All was quiet on Sandy Neck Beach in Barnstable, Mass., by the time the light snow began to fall on Saturday, Jan. 18. The scene had been far different just a few hours earlier. The beach was a hotbed of energy and activity on this frigid day as runners took part in the 14th annual Cape Cod Frozen Fat Ass 50K ultramarathon and 25K race on the sand. Continue reading Runners Handle the Cold, Beat the Snow at Cape Cod Frozen Fat Ass
Monthly Archives: January 2020
MassUltra Roundup: Arches Ultra and the AZT Oracle Rumble
With the second annual TARCtic Frozen Yeti just a week away, the final weekend of January was light on ultramarathon racing for runners in Massachusetts and greater New England, but a handful headed West for some warmer-weather racing at the Arches Ultra in Utah and the AZT Oracle Rumble in Arizona. The most notable performance, however, came from a former Somerville resident – Nora Weathers – who brought home the win in the Arches Ultra with a course record-setting performance. Continue reading MassUltra Roundup: Arches Ultra and the AZT Oracle Rumble
Results: Cape Cod Frozen Fat Ass 50K
The 14th annual Cape Cod Frozen Fat Ass 50K and 25K races took place Saturday, Jan. 18, 2020, at Sandy Neck Beach in Barnstable, Mass. More than 90 runners took part in the event, including more than 30 who finished the 50K distance. Continue reading Results: Cape Cod Frozen Fat Ass 50K
MassUltra Roundup: Coldwater Rumble
Winter has taken hold in New England, and while cold-weather fatass-style events have filled the Massachusetts ultra calendar early in the year a handful of runners from the region sought out warmer weather and drier trails during the Jan. 18-19 weekend at the 10th annual Coldwater Rumble Ultras in Goodyear, Ariz. Continue reading MassUltra Roundup: Coldwater Rumble
MassUltra Roundup: Bandera and Frozen Gnome
Two fatass-style ultramarathons occupy the January slate in Massachusetts, with the G.A.C. Fat Ass 50K having taken place Jan. 4 and the Cape Cod Frozen Fat Ass 50K coming up Jan. 18 in Barnstable. The weekend between them, Jan. 11-12, featured a slight slate of ultras nationally, but two Massachusetts residents collected hard-earned finishes at out-of-state races. In Texas, Boylston’s Neil Feldman battled to the finish line of the challenging Bandera 100K, while Boston’s Wilson Ray logged his first ultra finish at the Frozen Gnome 50K in Illinois. Both races are included in this week’s roundup. Continue reading MassUltra Roundup: Bandera and Frozen Gnome
Around 150 Runners Kick Off New Year at G.A.C. Fat Ass 50K
Runners endured the full spectrum of weather conditions during the first 20 years of the G.A.C. Fat Ass 50K, from bone-chilling temperatures far below freezing, to blizzard conditions, to rain, ice, sun and unseasonably warm temperatures.
The 21st annual event took place Saturday, Jan. 4, at Bradley Palmer State Park in Topsfield, Mass., and it featured a little bit of everything. Patches of snow and ice covered the 6.2-mile loop course, as did a fair amount of mud thanks to some thawing in the mid-40s temperatures and the rain that fell on and off during the race. The damp yet comfortable conditions were ideal for runners who sought several loops and didn’t mind having mud-coated calves and shoes. Continue reading Around 150 Runners Kick Off New Year at G.A.C. Fat Ass 50K
Results: G.A.C. Fat Ass 50K
The 21st annual G.A.C. Fat Ass 50K took place Saturday, Jan. 4, 2020, at Bradley Palmer State Park in Topsfield, Mass. Around 150 runners took part in the classic New England ultramarathon to kick off the new year, with 30 completing five loops of the course for a 50K finish and another dozen completing a marathon. Continue reading Results: G.A.C. Fat Ass 50K
MassUltra Roundup: Across the Years
More than 550 runners welcomed in the new year by logging mileage for days on end at the 36th annual Across the Years fixed-time ultras at Camelback Ranch in Phoenix, Ariz., and that group included eight runners from New England. Continue reading MassUltra Roundup: Across the Years
BURCS Series to Expand with Alford Springs 6-Hour Ultra
For the past few years, the Berkshire Ultra Running Community for Service (BURCS) has kicked off its annual ultramarathon race series in mid-June. This year, the series will begin a few weeks sooner thanks to the introduction of a new race – the Alford Springs 6-Hour Ultra. Continue reading BURCS Series to Expand with Alford Springs 6-Hour Ultra
MassUltra Roundup: Dreadmill Endurance Challenge
A trio of Massachusetts ultrarunners who broke through the 100-mile barrier for the first time in 2019 closed out the year by doing so again — only this time they passed on the trails and tackled the distance on the mind-numbing terrain of a treadmill. Continue reading MassUltra Roundup: Dreadmill Endurance Challenge
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