When the first wave of runners in the Midstate Massive Ultra Trail depart Windblown Cross Country Ski Area in New Hampshire and head for the Massachusetts border to begin their North-South crossing of the Bay State, it will represent more than just the start of the first point-to-point 100-mile ultramarathon across Massachusetts. The 100-mile/50-mile/30-mile event on Oct. 12-13 will mark the fulfillment of a dream five years in the making. Continue reading Midstate Massive Ultra Trail is a Race Five Years in the Making
Monthly Archives: August 2019
MassUltra Roundup: Castle Peak, Lost Cat, Cascade Crest, and Anchor Down
After a few busy weeks of in-state ultras in Massachusetts, Aug. 24-25 was a quiet racing weekend in the Bay State. That didn’t keep runners from New England off the trails, however. Several raced in neighboring Vermont at the Lost Cat 50K, while a few headed to the West Cost to race at the Castle Peak 100K in California and the Cascade Crest 100-miler in Washington. Britta Clark was among them as the 25-year-old from Goshen, Vt., delivered a course record-setting performance at Castle Peak. Additionally, we tracked down results from the Anchor Down Ultra on Aug. 16-17 in Rhode Island for this week’s roundup. Continue reading MassUltra Roundup: Castle Peak, Lost Cat, Cascade Crest, and Anchor Down
MassUltra Roundup: Habanero Hundred, Waldo, Fat Dog, Lean Horse, and Twisted Branch
After a few jam-packed weekends of ultramarathon racing in Massachusetts, the Aug. 17-18 weekend was quiet in the Bay State. Runners from the region traveled to other parts of the country to race, however, and turned in strong showings. None had a bigger weekend than Ryan Fecteau as the resident of Danvers, Mass., set a new course record with his victory at the Habanero Hundred in Texas. Additionally, new New England resident Brent Kocis turned in a fourth-place showing at the Waldo 100K in Oregon. In addition to those races, the Lean Horse 100 from South Dakota and the Twisted Branch 100K from New York are included in this week’s roundup, and we also tracked down results from the Fat Dog 120 in Canada from the weekend prior. Continue reading MassUltra Roundup: Habanero Hundred, Waldo, Fat Dog, Lean Horse, and Twisted Branch
With 100 on the Horizon, LeBlanc Blazes at Summer Classic
The Idaho Mountain Trail Ultra Festival (IMTUF) 100-miler is a month away, but that didn’t stop Samantha LeBlanc from entering the TARC Summer Classic for a tune-up run.
IMTUF is a rugged mountain race, whereas the Summer Classic on Saturday, Aug. 10, had plenty of rocks and roots but a lot more runnable surface on the trails of Noon Hill Reservation in Medfield, Mass. That meant there’d be a lot more running and a lot less power-hiking practice for LeBlanc – and she made the most of the opportunity to throw down some speed. Continue reading With 100 on the Horizon, LeBlanc Blazes at Summer Classic
New Champions Crowned at Sweltering Summer
For the past four years, Greg Soutiea had his speedy legs firmly planted on the top of the podium at the Berkshire Ultra Running Community for Service’s Sweltering Summer 8-Hour Ultra.
Soutiea dominated the race each year, always winning with at least 5 1/2 miles more than his closest competitor. The former resident of Quincy, Mass., now lives on the Maine coast, making the trip to Clapp Park in Pittsfield, Mass., a particularly long haul. As a result, after dominating the race from 2015-2018 when he secured the four biggest mileage totals in race history, Soutiea was absent from the seventh annual event on Saturday, Aug. 10. That meant a new champion would be crowned at the race around the .355-mile loop cinder track at Clapp Park.
And what a race it was. Continue reading New Champions Crowned at Sweltering Summer
MassUltra Roundup: Catskill Mountain, Eastern States, Ragged, Beast of Burden, Green Lakes, and the Nifty Fifty
Even with two in-state ultramarathons on the Aug. 10-11 weekend, several runners headed beyond the Bay State to race. Six of those races are featured in this week’s roundup, led by Cambridge resident Jenny Hoffman’s overall victory at the Catskill Mountain 100K and the return of the Eastern States 100. Continue reading MassUltra Roundup: Catskill Mountain, Eastern States, Ragged, Beast of Burden, Green Lakes, and the Nifty Fifty
Results: BURCS Sweltering Summer 8-Hour Ultra
The Berkshire Ultra Running Community for Service played host to its sixth annual Sweltering Summer 8-Hour Ultra on Saturday, Aug. 10, at Clapp Park in Pittsfield, Mass. Yuki Chorney earned the No. 2 spot on the women’s course record board with her 51.16-mile performance while Eric Ciocca earned the men’s victory in his BURCS debut. Continue reading Results: BURCS Sweltering Summer 8-Hour Ultra
Results: TARC Summer Classic 40M and 50K
The fifth annual Trail Animals Running Club (TARC) Summer Classic 40-mile and 50K ultramarathons took place Saturday, August 10, at Noon Hill Reservation in Medfield, Mass. Samantha LeBlanc set a new women’s course record in the 40-mile race. Continue reading Results: TARC Summer Classic 40M and 50K
Frontierro, Lynch Earn Course Records at East End 50K
The inaugural East End 50K was an intimate affair with 17 starters and just a dozen finishers in 2018. Runners once again enjoyed a close-knit community feel in year two, held Sunday, August 4, even as the race experienced a surge in popularity.
The starting field nearly doubled in size with 33 runners toeing the line at Borderland State Park in Easton, Mass. After eight hours had passed, 27 runners had finished the race on the five-loop course and both the men’s and women’s course records had been smashed. The top five men all finished under last year’s winning time of 6:01:31 by Charn McAllister, and the top four women all dipped under Polina Lepniakova’s winning mark of 6:48:22 from 2018.
All in all, it was a day of big performances and tough racing. Continue reading Frontierro, Lynch Earn Course Records at East End 50K
MassUltra Roundup: Moosalamoo, Angeles Crest, Volcanic, and Sheep Mountain
Britta Clark continued her recent domination of New England ultras with her overall win at the Moosalamoo 36-miler on Saturday in Vermont, leading a large contingent of New England runners. Additionally, Dan Kelley of Lynnfield, Mass., made his 100-mile debut with a strong showing at Angeles Crest in California, Cambridge resident David Huang tackled the tough Volcanic 50K in Washington, and Medford’s Emily Holland made her ultramarathon debut at the high-alpine Sheep Mountain 50K in Colorado. Details from those four races are featured in this week’s roundup. Continue reading MassUltra Roundup: Moosalamoo, Angeles Crest, Volcanic, and Sheep Mountain
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