When Northeast Race Management began planning its inaugural trail ultramarathon, race organizers sought to meet growing demand from runners who’ve taken part in its shorter distance offerings during the past five years.
What played out at the first-year event, the Big Bear 50K, on Sunday, May 21, in East Taunton, Mass., was more than just the endurance challenge that race organizers had hoped to provide. A highly competitive race unfolded on the trails of Massasoit State Park as a trio of runners battled for the win. Continue reading Mullins Edges Loureiro in Inaugural Big Bear 50K→
The inaugural Big Bear 50K trail ultramarathon took place Sunday, May 21, 2017, at Massasoit State Park in East Taunton, Mass. Continue reading Results: Big Bear 50K→
Hectic racing schedules and last-minute planning are nothing new to Brian Rusiecki.
He races more frequently than most ultrarunners – Rusiecki finished 10 ultras in 2016 and already has six to his credit in 2017. It’s common for him to register for a race at the last minute, hit the road to Vermont or Virginia, show up at the starting line and see what happens.
That longtime approach may bode well for Rusiecki as he prepares for one of the biggest races of his career. On May 9, UltraRunning Magazine announced that Rusiecki was the men’s winner of the UltraRunning Race Series and that he, along with women’s winner Clare Gallagher, 25, of Boulder, Colo., had been awarded Golden Ticket entries into the Western States Endurance Run June 24-25 from Squaw Valley to Auburn, Calif.Continue reading Experienced Rusiecki Ready to Cash in Golden Ticket to Western States→
When the Cruel Jewel doled out its punishment on Tom Flummerfelt in 2016, the Winchester, Mass., resident apparently didn’t get enough of it. He followed up his sixth-place finish from a year ago by finishing fourth at the grueling Georgia race last weekend. Flummerfelt wasn’t the lone Massachusetts resident to finish the Cruel Jewel and secure a Hardrock Hundred qualifier, however. Melrose resident Ryan Knapp did, too. The duo’s monster performances in Georgia headline this week’s roundup, which also includes results from the Quest for the Crest 50K in North Carolina, the 50K at Connecticut’s Kettletown State Park, and some strong showings at 3 Days at the Fair in New Jersey. Continue reading MassUltra Roundup: Cruel Jewel, Quest for the Crest, Kettletown, and 3 Days at the Fair→
Neither Timothy Connelly nor Jenny Hoffman had raced the Wapack and Back 50-miler prior to this year, but that didn’t matter on race day. Both are seasoned ultrarunning veterans, and it showed with their performance in claiming the top spots at the 11th annual event on Saturday, May 13, in Ashburnham, Mass.Continue reading Medford’s Connelly, Cambridge’s Hoffman Win Wapack 50-Miler→
Northeast Race Management, LLC has been putting on trail and road races for runners in Massachusetts since 2012. After five years of organizing races with shorter distances, the organization is expanding to offer its first trail ultramarathon in 2017 with the Big Bear 50K.Continue reading Big Bear 50K is Northeast Trail Series’ First Foray into Ultra Distance→
More than an inch of rainfall soaked the trails of Bradley Palmer State Park on Sunday, May 14, but that didn’t prevent the annual G.A.C. Mother’s Day 6-Hour Run from taking place for the 23rd year in a row.
The rain may have kept some runners home – 43 completed at least one loop of the course this year compared to more than 100 in 2016 – and fewer logged major mileage compared to years past. Still, a few of the event’s familiar faces weren’t deterred by the elements, and they ascended to the top of the leaderboard with the most miles. Continue reading A Salem Sweep at Mother’s Day 6-Hour→
The 23rd annual G.A.C. Mother’s Day 6-Hour Race took place Sunday, May 14, at Bradley Palmer State Park in Topsfield, Mass. Runners had six hours to run as many loops as they wanted on a three-mile loop. Continue reading Results: G.A.C. Mother’s Day 6-Hour Run→
From Brian Rusiecki and Will Swenson throwing down top-10 finishes at UROC in Virginia, to Aaron Keene earning a Western States qualifier at Quicksilver in California, to the inaugural 100-miler in Maine, April 13-14 was a busy weekend for Massachusetts ultrarunners taking on out-of-state trails. In addition, we also tracked down results from a few races from the prior weekend, including the Big A 50K in Maine where Patrick Caron added another course record to his resume. In all, eight races are captured in this week’s roundup. Continue reading MassUltra Roundup: UROC, Riverlands, Dirty German, Quicksilver, Big A, Rock the Ridge, Bear Mountain, and Peak→
The Wapack and Back 50-mile and 43-mile trail ultramarathons and 21.5-mile trail race took place Saturday, May 13, in Ashburnham, Mass. Continue reading Results: Wapack and Back→
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