For around 90 minutes, I perched halfway up the hill below Wright’s Tower and clicked away with my Nikon D90 camera as runners came toward me in both directions. Some danced down the hill, navigating its tangled web of tree roots while others dug deep and made the steep, rocky march upward.
Continue reading From the Editor’s Desk: Celebrating the SillinessMonthly Archives: December 2022
Newcomers Nab Victories as Seth’s Fat Ass 50K Returns to In-Person Racing
After two years as a virtual event due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Seth’s Fat Ass 50K returned for its 10th in-person running and 12th edition on a cold Saturday morning in Springfield, Mass.
Continue reading Newcomers Nab Victories as Seth’s Fat Ass 50K Returns to In-Person Racing
Dog Bite Doesn’t Derail Ribeiro’s Title Defense at Fells 40-Miler
STONEHAM, Mass. – A year ago, Adam Ribeiro fended off a fierce challenge during the final miles before winning the Trail Animals Running Club’s Fells Winter Ultra 40-mile race by less than two minutes.
Ribeiro returned to defend his title on Saturday, Dec. 3, at the Middlesex Fells Reservation. Though the 31-year-old from Marlborough, Mass., once again faced a staunch challenge throughout the day, his biggest threat came from a four-legged trail-user who nearly upended Ribeiro’s race during the late miles.
Continue reading Dog Bite Doesn’t Derail Ribeiro’s Title Defense at Fells 40-Miler
Farnsworth Strikes it Big Twice at Fells 40 with Victory, WSER Lottery Selection
STONEHAM, Mass. – A year ago, Sophia Farnsworth closed out her ultra season with a victory at the TARCkey Trot 6-Hour Ultra in mid-November. That set the tone for 2022 and what would be the biggest season of her life.
Farnsworth opened the year by taking on her first 100-miler – the grueling Hellbender 100 in North Carolina – and earned a top-10 finish. She followed that up in August with a top-five performance at the Twisted Branch 100K in New York. The Fells Winter Ultra marked the final race of her season on Saturday, Dec. 3, at the Middlesex Fells Reservation and Farnsworth once again hoped to end with a win.
Continue reading Farnsworth Strikes it Big Twice at Fells 40 with Victory, WSER Lottery SelectionMassUltra Roundup: Hellgate, Freight Train, Hitchcock, and Blaze Pioneer
As the 2022 ultramarathon racing season nears its conclusion a handful of runners from New England squeezed in one last race during the Dec. 10-11 weekend. Their winter effort paid off in a big way for a few of them with finishes on or near the podium. That included New Hampshire’s Leah Nicholson who earned a runner-up finish at the Hellgate 100K in Virginia, as well as Boston’s Bridget Gormley who came within seconds of the podium at the Freight Train 50K in Virginia, and Maine’s Tyler Lupien who landed in the top five at his first 100-miler in Iowa. Those efforts and more are included in this edition of the roundup.
Continue reading MassUltra Roundup: Hellgate, Freight Train, Hitchcock, and Blaze Pioneer
Richer, Wise Outrun the Rain to Win Fells Winter Ultra 32-Miler
STONEHAM, Mass. – In the days leading up to the Trail Animals Running Club’s Fells Winter Ultra, all eyes were on the forecast.
Continue reading Richer, Wise Outrun the Rain to Win Fells Winter Ultra 32-MilerResults: Seth’s Fat Ass 50K
The 12th edition of Seth’s Fat Ass 50K took place on Saturday, Dec. 10, at Forest Park in Springfield, Mass. Runners once again took on a 5K paved loop course and had seven hours to complete 10 loops for a 50K ultramarathon. Thirty-five runners started the race and 22 ultimately achieved an ultramarathon finish within the time limit.
Continue reading Results: Seth’s Fat Ass 50K
G.A.C. Fat Ass 50K to Open 2023 Ultra Season in Massachusetts
Ultrarunners looking to get a quick start to their 2023 season won’t have to wait long to do so. The legendary Gil’s Athletic Club (GAC) will once again provide an early ultra opportunity when it plays host to the 23rd annual G.A.C. Fat Ass 50K at 9 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 7, at Bradley Palmer State Park in Topsfield.
Continue reading G.A.C. Fat Ass 50K to Open 2023 Ultra Season in MassachusettsPhotos: 2022 TARC Fells Winter Ultra
The Trail Animals Running Club closed out its 2022 season with the annual TARC Fells Winter Ultra 40-mile and 32-mile trail ultras on the Skyline Trail at the Middlesex Fells Reservation in Stoneham, Mass. The following are a small sample of the photos taken by MassUltra Editor Chris Wristen at the race. A full gallery of more than 175 photos can be viewed at this link.
Continue reading Photos: 2022 TARC Fells Winter UltraMassUltra Roundup: McDowell Mountain Frenzy, Cloudland Canyon, and Brazos Bend
December is upon us, and with it comes the final few weeks of the 2022 ultramarathon season. Races are becoming fewer across the country, but New England residents are still finding places to compete. Locally, the Trail Animals Running Club played host to its annual Fells Winter Ultra, which was the most popular attraction for regional ultrarunners. A handful headed elsewhere to race on Dec. 3-4, led by Rhode Island’s Ben Quatromoni who competed for a Salomon professional sponsorship in Arizona. A few others traveled to Georgia and Texas to take on new trails. All of those races are featured in this edition of the roundup.
Continue reading MassUltra Roundup: McDowell Mountain Frenzy, Cloudland Canyon, and Brazos Bend
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