A large crop of Bay State residents journeyed a few strides beyond the state border into New Hampshire last weekend for the Ghost Train Rail Trail Races. Results of that event are still being finalized, so we will highlight it in a separate article later this week. Not everyone went north to race, however. A handful of Massachusetts residents headed elsewhere to take on ultramarathon challenges, and we have included four of those events in this week’s roundup. Continue reading MassUltra Roundup: Pony Express, Bimblers Bluff, Elk-Kings, and Goatz
Monthly Archives: October 2016
MassUltra Roundup: Grindstone, Joe English, Big Brad, Can Lake, and St. Pat’s
Grindstone 100
East Coast 100-milers don’t come much tougher than Grindstone, and the 2016 edition was no different. The singletrack journey through the Blue Ridge Mountains on Oct. 7-9 in Swoope, Va., was a rain-soaked adventure. Continue reading MassUltra Roundup: Grindstone, Joe English, Big Brad, Can Lake, and St. Pat’s
Andover’s Swenson Delivers Record-Setting Performance at TARC 100
WESTWOOD, Mass. – The first few miles didn’t go according to plan for Will Swenson at the TARC 100 on Saturday, Oct. 8, at Hale Reservation. As it turned out, that set the tone for a masterpiece of a performance as Swenson dominated the race in course-record time.
“My expectation of the race was that I was just going to see how it went and take what I could get,” he said. “If I found myself in position to be competitive then I certainly wanted to take that and see what I could do.” Continue reading Andover’s Swenson Delivers Record-Setting Performance at TARC 100
MassUltra Roundup: Bigfoot, Farm to Farm, Tesla Hertz, Oil Creek, and Water Gap
While the largest cropping of Massachusetts ultrarunners spent the weekend of Oct. 8-9 racing or volunteering at the TARC 100 ultrarunning festival in Westwood, Mass., (see additional TARC 100 coverage on MassUltra.com), a handful of Bay State residents scattered throughout the country to tackle other ultras. We’ve included five of them in this week’s roundup. If we’ve missed your event (here’s looking at you, Grindstone), don’t worry, we’ll include it next week. Continue reading MassUltra Roundup: Bigfoot, Farm to Farm, Tesla Hertz, Oil Creek, and Water Gap
Telus, Brinkert Notch 100K Course Records at TARC 100
WESTWOOD, Mass. – When Marek Telus made his 50-mile debut in May at Pineland Farms in Maine, he went out too fast, hit the wall and bonked hard.
Telus finished that race – and posted a still speedy time of 7:47:38 – but he wasn’t satisfied. He tucked away the experience as a lesson learned, and he brought the knowledge gained with him to the starting line of his 100K debut at the TARC 100 on Saturday, Oct. 8, at Hale Reservation.
“I wanted to go out conservatively at first, just to make sure I’m not going to crash in the later miles. I didn’t want to do that again,” said Telus, 41, of Hopkinton, N.H. “If people were ahead of me, I didn’t worry about it much. I thought I’d just do my best, and it just happened to be my day today.”
Boy did it ever. Continue reading Telus, Brinkert Notch 100K Course Records at TARC 100
Cutter Perseveres for TARC 50-Mile Victory
WESTWOOD, Mass. – The 50-mile race at the TARC 100 presented runners with a unique challenge on Saturday, Oct. 8, at Hale Reservation.
By starting the race in the early afternoon, runners would have to cover most of the second 25-mile loop after dark.
Nine runners toed the starting line; four finished. Davis Cutter got it done first. Continue reading Cutter Perseveres for TARC 50-Mile Victory
TARC 100 Results
The fourth running of the Trail Animals Running Club’s TARC 100 took place Oct. 8-9 at Hale Reservation in Westwood, Mass. The following are the results for the ultramarathon races. Continue reading TARC 100 Results
Live Coverage: TARC 100
WESTWOOD, Mass. – Good morning from Hale Reservation and the fourth – and for the time being, final – running of the Trail Animals Running Club’s TARC 100. There is a chance of rain this evening and overnight, but as of this morning runners appear to be in store for ideal Massachusetts fall running conditions. It’s 45 degrees lake-side at the start/finish as the 100-miler prepares to get under way, and it is expected to rise into the upper 60s by mid-afternoon.
Stay tuned to this live blog for updates throughout the day – to be posted below – and also follow along on Twitter at MassUltra_MA and on the MassUltra facebook page where we will have additional photos (mostly on Facebook) and more rapid updates when possible (mostly on Twitter).
The 100-miler starts at 6 a.m.; the 100K at 10 a.m.; and the 50-miler at 2 p.m. The marathon begins at 6 a.m. Sunday.
It’s time to race! Continue reading Live Coverage: TARC 100
Trail Animals Aim to Give TARC 100 a Feel-Good Farewell
The TARC 100 has experienced plenty of evolution during its four years of existence, from venue changes, to season changes, to weather changes, to additional distances offered and number of participants involved.
Through it all, two things have remained constant: As Massachusetts’ only 100-mile race, that distance has been offered; and runners have been treated to a hearty dose of hospitality that the Trail Animals take pride in providing.
Both will be on full display again this weekend, Oct. 8-9, at Hale Reservation in Westwood, Mass., at the fourth and final TARC 100 before the event goes on indefinite hiatus. The 100-mile race begins at 6 a.m. Saturday, followed by the 100K at 10 a.m., 50-miler at 2 p.m., and the marathon at 6 a.m. Sunday. Continue reading Trail Animals Aim to Give TARC 100 a Feel-Good Farewell
For Jackson, Mogollon Monster a ‘Special Challenge’
Key words and phrases stuck in William Jackson’s mind as he read the description, so much so that he read and reread it for days on end.
Rugged.
Challenging.
Advanced degree endurance race.
Changing ecosystems.
Climbs and descents at 30-45% grades.
This is one of the most technical 100 milers in North America.
Yes, Jackson was intrigued by the Mogollon Monster 100. The 34-year-old resident of Salem, Mass., is no stranger to long-distance races – his 100-mile credits include Pine to Palm, Tahoe Rim Trail, the Bear, TARC and Ghost Train – but the description he kept reading sounded like a beast unlike anything he’d encountered before.
He’d found his next challenge. Continue reading For Jackson, Mogollon Monster a ‘Special Challenge’
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