A day before more than 27,000 runners toed the starting line painted across East Main Street in Hopkinton, Mass., for the 120^th Boston Marathon, around three-dozen trail runners stepped up to a different starting line about 27 miles away for a much different adventure.

There was far less pomp and circumstance and no pavement at the 20^th running of the Trail Animals Running Club’s “Don’t Run Boston” 50K and 50-Mile Fun Runs at the Blue Hills Reservation in Milton, Mass.

The start/finish line was marked by a foot swipe through the dirt near Houghton’s Pond. The course that runners encountered between trips across that line included a full tour of the Blue Hills’ rugged, winding trails and a constant barrage of climbs, some long and gradual, others steep with scrambling required, and around 6,000 feet of vertical gain.

Cool temperatures in the mid-30s greeted the runners in the 6 a.m. and 7 a.m. starting waves, while it had warmed to 42 degrees for the 8 a.m. wave. All runners, regardless of start time or distance, felt the wrath of constant sunlight as the day wore on – particularly along the completely exposed Skyline Trail. With afternoon temperatures in the 60s and no humidity, however, conditions were ideal for a long day on the trails.

Three runners started the 50-mile race, but only one – Christopher Martin – completed it. Martin, 49, of Needham, Mass., finished in 11:24. It was his third time completing the DRB 50-miler, moving him into a tie with Josh Katzman for third on the all-time list of finishers at that distance. Martin also has completed the DRB 50K three times.

Thirty-six runners began the 50K, and 33 – including Martin, based on his 50K split – finished. Katzman — who along with Scott Traer set the course record of 4:49 in 2012 — didn’t threaten the record board this year, but the 36-year-old from Arlington, Mass., cruised to the overall victory in 5:30. A trio of runners – Kehr Davis, 39, of Great Barrington, Mass.; Kristina Folcik, 38, of Northwood, N.H.; and Jack Pilla, 57, of Charlotte, Vt. – tied for second in 6:02. Jeff List, 56, of East Falmouth, Mass., was fifth overall in 6:10.

Among the notable performances of the day, Race Director Howie Breinan also ran the 50K. The 47-year-old from Hebron, Conn., finished seventh overall in 7:01 and notched his 12^th overall DRB finish. In addition, Steve Pero, 64, of Sharon, N.H., and Craig Wilson, 66, of Kittery Point, Maine, both finished the 50K, adding to their position atop the all-time DRB finishes list with 14. Richard Collins, 59, of Cape Neddick, Maine, also completed the 50K, good for his ninth total DRB finish and bringing him within one finish of becoming the fourth double-digit finisher.

50-MILE RESULTS

Name, Age, State, Time

1. Christopher Martin, 49, MA

50K RESULTS

Name, Age, State, Time

1. Josh Katzman, 36, MA, 5:30
2. Kehr Davis, 39, MA 6:02
3. Kristina Folcik, 38, NH, 6:02
4. Jack Pilla, 57, VT, 6:02
5. Jeff List, 56, MA, 6:10
6. Keir Evans, 29, MA, 6:54
7. Howie Breinan, 47, CT, 7:01
8. Brenda Phillips, 42, MA, 7:01
9. Tyler Silverman, 30, MA, 7:07
10. Cathy Pedtke, 26, MA, 7:09
11. Christopher Martin, 49, MA, 7:16
12. Dietmar Bago, 48, MA, 7:39
13. Heather Ballestero, 30, NH, 7:46
14. Michael Schafer, 56, ME, 7:46
15. Richard Collins, 59, ME, 7:46
16. Tom Cross, 57, ME, 7:46
17. Steve Pero, 64, NH, 7:56
18. Rob Adams, 47, MA, 8:32
19. Giles Gregory, 47, MA, 8:32
20. Nichole Ponte, 17, MA, 8:32
21. Norm Sheppard, 58, NH, 8:32
22. Mike Maher, 50, MA, 8:32
23. Flora Krivak-Tetley, 35, NH, 8:41
24. Mindy Lipsitz, 30, NH, 8:41
25. Patrick Flaherty, 55, MA, 8:47
26. Alexandra Brinkert, 29, MA, 8:52
27. Chris Wristen, 36, MA, 8:52
28. John Correiro, 47, MA, 8:53
29. Brian DelTufo, 33, AM, 8:56
30. Robert Najar, 59, NH, 8:56
31. Kevin Mullen, 58, MA, 9:03
32. Susana Ponte, 47, MA, 9:03
33. Craig Wilson, 66, ME, 10:01