Photos: TARC Fall Classic

The ninth annual Trail Animals Running Club (TARC) Fall Classic took place Saturday, Sept. 28, at Great Brook Farm State Park in Carlisle, Mass. The following are a brief sample of the photos taken at the race. A full 133-picture photo gallery can be viewed on the MassUltra Facebook page here. Continue reading Photos: TARC Fall Classic

MassUltra Roundup: Forgotten Forest, Firebird, and Yukon’s Gold Rush

After a busy summer of racing, Sept. 21-22 was a relatively calm, quiet weekend for the New England ultrarunning community before the fall racing season ramps up beginning with the annual TARC Fall Classic. There were still a few races, however, including a new one on Cape Cod (see separate story on the Y-Not 50K) the always-popular Forgotten Forest 9-Hour Ultra in Connecticut and the new Firebird 50K in Maine that attracted runners from throughout the region. Both of those races, as well as the Yukon’s Gold Rush 50K in New Jersey are featured in this week’s roundup. Continue reading MassUltra Roundup: Forgotten Forest, Firebird, and Yukon’s Gold Rush

Mullins Victorious in Inaugural ‘Y-Not’ 50K on Cape Cod

What began a year ago with the goal of inspiring residents of the Cape Cod communities to get moving – be it for a marathon, half marathon, 10K or 5K – is now challenging runners to move even farther. That’s because the second annual Cape Cod Moves “Y-Not” Trail Races on Saturday, Sept. 21, in Sandwich, Mass., also featured the event’s inaugural 50K ultramarathon. Continue reading Mullins Victorious in Inaugural ‘Y-Not’ 50K on Cape Cod

Third Annual Village Ultra is All About Giving

Since its founding in 2017, the Village Ultra has been all about giving. Specifically, it has been about giving support to charitable causes and giving runners the opportunity to pursue personal-best performances in a low-key environment.

True to form, the third annual 24-hour event accomplished both goals on Aug. 31-Sept. 1 at the New Salem Town Common in New Salem., Mass. Around two-dozen runners and walkers took part in the event and money was raised to support the Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services (RAICES), a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that provides low-cost or free legal services to immigrants and refugees. A final fundraising total isn’t yet available because some runners made pledges remotely, but co-race director Carla Halpern said she knew hundreds of dollars were raised for RAICES. Continue reading Third Annual Village Ultra is All About Giving

Results: Cape Cod Moves ‘Y-Not’ Trail Races

The second running of the Cape Cod ‘Y-Not’ Trail Races included the inaugural running of the event’s 50K race on Saturday, Sept. 21, 2019, in Sandwich, Mass. The race consisted of 10 laps around a 5K loop. In addition to the ultra, the event offered a marathon, half marathon, 10K and 5K for the second year in a row. Continue reading Results: Cape Cod Moves ‘Y-Not’ Trail Races

MassUltra Roundup: Kilkenny Ridge, Northeast Kingdom, Pisgah Mountain, and Macedonia 50K

The White Mountains’ Kilkenny Ridge packed a punch last weekend, but several New England residents were up to the challenge for 50 or 25 miles, and a few others ventured to neighboring Vermont for 24 hours on a 3.5-mile loop in the Northeast Kingdom. Additionally, Miller’s Falls’ Daniel Grip of Millers Falls ascended to the top of the podium with a hard-earned win at Pisgah Mountain in New Hampshire, and a handful of other New Englanders took on a 50K course for the first time at Macedonia in Connecticut. All four events are captured in Part II of this week’s roundup: the New England-specific edition. Continue reading MassUltra Roundup: Kilkenny Ridge, Northeast Kingdom, Pisgah Mountain, and Macedonia 50K

MassUltra Roundup: Run Rabbit Run, IMTUF, SRT, Boulder Field, and Tahoe 100K

Prize money was on the line at the Run Rabbit Run 100-miler last weekend, and a former Massachusetts resident brought home the win in Steamboat Springs, Colo., leading the way for a few additional New Englanders who completed the challenging mountain race. Northwest of Colorado, another New Englander earned a big 100-mile finish as Woburn’s Samantha LeBlanc delivered a gritty performance at the IMTUF 100 in Idaho. Additionally, Cambridge, Mass., resident Jason Smith turned in a top-five finish at the Tahoe 100K, and New Englanders also finished the SRT Run/Hike in New York and the Boulder Field 100K in Pennsylvania. We have those five races covered in Part I of this week’s roundup. Coming tomorrow, Part II will showcase the non-Massachusetts New England races: the Kilkenny Ridge 50-miler, 24 Hours of Northeast Kingdom, Pisgah Mountain 50K and Macedonia 50K. Continue reading MassUltra Roundup: Run Rabbit Run, IMTUF, SRT, Boulder Field, and Tahoe 100K

Runners Pile Up Shoes, Miles at Free to Run

The pile began forming long before race day.

Months before the fifth annual Free to Run Trail Races took place on Saturday, Sept. 14, trail- and ultrarunners had already begun dropping off shoes with race organizers from the Berkshire Ultra Running Community for Service that would ultimately go to the non-profit organization that shares the race’s name. Continue reading Runners Pile Up Shoes, Miles at Free to Run