For just the third time in event history, the G.A.C. Fat Ass 50K was canceled in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Since the event’s founding in 1998, it had only been canceled twice before, in 2004 and 2018, both times due to inclement weather.

The event will return for its 22nd running at 9 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 8, 2022, at Bradley Palmer State Park in Topsfield, Mass., where runners will once again tackle anywhere from one to five 6.2-mile loops of the course that winds through the woods on the park’s singletrack and doubletrack trail system.

A long-time staple of New England ultrarunning, the G.A.C. Fat Ass 50K grew from having just a handful of runners in its early years into a large gathering of runners, some with the intent of running an ultramarathon and many more seeking to run or walk just a loop or two and enjoy the fellowship with the laid-back club. Around 150 runners took part in the 2020 race with 31 completing the 50K and another 12 logging a marathon.

As always, the event is free to participate, but those who attend are asked to bring food or drink to share at the aid station table.

For more information, including directions of where to park, visit GAC’s website.