The busiest stretch of ultramarathon racing in New England came to a close during the Nov. 4-5 weekend with four ultra events throughout the region – the Trail Animals Running Club’s TARC Stone Cat Trail Festival, the Richmond Trail Running Club’s RUTfest in Vermont, the Hamsterwheel in New Hampshire, and 8-Hours at the Farm in Connecticut. In addition, several runners traveled beyond the region to take on ultras in Alabama, Virginia, West Virginia and New York. Stone Cat is featured in a separate article and results aren’t yet posted from RUTfest, but we have all the others covered in this jam-packed edition of the roundup.

Hamsterwheel

The self-proclaimed “Dumbest Race in New Hampshire” featured some serious running at the eighth edition of The Hamsterwheel on Nov. 4-5 in New Boston, N.H. Runners enjoyed ideal conditions – dry and in the 50s during the day, and in the 40s at night – and had 30-hour, 24-hour, 12-hour and 6-hour time-based options to run as many 4-mile out-and-back laps on the flat, smooth, hard-packed New Boston Rail Trail, starting and finishing each lap at the Hillsborough County Fairground.

It was the final opportunity to earn a 100-mile belt buckle in New England this year. That wasn’t the objective of every runner, but 24 buckles were handed out to solo runners by the end of the weekend.

The 30-hour race saw the biggest buckle haul. Of the 103 runners who took part, 56 ran at least 60 miles, 39 ran at least 80, and 22 achieved 100 miles or more to secure their buckles. Michael Lo Presti led all runners with 31 laps for 124 miles in 29:18:56, turning in the fourth-best effort by a male in event history. Justin Fitzgerald was second with 27 laps and 108 miles in 26:09:40. Jon Marks was the third-place male with 26 laps and 104 miles in 26:57:01.

Bryna Hebert topped the women’s field with 26 laps and 104 miles in 27:37:18, having completed that mileage mark the fastest within the 30-hour timeframe. Jessie Makela completed 108 miles, but did so in 30:53:19. The Hamsterwheel allows runners to complete additional mileage as long as they start a loop before the time limit is up, though mileage for official placing is determined by what was achieved within the official window of time. Makela began her final lap at the 29:36 mark.

Seventeen more runners finished 25 laps for 100 miles, all within the 30-hour window. They were Brian Allard (20:42:58); Justin Hetherington (22:28:06); Chase Arsenault (22:47:50); Gary Shaw (26:08:00); Brandon Manzo (27:31:53); Brian Stapleton (27:44:52); Stacey Williams (27:57:51); Karen Clark (28:16:24); Mike Martineau (28:16:19); Oliver Froelich (28:39:20); Sean McElhiney (28:52:40); Mark Leuner (28:59:12); Fernando Gisone (29:10:04); Robert Hayes (29:21:34); Christine Da Silva (29:33:19); Justin Atteberry (29:40:01); and Brian Patrick Mulligan (29:40:47).

Eighteen runners took part in the 24-hour race and the top two hit the 100-mile mark. Lee Pellerin took the win in 21:17:04 and Bill Wells followed in 23:33:10. Lesley Rossi was third overall and first-place female with 20 laps and 80 miles in 17:51:18. Marcy Schwam matched Rossi’s mileage but did so in 23:34:52. Matt Shinn was fifth overall with 18 laps and 72 miles in 23:46:18, followed by Joshua Houser with 17 laps and 68 miles in 22:50:44.

Fifty-seven runners took on the 12-hour race, and Brendan Chambers took the win with 17 laps and 64 miles in 11:21:02. He went out for one final lap and narrowly missed finishing it within the 12-hour time limit. It didn’t matter as he was well ahead of the field, but his total tally of 68 miles for the day came in at 12:02:54. The top two women were the next finishers with Christina Friedman amassing 15 laps and 60 miles in 11:51:26, followed by Elsa Cipriani with 15 laps and 56 miles in 11:16:14. Men’s runner-up Matthew Hall matched the distance, but did so in 12:18:28. He finished 52 miles in 11:00:28. Rounding out the women’s and men’s podiums were Shayna Millstein and Evan Hotaling with 13 laps and 52 miles apiece in 10:51:35 and 11:11:36, respectively. Five more runners also finished 52 miles: Meg Geschwind (11:23:41); Kolby Emken (11:26:23); Tina Ryan (11:30:50); Jesse Beckett-Herbert (11:37:05); and Linda Wells (12:58:10).

The shortest race of the day was the 6-hour, and the field of 28 saw 12 runners complete at least eight laps and 32 miles. The top two women led the way with Margreta Doerfler and Alexandra Brinkert going 1-2 overall with 36 miles apiece, Doerfler in 5:42:04 and Brinkert in 5:50:27. Brinkert was the lone runner to attempt a 10th loop, and she completed 40 miles in 6:34:58. Third-place female Susan Kent also finished 36 miles, but did so in 6:41:11. She completed 32 miles in 5:52:42. Top male and third overall finisher Robert O’Donnell logged 36 miles in 5:59:32, squeaking in just under the official time limit.

8 Hours at the Farm

It takes a heck of an effort to deny Daniel Grip a victory in an ultra, but Will Murray pulled it off at the third annual 8 Hours at the Farm on Sunday, Nov. 5, in Brookfield, Conn.

Grip, 44, of Belchertown, Mass., entered on a string of four straight victories – TARC To Hale and Back 6-Hour, Riverlands 100, Manitou’s Revenge 53-miler , and the Mt. Tom Trail Race 50K. Murray, 28, of Blairstown, N.J., is a relative newcomer to the ultra scene. In fact, he made his debut this summer when he raced the Leadville Silver Rush 50-miler in Colorado – and finished second overall. He ran his second ultra at 8 Hours at the Farm and pushed the pace all day long on the 4.2-mile loop course on the rolling singletrack and farm trails of Gurski Farm and Williams Park.

Ultimately, Murray mustered 13 laps and set a new course record with 54.6 miles. Grip also broke the prior record and finished 12 laps for 50.4 miles. The duo ran their final laps together.

Aaron Heath, 49, of Chappaqua, N.Y., was third with 46.2 miles, matching the previous course record and a mileage mark that he also ran in 2021. Heath was followed by 36-year-old William Drew of Newtown, Conn., with 42.0 miles. The fifth- through eighth-place runners all completed nine laps for 37.8 miles, including Daniel Brehant, 37, of Willimantic, Conn.; Michael Chartier, 33, of Warwick, R.I.; Brendan O’Leary, 44, of Yonkers, N.Y.; and Leo Clinard-Emonet, 14, of New Haven, Conn. The next three men all finished one lap back with 33.6 miles. They were William Jara, 35, of Ashford, Conn.; Alan Peck, 55, of Brookfield, Conn.; and Max Fanwick, 29, of Norwalk, Conn.

The top three women all completed eight laps for 33.6 miles apiece. They were Caitlin Rossi, 40, of Torrington, Conn.; Karen Miura, 55, of Hopewell Junction, N.Y.; and Catherine Walsh, 47, of Bethany, Conn.

Rim to River 100

The Rim to River 100-miler has quickly become one of the most popular, scenic ultras in the East, offering runners stunning views throughout their out-and-back journey through the New River Gorge. Runners once again flocked to the fourth annual event on Nov. 4-5 in New River Gorge, W.V., and six New England residents were among the finishers – including two of the top 10 overall performers.Keith Nadeau and Shelby Farrell finished fifth and sixth overall and within eight minutes of each other. Nadeau, 34, of Fairhaven, Mass., crossed the finish line fifth in the men’s field in 20:04:41 for his sixth 100-mile finish. Emmanuel King, 25, of Mill Hill, Pa., won the race in 16:39:12. Farrell followed closely after Nadeau with the 33-year-old Connecticut resident (formerly of Morrisville, Vt., and Redondo Beach, Calif.) taking sixth overall and placing first in the women’s field in 20:12:23. For Farrell, it was her first victory at a race 100-miles or farther in five tries. She was fifth in her 100-mile debut at Javelina in 2020, 11th at the Cocodona 250 in 2021, sixth at Javelina in 2021, and fourth at the Tunnel Hill 100 in 2022.

The top 40 runners all finished sub-24. Joining Nadeau and Farrell in that feat were Tino Fidalgo and Arlee Hiskey. Fidalgo, 53, of Acushnet, Mass., placed 21st overall in 22:36:27 in his 100-mile debut. Hiskey, 29, of South Burlington, Vt., placed 28th overall and fifth in the women’s field in 23:18:33 for her second 100-mile finish.

Two more New England women also earned spots among the 182 finishers within the 32-hour time limit. Danielle Triffitt, 48, of Topsham, Maine, had a strong day and placed 13th in the women’s field and 66th overall in 27:05:57. It was at least the sixth 100-mile finish for Triffitt. Additionally, 45-year-old Kim Gibson of Dartmouth, Mass., placed 142nd overall in 30:51:07 for what was at least her fifth 100-mile finish.

Fall Back Into the Trails

Several New England residents earned podium finishes in the 100K and 50K races at the seventh annual Fall Back Into the Trails Ultras on Saturday, Nov. 4, in Lagrangeville, N.Y.

The event used a 10K loop course with 1,000 feet of gain per loop that runners had to complete multiple times.

Eighteen runners completed 10 loops of the course for 100K finishes, and the entire men’s podium was swept by runners from Connecticut. Josh Gaetjen, 53, and Lee Davis, 42, both of Hamden, went 1-2 in 13:43:32 and 13:45:10, followed closely by 47-year-old Christian Dockum of Fairfield in 13:45:32. Pollee Brookings, 36, of Portland, Ore., led the women’s field and finished fourth overall in 14:17:44. The women’s runner-up was 54-year-old Claire Gadrow of South Kingstown, R.I., in 19:05:13.

Another 30 runners completed five loops of the course for 50K finishes. Greg Close, 40, of Brooklyn, N.Y., led all runners in 4:09:23. Rafael Russi-Catalan, 36, of Housatonic, Mass., was the top New Englander with a fifth-place finish in 5:48:22. Rachel Leahey, 21, of Hampden, Mass., was the first-place female and sixth overall runner in 5:55:07. Other overall top-10 finishers from New England were Bradley Armour, 36, of Melrose, Mass. (eighth, 6:13:02) and Andrew Warner, 29, of Great Barrington, Mass. (ninth, 6:21:56).

Pinhoti 100

Two New England residents were among the finishers of one of the largest 100-mile ultras in the South at the Pinhoti 100 on Nov. 4-5 in Sylacauga, Ala.

The 16th annual point-to-point race through the Talladega National Forest from Heflin to Sylacauga on the Pinhoti Trail and Sylaward Trail saw 205 runners start the race and 138 ultimately finish.

Amy Rusiecki, 44, of South Deerfield, Mass., placed 46th overall and sixth in the women’s field in 26:40:29, running her tally of 100-mile finishes to at least a dozen. Eric Bednorz, 49, of Swanville, Maine, also successfully completed the race, placing 57th overall in 27:14:29. It marked a bit of redemption for Bednorz after he did not finish in 2022. It was at least the eighth 100-mile finish for Bednorz.

Andrew Higgins and Madalyn Nones led the men’s and women’s fields with Higgins, 44, of Birmingham, Ala., finishing in 18:52:06, and Nones, 30, of Corvallis, Ore., finishing in 22:15:13.

Mountain Masochist

Two years ago, Abigail Anderson raced the Mountain Masochist 50-miler and finished in 12:12:32. It was her debut at the distance. On Saturday, Nov. 4, Anderson returned for a second craft at the event in Montebello, Va., and nearly matched her prior performance.

Racing on a course with tradition dating back 40 years, Anderson completed the East Coast classic in 12:15:09 and placed 65th overall. Ninety-four runners finished the race within 14 hours led by Seth Wall, 38, of Waynesboro, Va., and Meg Landymore, 37, of Pasadena, Md., in 8:03:03 and 8:41:55, respectively.

*Editor’s Note: Results are found on a variety of sites, including ultrasignup.com, UltraRunning Magazine, and official race websites. We do the best we can to find as many results as possible to report on and recognize the local ultrarunning community.