Flummerfelt, Feinhaus Endure Cruel Jewel 100-Mile
The folks in Georgia aren’t joking around when they call it “cruel.”
The Cruel Jewel 100 actually measures 105.9 miles through the Chattahoochee National Forest in northern Georgia. Along the way, 33,000 feet of vertical gain are sprinkled in – oftentimes through thick humidity or whatever else Mother Nature chooses to throw at the runners.
From Friday, May 13, through Sunday, May 15, runners endured the cruelty of the course and sought to finish within the 48-hour time limit. Of the 106 who toed the starting line, 87 finished. That included two from the Bay State, one of which was among the race’s top performers.
Nickademus Hollon, 26, of Coronado, Calif., was the champion in 23:57:48. Hollon is no stranger to suffering on a course. He was the winner of the infamous Barkley Marathons in 2013.
A few hours behind Hollon and sixth overall was Tom Flummerfelt, 41, of Winchester, Mass. Flummerfelt – who will compete in the Tahoe 200 this September – crossed the finish line in 27:48:57.
Additionally, Dima Feinhaus, 53, of Waban, Mass., finished Cruel Jewel in 37:43:37, good for 50th place overall. The considerable climbing and descents on the course have Feinhaus well prepared for another 100-miler in September when he takes on the Bear 100, a mountain race with more than 20,000 feet of vertical gain that begins in Logan, Utah, and concludes in Fish Haven, Idaho.
Barbera Rolls at Rhode Island Red 50K
Dean Barbera dominated the 2.77-mile loop course at the Rhode Island Red 50K on Sunday, May 8 in Warwick, R.I.
Barbera, 40, of Westford, Mass., circled the asphalt loop faster than any of the other 10 finishers and claimed victory in 4:35:17. The runner-up, Alberto Marini, 31, of Erie, Penn., was 19 minutes behind Barbera.
The performance was the second sub-five-hour 50K of the year for Barbera. In April, he finished 14th overall at the TARC Spring Classic in 4:59:45.
Worlds End Ultramarathon 100K
The second edition of the Worlds End Ultramarathon beckoned runners into the rugged Pennsylvania wilderness on Saturday, May 21, for 63.8 miles of running and nearly 12,400 feet of climbing in the Endless Mountains.
A light drizzle fell for most of the race, creating slick conditions on the rocky, rooty, sometimes boggy course. Even with the challenging conditions, Jonathan Lantz, 31, of New Holland, Pa., conquered the numerous climbs and smashed the course record with a winning time of 11:37:52. Bradley Revenis, 30, of Baltimore, Md., finished second in 12:01:19.
Chris Wristen of Medford, Mass., earned his first 100K finish while placing 58th overall in 17:56:48.
Of the 141 starters, 91 finished within the 19-hour time limit.
Keys 100-Mile
Two Massachusetts women earned 100-mile finishers buckles in the Florida sunshine on Saturday, May 21, and Sunday, May 22, in Key Largo.
Cambridge resident Emily Largent and Newburyport resident Amy Mosca both finished the Keys 100. Largent, 33, placed 57th overall in 29:06:29. Mosca, 44, finished 73rd in 30:44:00.
A total of 80 runners finished the race.
The race was won by Alyson Venti, 33, of Bathsheba, Fla. She won in 18:27:35, more than 45 minutes ahead of the second-place finisher and first male.
*Editor’s Note: Results are found on a variety of sites, including ultrasignup.com, UltraRunning Magazine, and official race websites. We do the best we can to find as many results as possible to report on and recognize the local ultrarunning community.
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