The always-popular Stone Cat Trail Races in Ipswich, Mass., were once again a major draw on Saturday, Nov. 3, as more than 250 runners took part in the 50-mile and marathon races, but there was still a large contingent of ultrarunners from the Bay State who took to the road and the air to travel for out-of-state ultras on Nov. 3-4. In fact, runners from Massachusetts took part in at least seven races beyond the Bay State at destinations as close as New Jersey and as far away as New Mexico and California.

Rio Del Lago 100

The Rio Del Lago 100 is a popular draw for runners across the country for a variety of reasons. For one thing, it serves as an annual last call for Western States Endurance Run lottery qualifying right before lottery registration closes. Additionally, the course takes runners on some of the trails of the hallowed Western States course itself.

The 18^th annual race took place Nov. 3-4 in Granite Bay, Calif., and it was once again a packed field. In total, 251 runners finished within the 30-hour time limit and secured the opportunity to enter the Western States lottery. Christopher Denucci, 39, of Berkeley, Calif. (16:36:29), and Amy Phillips, 45, of El Dorado, Calif. (21:21:24), were the men’s and women’s winners, but five Massachusetts residents also earned their way across the finish line. Niveen Ismail, 36, of Florence, Mass., was the lop Bay State finisher as she placed 93^rd overall in 26:20:52 for her first 100-mile finish. Additionally, 30-year-old Chris Bustard of Stoneham, Mass. – a 100-mile veteran – was the top local male finisher as he placed 121^st overall in 27:20:59.

Two more Massachusetts women – 48-year-old Kelly Facteau of Siasconset and 22-year-old Phoebe Seltzer of Sudbury – earned their first 100-mile finishes as Facteau earned a time of 27:41:08 and Sletzer finished in 29:21:45. Meanwhile, 100-miler veteran Marilyn Oberhardt, 53, of Arlington, finished in 29:27:33.

Pinhoti 100

James Dinsmore earned his first 100-mile finisher’s buckle when he completed the Pinhoti 100 on Nov. 3-4 in Sylacauga, Ala.

Dinsmore, 44, of Sudbury, Mass., took on a point-to-point course that began in Heflin, Ala., and followed singletrack trails and jeep roads to Sylacauga, Ala., where it finished on the track at the local high school. He and his fellow runners climbed around 14,500 feet along the way. Ultimately, Dinsmore finished 118^th overall in 28:19:34. Jeff Browning, 47, of North Logan, Utah, won the race in 16:30:35 and turned in the second-fastest time in course history.

One hundred sixty-nine runners finished the race within the 30-hour time limit.

Batona 50

Tess Harvey earned her first ultramarathon victory on Saturday, Nov. 3, when she competed in the 55-mile race at the fourth annual Batona 50 in Ong’s Hat, N.J.

The point-to-point course took runners through the Pinelands National Reserve while running along the Batona Trail, starting in Ong’s Hat and finishing at Bass River. Harvey, 28, of Brighton, Mass., turned in a strong performance and outdistanced the women’s field, posting a winning time of 10:56:33 while also placing 10^th overall. Her closest competitor, Keila de Jesus, 41, of Voorhes, N.J., finished seven minutes later.

Michael McDonnell, 34, of Collingswood, N.J., was the men’s winner in 9:22:18.

Twenty-eight runners finished the race within 13 hours.

In addition to the 55-miler, another 25 runners completed a 50K race. That included 27-year-old Victor Velazquez of Boston, Mass., who placed third overall in 4:56:45. He was edged out of second place by 31-year-old Travis Stewart of Philadelphia, Pa., who beat Velazquez by 15 seconds. Michael Daigeaun, 38, of Philadelphia won the race in 4:38:30.

The Swamp Fox Ultra

The second annual Swamp Fox Ultra took place Nov. 1-4 in McClellanville, S.C., and offered runners a variety of distances between 14 and 215 miles while racing out-and-back numerous times past a lone aid station on the Palmetto Trail.

One Massachusetts resident, Soutwick’s Mary Troy, 34, took part in the festivities. She raced at the 100K distance and placed second overall in 14:58:32. Carol Plummer, 51, of Fayetteville, N.C., won the race in 13:01:43.

For Troy, it was her second ultra of the year. She also finished the Salt Flats 100-miler in May.

Deadman Peaks Trail Run

Since breaking into ultrarunning in 2016, Arthur Krieg hasn’t limited himself to racing in New England. Krieg, 61, of Cambridge, Mass., has twice raced in Pennsylvania, and on Saturday, Nov. 3, he added Cuba, N.M., to his list of ultramarathon states when he took part in the ninth annual Deadman Peaks Trail Run 50-miler.

The out-and-back course featured plenty of singletrack trail, sections of slick rock, numerous rolling hills, and around 7,000 feet of vertical gain.

Krieg placed 18^th overall in 12:18:55. Thirty-four runners finished the race within 16 hours.

Christopher Knott, 38, of Lakewood, Colo., won the race by 34 minutes. His time of 8:17:02 was the second-best in course history.

The event also offered marathon and 30K distances.

Miner 49er

Jeff Dixon, a resident of North Attleboro, Mass., took part in a first-year event in Iowa when he traveled to Dubuque for the inaugural Miner 49er 50K on Saturday, Nov. 3. Just because the race took place in the Midwest didn’t mean the course was flat. The heartland has plenty of hills, and Iowa is no exception. The 50K race was a double out-and-back that challenged runners with nearly 9,000 feet of climbing.

Dixon, 52, was among the 21 finishers within 7 1/2 hours. He clocked a time of 6:19:41. Ross Salinas, 38, of Iowa City, Iowa, won the race by a 10-minute margin in 4:37:07.

Silver Falls

Samantha Roderigues earned her first ultramarathon finish when the 25-year-old resident of Fall River, Mass., completed the Silver Falls 50K on Saturday, Nov. 3, in Silverton, Ore.

Roderigues completed the race in 7:43:45 and was one of 156 finishers within eight hours. Rob Russell, 40, of Yachats, Ore., was the men’s winner in 4:09:50, while Pam Smith, 44, of Salem, Ore., was the women’s winner in 4:37:57.

*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.