MassUltra Roundup: The Speed Project, Spring On the Trails, Crown King Scramble, Behind the Rocks, and GDR

There was a popular local attraction for New England ultrarunners during the March 25-26 weekend as the Trail Animals Running Club played host to its annual To Hale and Back 6-Hour Ultra. Still, the allure of options beyond New England was alluring for several runners from the region. Several local runners earned podium finishes at the Spring On the Trails Endurance Runs in New York, with Massachusetts residents Matt Pacheco and Brenda Fortin earning victories. In Arizona, Woburn’s Scott Traer dashed to victory at the Crown King Scramble. Also out west, Rhode Island’s Cole Crosby delivered an eye-popping performance with his 346-mile run from Los Angeles, Calif., to Las Vegas, Nev., at The Speed Project. All of those efforts, along with the Behind the Rocks Ultra in Utah and the Georgia Death Race, are featured in this edition of the roundup.

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Photos: TARC To Hale and Back 6-Hour Ultra

The Trail Animals Running Club played host to the sixth running of the TARC To Hale and Back 6-Hour Ultra and “heavy” 5K on Saturday, March 25, 2023, at Hale Reservation in Westwood, Mass. Runners took on a 3.5-mile loop course on mostly singletrack trails, and they were treated to some of the best weather conditions in the event’s history with dry trail conditions and temperatures in the mid-30s to low 40s with just a few sprinkles and some sleet near the end. This gallery includes a small sample of photos taken by MassUltra Editor Chris Wristen during the event. A full gallery of 83 photos can be viewed on the MassUltra Facebook page.

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Free Spirit 50K Offers Trip Through History with New Ultra

When Laure and Tom Van den Broeck Raffensperger founded the New England Green River Marathon, they crafted an event that took runners on a scenic journey through rural communities and past 1800s-era infrastructure while traveling through two states.

For their newest creation – the Free Spirit 50K Ultra – they invite runners to turn back the clock even further.

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MassUltra Roundup: Chuckanut, Barkley, Cape Fear, Sycamore Canyon, and MST

Boston resident Laura Ricci headed west to Washington state to have a family reunion run at the Chuckanut 50K. Meanwhile, former Boston resident Joe McConaughy journeyed from Seattle back east to Tennessee where the FKT phenom made his debut appearance at the notorious Barkley Marathons. Additionally, New England ultrarunners represented at ultras in North Carolina and California during the March 18-19 weekend, and we have them all included in this edition of the roundup.

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MassUltra Roundup: Squatchapple, Old West, Griffith Park, Antelope Canyon, and Siuslaw Dunes

From desert trails to sandy coastal dunes, to wooded trails just outside of big cities, several New England ultrarunners found scenic places to race during the March 10-12 weekend. A few of them returned home with podium finishes added to their ultra resumes. That included a 50-mile victory by Massachusetts’ Matthew Geary and a runner-up finish by Connecticut’s Caitlin Roston at the Squatchapple Trail Races in nearby New Jersey, as well as a third-place finish by Rhode Island’s Samantha Jorgensen at the Old West Trails 50K in California in her ultra debut. Those speedy performances lead off this edition of the roundup.

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MassUltra Roundup: Jackpot, Delano Park, Old Pueblo, and No Man’s 50K

As March arrived in New England, a new round of cold weather swept the region. Several ultrarunners avoided the colder temperatures, opting for warmer weather destinations to race during the March 3-5 weekend. From Nevada and the Jackpot Ultra Festival, to Delano Park in Alabama, to Arizona’s Old Pueblo Endurance Runs and the women-only No Man’s 50K in Virginia, we have them all covered in this edition of the roundup.

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