One traditional and two non-traditional ultramarathons are featured in this week’s roundup. The Pine Creek Challenge is the traditional 100-miler, thanks to its traditional distance. Two-hundred-milers are a bit more unusual, but Massachusetts ultrarunners took on one of those last weekend. Even more uncommon: running a bike race – but that’s exactly what Belmont’s Scot DeDeo did. Check it out in this week’s roundup.
Tahoe 200 Endurance Run

One Massachusetts resident and another former Bay Stater who holds legendary status within Trail Animals Running Club lore completed an epic 205.5-mile circumnavigation of Lake Tahoe when they completed the fourth annual Tahoe 200 Endurance Run Sept. 8-12 in Homewood, Calif.

Annette Florczak of Roslindale, Mass., and former Massachusetts resident Bob Crowley of Fair Oaks, Calif., both overcame the distance, the elements, and the more than 35,000 feet of vertical gain en route to the finish line. Runners had 100 hours to finish the race, and both Florczak and Crowley completed the course with time to spare.

Crowley, 60, finished 37^th overall in 82:23:11. Florczak, 43, was 103^rd overall in 97:44:50.

Florczak joins 2016 finishers Tom Flummerfelt and Kara Spera as the only Massachusetts residents to complete the Tahoe 200.

Another Massachusetts resident, 54-year-old Kim Vanyo of Winchester, completed 88.1 miles of the course before dropping from the race.

Of the 183 runners who started the race, 122 finished within the time limit. Sean Nakamura, 38, of San Diego, Calif., earned the overall victory in a course-record time of 58:29:16, besting the previous record by 32 minutes. Andrea Lopez, 33, of Brooklyn, N.Y., was the first-place female and sixth overall finisher in 69:39:34.

Pine Creek Challenge

Michael Condella’s second running of the Pine Creek Challenge 100-miler was a smashing success. Specifically, he smashed his previous time on the course.

Condella, 29, took part in the seventh annual event Sept. 9-10 in Wellsboro, Pa., and the resident of Revere, Mass., made quick work of his double out-and-back on the Pine Creek Rail Trail. He completed the course in 22:47:43 and finished seventh overall. Condella previously completed the race in 2015, and his time this year was more than four hours faster.

Brad Popple, 29, of Pittsburgh, Pa., cruised to the overall victory in a course-record time of 14:16:34, besting the previous record by nearly two hours. Thirty-five runners finished within the 30-hour time limit.

The 2017 Pine Creek Challenge was just the latest 100-mile finish for Condella. Previously, he finished the TARC 100 and Winter Beast of Burden in 2016, as well as the Pine Creek Challenge and both the Summer and Winter Beast of Burden races in 2015.

The Pine Creek Challenge 100K race was dominated by 39-year-old Neela D’Souza of Pickering, Ontario, who was both the top female and overall champion in 8:59:09, more than an hour ahead of the second overall runner and first-place male. No Massachusetts residents were among the 35 100K finishers.

Coast 2 Cure NF Charity Bike Ride (Run)

When Scot DeDeo toed the starting line on Saturday, Sept. 9, he found himself in an unusual position. It was 12:45 a.m., and no other runners surrounded him. The 37-year-old resident of Belmont, Mass., wasn’t really there to run a race, though. Instead, he was about to run the 66-mile course for the Coast 2 Cure NF Charity Bike Ride. As a runner, he was starting a few hours early. The bikes would follow later.

DeDeo’s son, Nat, was diagnosed with Neurofibromatosis, a genetic disorder that impacts the nerves. Since then, DeDeo has used his ultrarunning pursuits to raise funds and awareness. The charity bike ride came on DeDeo’s radar because it raises funds for Neurofibromatosis Northeast, an organization that promotes research, awareness, and advocacy for the condition.

DeDeo ran the ride’s 24-mile option last year in preparation for the 100K race at the TARC 100, a race where DeDeo placed second overall. This year, the 66-mile course – which is his longest run ever – served as a training run for his first 100-miler, the Hennepin Hundred in October in Illinois.

Read DeDeo’s personal account of his run here.

*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.