Scott Kummer: The voice and brains behind Ten Junk Miles

By Henry Howard

This month I am featuring Scott Kummer of Ten Junk Miles in my special series highlighting race directors this year. Kummer puts on the Badger Trail Races, Sugar Badger and the Last Dot Standing events each year. Under the Ten Junk Miles brand, he also hosts an entertaining podcast dedicated to trail and ultra runners. His team also volunteers at other races, including one of my favorite aid stations at the Hennepin Hundred.

I decided to put together this series late last year when the UTMB-Ironman group instituted a coup to create a North American race, shoving aside beloved ultra runner and race director Gary Robbins and his Whistler Alpine Meadows race.

The North American ultra running community was justifiably outraged. There have been various calls to boycott UTMB, elite athletes pursuing other races and additional forms of protest.

Every month during 2024, I will highlight one North American race director who specializes in trail and ultra events as a way to highlight what makes this sport great. That is the people, the community and the events themselves. (In January, I featured Michele Hartwig of Ornery Mule Racing.)

If you have nominations for other race directors to highlight, feel free to contact me with your suggestions.

Scott Kummer: Ten Junk Miles Race Director

Question: Why did you get into race directing?

Answer: To bring people together so they could make more running friends. To see the trail I love.

Question: How did you get your start as an RD?

Answer: I found the trail I wanted to use and made things up as I went. I asked myself “what would be awesome” and used that as my guide. It was a wild ride. No idea if anyone would come, if I would have enough money to pay for things, etc. But the world always works its way out and all was well!

Question: What's the most interesting thing you've learned about yourself since you became a race director?

Answer: I can say no. Even though I don’t like to. But it is necessary. 

Question: What's your best piece of advice for someone who wants to become a race director?

Answer: Just because no one else does it that way it doesn’t mean it isn’t a good idea. Put on the kind of race you would like to run.

Question: What's your favorite race to direct?

Answer: Last Dot Standing 24-hour and 48-hour race. I love the last person standing/timed format because I get to actually spend time with runners and volunteers. It’s way more laid back. 

Question: What's your favorite race to run?

Answer: Potawatomi Trail Races in Pekin, Ill. It’s an old school gem with a real family feel. 

Question: Tell me about a funny experience as an RD and what you learned from it.

Answer: One year we ran out of half marathon medals and gave out marathon medals instead. I learned that half marathoners really don’t pay attention to stuff like that :). OK. I did have to mail a few. I also learned to roll with it, because things work out. :) 

Question: If a runner can only do one of your races ever, it would be … :

Answer: The Badger 100K. You would get to see most of the Badger State Trail without the 100-mile suffering. And plenty of time to cheer all the 100-mile finishers.

Question: What exciting project do you have in the works?

Answer: I’ve been tinkering with an idea for a trail marathon in the same area for several years. Time hasn’t permitted me to execute yet, but when I do it is going to be a real gem. 

Question: Where can runners find out more about your races?

Answer: www.tenjunkmilesracing.com