A handful of in-person ultramarathons have resumes – primarily in the West – as the COVID-19 pandemic continues its spread, and one race during the first weekend of August included a handful of New England residents. That event – the Tushars Mountain Runs in Beaver, Utah – featured high-altitude miles and saw a Massachusetts resident earn a top-10 finish in the event’s longest race. We have it covered in this edition of the roundup. Continue reading MassUltra Roundup: Tushars Mountain Runs
When the global pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus began wiping out trail races and ultramarathons in March and April, the organizers of the Trail-Running Film Festival went to work revamping their traveling show for a virtual format. What started as a one-time event in May ultimately grew into a summer-long virtual film festival with a new lineup of films each month. Continue reading Final Virtual Trail-Running Film Festival Summer Screening Set for Saturday
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to rage across the United States, the Berkshire Ultra Running Community for Service (BURCS) has sought ways to challenge runners in a virtual format. The newest creation from Race Director Benn Griffin was the Circadian Challenge. Runners had the entire month of July to choose a 24-hour window during which to run a half-marathon between 8 p.m. and 8 a.m., followed by another half-marathon during the 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. timeframe. Runners earned half of their finisher medal for each half-marathon completed. Additionally, runners had the option of running for the entire 24-hour period to log as many miles as they wanted. Several runners took advantage of that option to log ultramarathon distances. Continue reading Results: BURCS Circadian Challenge
The Berkshire Ultra Running Community for Service’s (BURCS) Jug End Loop Ultra went virtual for 2020 due to the COVID-19 global pandemic, but it maintained some of its traditional roots despite its socially-distanced format. Rather than having a race-day event, Race Director Benn Griffin required runners to complete their 6-hour, 27-mile or 4.2-mile races on the official race court at Jug End State Reservation in Egremont, Mass., but they had the entire month of July to do so and then submit their data to Griffin for inclusion in the final results. Continue reading Results: Virtual BURCS Jug End Loop Ultra
The COVID-19 global pandemic forced the Berkshire Ultra Running Community for Service (BURCS) to transition its popular Vegan Power 50K ultramarathon and 25K trail races to a virtual format in June 2020. Runners ran their respective distances at locations of their choosing and then submitted their data for inclusion in the final results. Continue reading Results: Virtual Vegan Power 50K
For 18 years, the Stone Cat Trail Races challenged runners with 50-mile and marathon distances. The race organizers from G.A.C. in Topsfield transitioned the event to a single-distance offering of a 50K in 2019, and that inaugural event featured impressive performances and competitive battles in both the women’s and men’s races, setting the stage for a highly anticipated second edition of the 50K in 2020.
That second edition will have to wait. Continue reading Pandemic Forces Cancellation of Stone Cat 50K
The inaugural Running Below the Noise 12-Hour and 6-Hour Ultramarathons have been canceled as the COVID-19 global pandemic continues to spread throughout the United States. Continue reading Running Below the Noise Ultras Canceled Due to COVID-19
New England has been nearly silent in terms of in-person ultramarathons since the COVID-19 pandemic forced races and economies to shut down in March. As cities, states and local economies have begun to reopen, so too have ultras. In New England, that included the Forbidden Forest 30-Hour Ultra on June 27-28 in Stratford, Conn., where 46 runners took part in the event on a loop course. Additionally, a few runners from the region journeyed a little further south to Maryland for the Catocin 50K, so we have that included, too, in this edition of the roundup. Continue reading MassUltra Roundup: Forbidden Forest and Catocin 50K
After holding out hope for several months that it could take place as an in-person race, the East End Trail Races are going virtual according to the event’s registration page on UltraSignup. Continue reading East End Going Virtual Due to Pandemic
The Trail-Running Film Festival’s summer-long virtual series is rolling into July with a lineup of classic trail films on tap for the next event. Continue reading July Trail-Running Film Festival to Feature Classic Films
