BROOKLINE, N.H. – The demons were there lurking in the darkness, just like they always do at Ghost Train.

Some of those demons were present day and night, such as the statues and hand-crafted decorations carefully created and placed along the Granite Town Rail Trail that stretches for 7.5 miles between Brookline and Milford, N.H. Others were the demons that lurk inside the minds of runners as the miles pile up and they push late into the night and – for some – the following day.

While the former demons are mainstays at Ghost Train and parts of the event’s storied tradition, the latter isn’t unique to Ghost Train. The mental demons are a hallmark of most ultramarathons, and all of them where 100-mile efforts are a possibility. Jennifer Rizzo knows those demons well. She has stared them down before, succumbed to them at times, just like many of her fellow ultrarunners.

Rizzo encountered those demons once again on Oct. 14-15 at the 14th annual Ghost Train Trail Race, and this time the demons buckled under her determination. 

“My history at the 100-mile distance was on my mind a lot as I ran Ghost Train this year,” said Rizzo, 40, of Marblehead, Mass. “I don’t want to say earning a buckle meant more to me than it might have for other runners, but … let’s just say I was really hungry out there.

“My prior failures really sharpened my mental toughness by helping me develop strategies to keep my mind focused, or to help me zone out if I needed to.”

Those prior experiences ran the gamut, from near-misses to brutal physical breakdowns. She logged an unofficial finish in her first attempt at 100 miles at the Riverlands 100 in 2021 when she completed the distance, but her time of 33:24:12 was over the official 32-hour time limit. A year later, Rizzo returned to Maine for another crack at Riverlands but landed in the hospital with dehydration after overheating on a 90-degree day when just 19 of 66 starters ultimately finished. A month later, she attempted 100 miles at the Chesterfield Gorge Ultra in June 2022. This time, after running in 80-degree temperatures during the day the temperature plunged into the 40s overnight. Rizzo started to get pre-hypothermic and ended her race after 70 miles.

“Even with what many people would see as failures, I had a great time at these events,” Rizzo admitted. “I love the ultra atmosphere and the people are the best. Still, after the summer of 2022, my confidence was pretty low. I started to think I’d never get 100 miles.”

Rizzo encountered additional setbacks, including multiple health issues. Through it all, the 100-mile dream gnawed at her so she signed up for Ghost Train, a course she knew well from doing the 15-miler in 2021 and 30 miles in 2022.

On race day she stepped to the starting line with confidence and hope, armed with wisdom gained from her prior efforts. Her nutrition was dialed in. She packed extra layers and hand warmers for the overnight chill, a critical lesson learned from Chesterfield that would pay dividends in the 40-degree nighttime temperatures. She even had a mantra that she repeated to herself throughout the race: “It’s my turn.”

Twenty-nine months after going the distance but running out of time at her first 100-mile attempt, Rizzo faced a 30-hour time limit at Ghost Train. She finished with plenty of time to spare, crossing the line in 28:23:09 in one of the most emotional finishes of the weekend.

“There were some onions being cut nearby when she came in,” said Race Director Rob Fiero, smiling as he teared up recalling Rizzo’s finish and the moments that followed, which included a warm hug between he and Rizzo as she sat in a chair by the finish line. “When Jenn came in, that was … she was very emotional, and I think that carried over to everybody else. I had just a wonderful hug with her. She was talking a little bit about all the things she’s overcome, and I was just so happy for her. I’m happy for everybody who comes in at whatever distance they do, but that was a really special finish.”

Indeed, Ghost Train 2023 was Rizzo’s turn to finally achieve her longtime goal, but the same could be said for many other runners.

Bruce Leung, 58, and Adam Hoffman, 53, were among those whose turn it also was to conquer demons and add a 100-mile finish to their ultrarunning resumes.

Leung had his heart set on running 100 miles at Ghost Train in 2022 but stopped after 75. It was a distance PR at the time, but Leung wasn’t satisfied.

“It was a big motivator for this year,” he said. “Prior to the 75 miles my longest run was less than 40 miles (Needham Backyard Ultra) so achieving that distance last year gave me confidence that I could probably reach 100 miles with a few tweaks to my training and race execution. Plus, who wouldn’t want to return to Ghost Train after getting a taste?”

Leung built out a busy 2023 racing calendar, beginning with a 60-mile effort in sub-zero temperatures at the TARCtic Frozen Yeti in February and concluding with another crack at the Backyard Ultra in September. All of his races served as glorified training runs in preparation for Ghost Train. He also ran countless miles with Hoffman.

“We both live in Natick and are part of the Natick Runners group but didn’t start running together until shortly before I ran my first ultra,” Leung said, referencing the 2021 Stone Cat 50K. “We just seem to mesh well.”

The friends bonded over many miles shared. They also had similar ambitions – including the desire to run 100 miles. Hoffman had 100-mile dreams after closing out 2022 with a pair of 50-mile efforts at the TARC Fall Classic and Race for DFL. Hoffman eyed the TARC Summer Classic 40-miler in August as a big training run before Ghost Train, but he was derailed by injury before making it to the starting line.

“In mid-July while preparing for that, I built up miles too quickly and strained a tendon,” Hoffman said. “I ended up having to drop out of Summer Classic but I didn’t give up completely on Ghost Train. I couldn’t run for about 8 weeks because any impact caused pain, but other activities were fine. So, I went out and did a ton of biking and swimming, and even an epic 40-mile rollerblade from Bedford to Boston and back. Those weeks were frustrating though because the injury took so long to heal and all I really wanted to do was run trails. Finally in late September I was starting to run again.”

While Leung stepped to the starting line of Ghost Train with 100 miles firmly on his mind, Hoffman believed 30 miles was a reasonable goal given he’d returned to running barely a month earlier.

“I was there to see what I could learn, have fun and support friends,” he said.

Both men executed their own unique race strategies for most of the day with Leung focusing on staying comfortable and on top of his nutrition while Hoffman ran with various friends, took photos and paused to cheer others on.

An IT band flare-up after 25 miles forced Leung into a shoe change at mile 30 and a pivot to a run/walk method to keep the inflammation down as he continued. Meanwhile, Hoffman’s legs surprised him. He felt ok after 30 miles and decided to continue onward. Both men completed their third out-and-back and reached the 45-mile mark around the same time. Leung departed for his fourth lap first, but Hoffman soon caught up and they stuck together the rest of the way.

“Bruce and I ran together for the second half of the race and essentially paced each other, though that hadn’t been specifically planned,” Hoffman said. “We know each other pretty well so it was super helpful to have someone there to be accountable to and guide at the same time. When you’re so tired, it’s easy to make mistakes like forgetting to eat or pacing wrong. Being there for the tough part together I think we were able to be each other’s reality check and keep each other on track. Bruce is also a friend who has inspired me a lot, and I really wanted to see him succeed as much as I wanted it for myself.”

Though the miles took their toll, Leung and Hoffman stayed accountable to each other and themselves. Ultimately, their teamwork led them to the finish line of their first 100-milers with a little more than 15 minutes to spare, Hoffman finishing in 29:44:25 and Leung in 29:44:29.

The stories of Rizzo, Leung and Hoffman are but a few of the many breakthrough performances and memorable moments that unfolded during 30 hours at Ghost Train. More than 550 runners took part in the event between the 30-hour ultra, 30-mile night race, 15-mile race, and the 30-hour and 15-mile relay options. All had their own distance, time and experience goals for the weekend.

Of the 375 runners who finished ultra mileage in the 30-hour race, nobody ran farther than Michael Whittemore. The 36-year-old from Vineyard Haven, Mass., was the lone runner to go beyond 100 miles. A year after making his 100-mile debut at Ghost Train (28:11:50), he finished first overall at this year’s 30-hour race with 115 miles in 29:29:07. Whittemore has even bigger goals for 2024 when he will travel to Arizona for the Cocodona 250.

Sixty-nine more runners completed 100 miles with 33-year-old Zach Hastings of Rutland, Mass., doing so the fastest in 17:33:38, followed by 31-year-old Vince Murphy of Boston, Mass., in 18:26:20. Jason Hendy, 29, of Newton, Mass., was the next finisher in 20:28:57, and 29-year-old Israel Agront of Medford, Mass., was close behind in 20:49:26. Scott Warren, 54, of North Reading, Mass. (21:19:36) and Wayne Ball, 49, of Feeding Hills, Mass. (21:35:19) were the next two 100-mile finishers.

The top two women in the 100-miler both crossed the line in less than 24 hours with 43-year-old Kristin Loiko of South Hadley, Mass., earning the victory in 22:28:18 and 37-year-old Sonya Charles of Wilton, N.H., placing second in 23:36:44. Jennifer Whynot, 40, of Windham, Maine, rounded out the women’s podium in 24:13:00. Xiali He, 48, of Weston, Mass., was fourth in 24:30:59. It was the first 100-mile finish for all four of the top women. Sarah Brandt, 41, of Salem, Mass., rounded out the top five in 25:10:18, earning her second 100-mile finish. Her debut at the distance came at Ghost Train in 2022 when she finished in 29:22:58.

Beyond the 100-mile distance there were many more strong performances. Among them, 37-year-old Alexander Jinks of East Montpelier, Vt., and 45-year-old Lindsay Theis of Augusta, Maine, delivered mesmerizing 75-mile efforts, finishing 1-2 overall in 11:34:39 and 15:30:15, respectively; 44-year-old Deirdre Lowe of Salem, Mass., won the 60-miler outright in 10:22:19, followed by men’s champion Brendan Harrigan, 40, of Franklin, Mass., in 10:36:26; and Billy Martin, 28, of West Islip, N.Y., blasted through 45 miles in 6:47:36 while 45-year-old Abby Bent McKie of Peabody, Mass., topped the women’s field at that distance in 9:10:50. Finally, at the 30-mile distance, 46-year-old Ryan Aschbrenner of Nashau, N.H., scorched the course in 3:21:05 while 37-year-old Kathryn Zioto of Winchester, Mass., blazed to the women’s victory in a speedy 4:21:06.

Eighty-nine runners completed the inaugural Ghost Train Haunted 30-Mile Night Race Jay Frontierro, 48 of South Hamilton, Mass., fended off Mark Howard, 41, of Cranston, R.I., and Tino Fidalgo, 53, of Acushnet, Mass., for the win in the men’s field with Frontierro winning in 4:04:06, followed by Howard in 4:09:49 and Fidalgo in 4:11:08. Jacquelyn Jackman, 45, of Warwick, R.I., dominated the women’s race in 4:30:54, followed by Katherine Galindo, 33, of West Boyalston, Mass. (4:48:14) and Chelsea Bishop, 31, of Revere, Mass. (5:03:29).

Eighty runners completed the 15-mile race on Sunday, with 47-year-old Alyssa Anderson, 47, of Claremont, N.H., taking the overall win in a women’s course record 1:48:41, and 40-year-old Kevin Barnard of Amherst, Mass., leading the men in 1:55:02.

Young Breaks Barriers with World Record Performance

Among the many noteworthy performances at this year’s Ghost Train was that of John Young. The 57-year-old resident of Salem, Mass., is an accomplished marathoner with 20 to his credit including six finishes apiece at Boston and New York City.

Young entered Ghost Train with the goal of setting a Guinness World Record as the shortest person to run an ultramarathon – a feat that would be even more impactful as October is Dwarfism Awareness Month. A math teacher at Pingree School in Hamilton, stands just shy of 4-foot-4.

Young’s record-setting attempt created added excitement for many of the runners and the race organizers at Ghost Train who wanted to see him succeed.

“He and I talked ahead of time,” Fiero said. “I met him for the first time at the Fall Classic, which was a pleasure. He’s a great guy, and I’m so excited for him. He’s such a positive guy.”

Young’s task on race day was to complete two out-and-backs of the rail trail for an official 30-mile finish, which he successfully accomplished in 12:09:24. Upon crossing the finish line, he did an additional short out-and-back to tack on one more mile to achieve 50K mileage.

Following the race, Young had to submit an assortment of information to Guinness, including data and photos, as part of Guinness’s formal process. The information is under review and the record is pending approval.

Read more about Young’s accomplishment in The Salem News.

Lampman Hits 100-Mile Milestone

While runners and race organizers knew in advance of Young’s record-setting attempt, there was another notable performance at Ghost Train that was kept somewhat top secret: Jim Lampman’s quest for a 10th 100-mile finish at Ghost Train.

Adam Dodge, the buckle coordinator for Ghost Train, planned something special for Lampman’s feat.

“Adam Dodge did a fantastic job of making him a custom buckle, and Jim didn’t know,” Fiero said. “Adam had been working on that for a few months, and it’s funny because every time we talked about it, it was in hushed tones. Adam didn’t want Jim to know about it and jinx him, so there were all these coded conversations.”

Lampman, 40, of Victor, N.Y., is a prolific runner of 100-milers. He ran his first 100 at Vermont in 2007, then ran two more 100s in 2008, before gradually increasing his annual load. He typically runs at least a half-dozen 100s per year. Ghost Train was his sixth of 2023, and he still has the Devil Dog 100 on his calendar for December.

Lampman ran his first Ghost Train 100 in 2013, finishing in 28:07:00. He hasn’t missed a year since, save for the 2020 event that was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Lampman finished this year’s race 31st overall in 27:11:26, his fastest performance in 10 runs at Ghost Train.