Dear Gnarly Bandits and Friends,

Don't panic! Gnarly Bandit is still on!

Earlier this week, the UMTR Board of Directors discussed what we should do in the event of a Gnarly Bandit race cancellation or modification. Here are the consensus guidelines we agreed on:

1. If a Gnarly Bandit race is canceled, the Gnarly Bandit series will continue. Gnarly Bandits must complete all races in the series that are held that year. Series finishers will be honored at the Awards Banquet, receive a custom award, and be listed on the UMTR Gnarly Bandit page in perpetuity, with a note indicating the races that were run that year.

2. If a Gnarly Bandit race is modified (e.g. course altered or shortened), Gnarly Bandits must complete the race as it is run to continue in the series and be counted as a finisher.

John Storkamp has agreed to honor his commitment to admit any Gnarly Bandit into Superior 100 who entered the lottery and didn't get into the race, if they have completed Kettle 100 and Black Hills 100.

In discussing how to handle contingencies like Zumbro, the Board felt strongly that the Gnarly Bandit series should continue even if a race is canceled. We want to continue to recognize the commitment, hard work, and grit of our Gnarlies no matter what the weather throws at our racing season. We did consider other rules modifications, such as adding another 100 mile race, or requiring that Gnarlies complete *any* additional ultra of 50 miles or more during the season, but didn't want to impose late-breaking, new rules that would require participants finding additional time or money they may not easily have access to. (Plus, we recognize that many of our Gnarly Bandits do additional races throughout the year anyway!)

In conclusion, the board offers condolences to the Gnarly Bandits who were prepared to line up tomorrow morning and brave a wet, snowy Zumbro. As trail runners ourselves, we too are disappointed that Zumbro decided to Zumbro so hard this year. We look forward to seeing you all on the trails in the coming weeks, and can't wait for the next Gnarly Bandit event, Kettle Moraine 100, in early June.

See you all there!

Robyn Reed, UMTR Gnarly Bandit Ultra Series Director
and the UMTR Board of Directors