With the exception of the Cape Cod Frozen Fat Ass 50K in January, the ultramarathon season has been quiet in Massachusetts so far in 2018. That will change on March 24 with the opening of the Trail Animals Running Club’s race series at Hale Reservation. In the meantime, one Bay State resident hit the road on the weekend of March 17-18 for an out-of-state ultra. Nantucket’s David Desnoyers traveled to North Carolina and hammered out a top-10 finish at the Badwater Cape Fear 50K. He gets this week’s roundup all to himself. Continue reading MassUltra Roundup: Badwater Cape Fear
Yearly Archives: 2018
MassUltra Roundup: Bel Monte and Land Between the Lakes
Not many ultrarunners ventured beyond the Bay State borders to race during the weekend of March 10-11, but those who did fared quite well. Both Deanna Nappi of Jamaica Plain and Tyler Dion of Leominster delivered podium-worthy efforts at races in Virginia and Kentucky, making it a highly successful weekend for the Massachusetts ultra community. Their performances – Nappi at the Bel Monte 50K and Dion at the Land Between the Lakes 60K – are featured in this week’s roundup. Continue reading MassUltra Roundup: Bel Monte and Land Between the Lakes
MassUltra Roundup: The Dunes, Caumsett, Griffith Park, Naked Bavarian, and Way Too Cool
March opened with a flurry as Massachusetts ultrarunners took on courses as close as New York and as far away as Florida and California. Included among the notable performances were Dartmouth resident Brian Tjersland’s effort at the Dunes 100 where he was one of just seven finishers, and Boston resident Robert Lafranee’s top-five finish at the USATF 50K championships in New York. Continue reading MassUltra Roundup: The Dunes, Caumsett, Griffith Park, Naked Bavarian, and Way Too Cool
New 100-Mile Race Coming to Western Mass
For ultrarunners seeking a 100-mile race in Massachusetts, 2017 was a lonely season.
The Bay State was home to a triple-digit solo distance run from 2013-2016 with the TARC 100, but the Trail Animals Running Club mothballed the event after struggling to attract sufficient interest. It seemed runners’ intensified focus on select races that serve as lottery qualifiers for some of the nation’s oldest and most prestigious 100s, combined with a surge of new 100-mile offerings nationwide, diluted interest in the event.
The website run100s.com maintains a listing of the 100-milers in North America. Currently, it lists 159 100-milers. Not included on that list is a new Massachusetts 100-miler that will make its debut in 2018 and has quietly garnered attention through social media. The inaugural Chesterfield Gorge Ultra will take place June 2-3 at the Chesterfield Gorge Reservation in Chesterfield, Mass. Continue reading New 100-Mile Race Coming to Western Mass
MassUltra Roundup: Mt. Mitchell, Cowtown, Antelope Canyon, and Sycamore Canyon
February came to a close for Massachusetts ultrarunners with races in North Carolina, Arizona, Texas and California, and a pair of local runners delivered particularly strong performances during their out-of-state races. Nick Curelop of Housatonic delivered a dandy of an effort at the difficult Mt. Mitchell Challenge and secured a top-five finish. Meanwhile, Rockland’s Michelle Ladonne pounded the pavement in Texas and earned a podium finish. Continue reading MassUltra Roundup: Mt. Mitchell, Cowtown, Antelope Canyon, and Sycamore Canyon
MassUltra Roundup: Black Canyon, Feebapple, Holiday Lake, Moab, Winter Beast, Virginia Beach, Dawn to Dusk, and Everglades
After a quiet start to 2018, the Massachusetts ultrarunning season kicked into high gear Feb. 17-18 as local runners traveled to eight ultras across the country. In doing so, they took on diverse, scenic terrain, and many turned in impressive performances. From fast times in Arizona, New Jersey and Virginia, to the scenic slickrock of Moab and jungle of the Everglades, runners scattered to six states for eight distinctly different races. In doing so, this week’s roundup is a novel. Grab a cup of coffee and get comfortable – there’s a lot to read this week. Continue reading MassUltra Roundup: Black Canyon, Feebapple, Holiday Lake, Moab, Winter Beast, Virginia Beach, Dawn to Dusk, and Everglades
MassUltra Roundup: Orcas Island 100
Lisa Rising gets this week’s roundup all to herself. The Cambridge resident made her 100-mile debut on a beastly course at the Orcas Island 100 in Washington, and she conquered the climbing and the cold along the way to crossing the finish line. Continue reading MassUltra Roundup: Orcas Island 100
MassUltra Roundup: Rocky Raccoon and Sean O’Brien
Feb. 3-4 marked the first weekend of multiple major national ultramarathons for 2018, and Massachusetts was well represented at both the Rocky Raccoon 100-miler in Texas and the Sean O’Brien 100K in California. The former served as the USATF Trail 100-Mile National Championship, while the latter was a Western States Endurance Run Golden Ticket race. Local runners had big days at both events, led by Ted MacMahon of North Andover who earned a Men’s Masters Division championship at Rocky. Continue reading MassUltra Roundup: Rocky Raccoon and Sean O’Brien
No Freeze, but Plenty of Chill at the Cape Cod Frozen Fat Ass 50K
BARNSTABLE, Mass. – The sun was already shining high above Cape Cod Bay when the cars started trickling into the parking lot at Sandy Neck Beach. It wasn’t long before the lot was nearly full of cars, many adorned with bumper stickers boasting of the long distances the drivers had run, races they’d conquered, or mountains they’d climbed.
On this day, however, they weren’t here to earn another sticker or shiny medal. Instead, they were in Barnstable to log some long miles, gauge their levels of toughness and grit, and enjoy a hearty supply of camaraderie. Continue reading No Freeze, but Plenty of Chill at the Cape Cod Frozen Fat Ass 50K
Results: Cape Cod Frozen Fat Ass 50K
The 12th annual Cape Cod Frozen Fat Ass 50K took place on Saturday, Jan. 27, at Sandy Neck Beach in Barnstable, Mass. In addition to the 50K distance, runners also had the option of running a 25K. Seventy runners took part in the event. Continue reading Results: Cape Cod Frozen Fat Ass 50K
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