For runners looking to throw down a fast time or pursue a personal record in an ultramarathon, the Chesterfield Gorge Ultra is a prime location. Though not flat, the rolling hills and sure-footing on fire roads make the out-and-back course an ideal venue to push the pace and run with confidence. That’s exactly what happened at the fifth edition of the event on June 3-4 at the Chesterfield Gorge Reservation in West Chesterfield, Mass.

Numerous runners logged personal-record times at distances of 100 miles, 100K, 50 miles, 50K and 25K, and a few sizzled to course-record performances on a weekend where temperatures mostly lingered in the 50s.

The most remarkable record-setting performance was delivered in the event’s longest distance. Matt Geary took down the 100-mile course record at the Chesterfield Gorge. The most noteworthy part of Geary’s effort wasn’t necessarily the speed itself, rather it was the fact that he did so on tired legs. Geary, 32, of Haydenville, Mass., kicked off his weekend on Friday, June 2, by hammering out a victory in the MUT 110K race as part of the Connecticut Ultra Traverse (CUT 112), winning in 14:12:19. The next morning, Geary toed the starting line at the Chesterfield Gorge and shook out his legs by racing to a 100-mile victory in 17:43:30. The huge mileage weekend gives Geary a solid base as he prepares to run the Midstate Massive Ultra-Trail 100-miler in October.

Five other runners joined Geary in completing the 100-miler; four were first-timers at the distance. Garrett Simon, 26, of Augusta, Ga., finished second overall in 19:07:08; David Catarius, 54, of Shrewsbury, Mass., was third in 22:51:06; and Louis Ruvolo, 58, of Turners Falls, Mass., finished fourth in 22:54:49. Judy Proteau, 48, of Marlborough, Mass., was the fifth overall finisher and women’s champion in 23:32:26. It was Proteau’s third 100-mile finish and first time under 24 hours. Eric Wester, 36, of Glastonbury, Conn., rounded out the finishers with his first 100-miler in 25:47:03.

No records fell in the 100K race, but 2021 runner-up Bryce Spare took home the win in 10:31:06. For Spare, 39, of Adams, Mass., his effort nearly matched his performance from two years earlier (10:30:29). Daniel Larson, 47, of Cambridge, Mass., was the runner-up in 10:55:44; and 42-year-old Brendan O’Hara of Salem, Mass., rounded out the podium in 11:18:09. Eight runners completed the 100K.

In the 50-mile race, Danny Hartman delivered a dynamite performance in his first attempt at the distance. The 38-year-old from Easthampton, Mass., pushed hard and took the top spot among 31 finishers, winning in a new men’s course record time of 7:21:44. It was Hartman’s best showing ever at the Chesterfield Gorge, following up on a third-place effort in the 50K in 2021. Matthew LePage, 33, of Westfield, Mass., was the runner-up in 7:58:21, and 40-year-old Pedro Grullon of Lawrence, Mass., rounded out the men’s podium in 8:18:44.

The women’s 50-mile field saw a tighter race for the top with 2019 runner-up Julia Plourde outdistancing the field by 15 minutes. Plourde, 51, of Bartlett, N.H., improved on her previous time of 9:28:47 by winning this year in 9:17:11 and finishing fifth overall. Emily Wivell, 34, of Barre, Vt., was the runner-up in 9:32:11 with a strong showing in her build-up to the Moab 240 this fall. Sarah Bam Logan, 41, of Norwich, Vt., rounded out the podium in 9:37:59.

The men’s 50K race saw the closest battle for the win as ultrarunning newcomer Maxwell Greene and second-time ultra racer Derek Sullivan dueled to a final sprint. Ultimately it was Greene, 24, of Maynard, Mass., who squeaked out the win in 4:07:28, just 20 seconds ahead of Sullivan, 42, of Lynn, Mass., who was the runner-up in 4:07:48. Royce Waltrip, 31, of Rowley, Mass., finished third in his ultramarathon debut in 4:23:31. In the women’s race, Alia Rawji delivered her best ultramarathon effort ever as the 32-year-old from Boston, Mass., finished fourth overall and first female with a new women’s course record of 4:24:00. Rawji will look to build on her performance on June 24 at the Catamount 50K. Kathryn Zioto, 35, of Winchester, Mass., (5:08:03) and Elizabeth Lynch, 58, of Milford, Mass. (5:25:04) rounded out the podium.

Forty-one runners finished the 50K within nine hours.

In the lone sub-ultra distance, 72 runners completed a single out-and-back of the course for a 25K finish. The men’s and women’s course records both fell with 34-year-old Chris Freeman of Northampton, Mass., outdistancing the men’s field by nearly six minutes for the win in 1:35:36 and 42-year-old Tara Chaplin of Lynn, Mass., topping the women’s field by a 12-minute gap in 1:48:51.