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!

LIVE UPDATES

MassUltra will be providing extensive follow-up content from the TARC 100 throughout the coming week. Please check back frequently.

1 p.m. Update

A quick rundown of the top 10 finishers in the 100-miler.

1 Will Swenson, 21:01:04

2 Scott Snell, 22:02:00

3 Joe Loureiro, 22:30:15

4 Leo Fung, 23:29:00

5 Jeremy Fuller, 24:24:00

6 Rob Rives: 24:30:00

7 Alexander Perry, 25:30:10

8 Michael Barrett, 26:31:47

9 Christopher Barry, 26:40:00

10 Mike Kenney, 26:48:14

Just missing the top 10 was Dave Baird who crossed the finish line in 26:57:00.

Noon Sunday Update

Just after 3 a.m. Sunday, two beams of light appeared from the woods and onto beach for the home stretch to the finish line of the 100-mile race. It was Will Swenson, and the Andover, Mass., resident was about to win the TARC 100.

About 25 seconds later, Swenson dashed up a few stairs and across the finish line in 21:01 – a new course-record.

Swenson’s fellow Andover resident and running partner for the first 40 miles of the day, Joe Loureiro, joined Swenson at the finish line 90 minutes later, placing third in 22:30. Scott Snell of Egg Harbor Township, N.J., completed a steady climb up the standings, passed Louriero during the final 10 miles, and finished second in 22:02.

Just like Swenson on the men’s side, the women’s champion also hails from Massachusetts. Kristen Smith of Salem, Mass., battled through a tough final loop and crossed the finish line in 29:27:02.

Additional 100-mile finishers so far include: Leo Fung of Calgary, Alberta; Dave Baird of Shelburne, Vt., finished in 26:57; Andy Novis of Medford, Mass., finished in 27:34:46; Dane LeBlanc of Littleton, Mass., finished in 27:35:00; Brendan Frank of Dedham, Mass., finished in 27:55:57; Matthew Lydon of Milford, N.H., finished in 28:00:00; Dani Rai of Dorchester, Mass., finished in 28:05:40; Dima Feinhaus of Waban, Mass., finished in 28:41:31; Jim Hughes of Boylston, Mass., finished in 29:32:58; Ryan Fecteau of Danvers, Mass., finished in 29:50:34; Dave Long of Bridgewater, Mass., finished in 29:53:33; and Bob Gentile of Boca Raton, Fla., finished in 29:53:55.

11:30 p.m. Update

The 100K champions have been crowned. Marek Telus scorched the course en route to a first-place overall finish and course-record time of 11:17. Scot Dedeo was a distant second in a speedy 12:11. The third-place overall finisher and women’s champion was Alexandra Brinkert who took the lead around 42 miles into the race and steadily pulled away for the victory in 12:42. Liz Canty was the second-place female finisher and fourth overall in 13:07.

Meanwhile, six runners are onto their fourth and final loop of the 100-mile race. Will Swenson has built a commanding lead, completing his first 75 miles in 14:33. Joe Loureiro came through in second after 75 miles with about 15:22 expired. Scott Snell was through third after 15:50, and Leo Fung came through in 16:15. Nick Reynolds is fifth after 16:25, and Rob Rives is in sixth with 17:01 expired.

8:42 p.m. Update

Will Swenson is the leader through 75 miles. The resident of Andover, Mass., just completed his third loop in just shy of 14:34. He has one loop to go – under the darkness of night – to try to earn the TARC 100 victory in the 100-miler.

See video of Swenson arriving at the aid station on the MassUltra facebook page.

7:30 p.m. Update

The closest competition of the day may be unfolding in the women’s 100K race where Alexandra Brinkert has overtaken Liz Canty. Canty has been the first-place female for most of the day, although the two have been separated by no more than about 10 minutes at any point. Somewhere in the couple miles leading into the aid station at mile 47, Brinkert overtook Canty and cruised into the aid station at 6:58 p.m. Canty arrived about four minutes later, just moments after Brinkert departed the aid station with her pacer. Canty didn’t stay long. She spent maybe two or three minutes in the chair with her crew, and then left with her pacer.

Quite a few miles of technical trail make up much of the final 15 minutes, and the woods are pitch black. In addition, sprinkles have begun to spit on Hale Reservation, with heavier rain on the way at some point tonight.

The race is on.

5:40 p.m. Update

The boys from Andover, Mass., are taking control of the 100-mile race.

After running together for most of the first 40 miles, Will Swenson has pulled away. Swenson was the first runner to reach the aid station at mile 59.5, arriving at 5:09 p.m. Swenson grabbed something to drink, got a bottle refilled, chatted with aid station volunteer Scott Traer for a minute, and then headed down the beach and back into the woods looking strong and confident.

Twenty-five minutes later, Joe Loureiro arrived at mile 59.5. He said he’d been battling some GI issues, but he was toughing his way through it. He grabbed a sandwich, and then headed back out.

4:45 p.m. Update

The internet feed is a bit slow in the woods, so updates aren’t happening on the blog as rapidly as on the Twitter feed. Please be checking that out!

The 50-mile race began at 2 p.m., and Brian Rusiecki jumped out to about a 12-minute lead within the first 10 miles. Jim Rollins was in second through 9.5 miles, and Brad Dewees was third, just a few seconds behind Rollins.

Phoebe Matthews was fourth overall and the first-place female through 9.5 miles.

In the 100K, Marek Telus has a four-minute lead on Scot Dedeo after 37.6 miles.

2 p.m. Update

No new updates on the frontrunners, however Kristen Smith has taken command of the women’s race in the 100-miler. She was ninth overall and the lead female through 34.5 miles. The second-place female, Johanna Ylanen, arrived at mile 34.5 about 31 minutes behind Smith.

The overall top 20 in the 100-miler through 34.5 miles are Will Swenson and Joe Loureiro, Nick Reynolds, Leo Fung, Tom Dmukauskas, Scott Snell and Dima Feinhaus, Rob Rives, Kristen Smith, Matthew Lyndon, Dave Baird, Dani Rai and Andy Novis, Christopher Barry and Jason Dow, Mike Kenney, Jeremy Fuller and Dane LeBlanc, Johanna Ylanen, and Jim Hughes.

Meanwhile, the 100K is heating up as the lead runners have passed through 22 miles. Austin Black leads through 22 miles, with Marek Telus just seconds back. Jesse Veinotte is in third, less than three minutes off the lead, followed by Keith Eisenman and Scot Dedeo in fourth and fifth and within four minutes of the lead.

First female and sixth overall in the 100K is Liz Canty, 16 minutes off the overall lead. Alexandra Brinkert is in seventh place overall and the second-place female through 22 miles, within three minutes of Canty.

12:12 p.m. Update

Back at Grossman’s Aid Station – approximately 34 1/2 miles into the race – Will Swenson was the first to arrive, followed 20 seconds later by Joe Laureiro. The pair are snacking at the aid station together, hydrating, and waiting to depart together. Clearly some teamwork is in effect.

Noon Update

While Andover residents Will Swenson and Joe Laureiro are holding down the front of the pack, with Nick Reynolds and Tom Dmukauskas a little ways back, more runners have rolled through the end of the first 25-mile loop.

Dima Feinhaus is fifth overall with 4:47 expired.

Kristen Smith has assumed the women’s lead and is sixth overall as she completed her first loop alongside Matthew Lyndon in 4:55. Jim Hughes is eighth overall and the seventh-place male with 4:59 expired.

Johanna Ylanden – the early women’s leader – is now the second-place female and ninth overall with 5:00 expired. Scott Snell is 10th overall in 5:01.

10:40 a.m. Update

Things are starting to get interesting at the front of the pack. The lead runners have completed their first of four loops of the 100-mile course, and a pair of Massachusetts residents are in the lead.

Andover, Mass., residents Will Swenson and Joe Loureiro finished the loop within a few strides of each other and share the lead with about 4:21 expired. Nick Reynolds, who led for more than 18 miles, arrived four minutes back in third.

Tom Dmukauskas of Somerville, Mass., is the fourth runner to complete the loop with about 4:41 expired.

9:20 a.m. Update

A tight race is unfolding at the top. Through around 18 miles, Nick Reynolds continues to lead, but his advantage has narrowed considerably during the past nine miles. The boys from Andover, Will Swenson and Joe Loureiro, have closed the gap and are about 20 seconds back of Reynolds. It’s still plenty early, but all three looked comfortable and focused.

Weather-wise, it is warming up quickly, and is now shorts and T-shirts weather for spectators as the temperature is now nicely into the 50s and sunny.

8:06 a.m. Update

We have an early leader through mile 9.28 at Grossman’s Aid Station. Nick Reynolds of Whistler, B.C., rolled through here in about 1:32. Dima Feinhaus of Waban, Mass., was four minutes back in second, followed a few steps later by Andover, Mass., residents Will Swenson and Joe Loureiro a few steps behind in third and fourth.

Leo Fung of Calgary, Alberta, was running in fifth in 1:39, followed by Somerville, Mass., resident Tom Dmukauskas and Dane LeBlanc of Littleton, Mass., who were three minutes back.

The leading ladies were a few strides behind Dmukauskas and LeBlanc. Johanna Ylanen of Tolland, Conn., was the first female through Grossman’s in 1:43, and Kristen Smith of Salem, Mass., was about 15 seconds behind her in second. The third female through Grossman’s is Maria Didomenica of Millbury, Mass., in 1:46.

6:05 a.m. Update

And they’re off! The 100-mile race is officially under way. By the glow of their headlamps, the 100-milers (69 are entered; don’t have an official number yet on actual starters) departed the beach lakeside and headed out into the darkness and down the trail.