km
Sturgis, SD – 06/23/2011
“Qualifier for the 2013 Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc in France”
http://www.blackhills100.com/

Superior Sawtooth 100 Mile                   
Lutsen, MN – 09/07/2011
“Top Ten of 100 Mile Trail Ultras”
http://fall.superiortrailrace.com/

Wild Duluth 100 Km
Duluth, MN – 10/20/2011
“Extremely Rugged”
http://www.runrace.net/findarace.php?id=12294MN1

Series Creator and Director: Phillip Gary Smith

Note two events have either a 100-mile or 100-kilometer option; officially completing either distance counts for the Wilderness Athlete Gnarly Bandit.

Remember, too, the work of all who make this series possible:

The individual races, volunteers, sponsors, UMTR, and the visionaries at Wilderness Athlete www.wildernessathlete.com. Drop them a note, email or for the races express these sentiments at the event. We may be gnarly, but we’re gnarly nice.

Previous Winners:

2008 – Pierre Ostor
2009 – Daryl Saari
2010 – Daryl Saari, Dale Humphreys
2011 – Adam Schwartz-Lowe
2012 – (your name here)