The jam-packed Jan. 26-28 weekend saw New England ultrarunners taking on races from coast to coast. In part one of the week’s roundup we focused on the events in the West, including the AZT Oracle Rumble in Arizona, the Arches Ultra in Utah, and the Fort Ord 50K and Sean O’Brien Ultras in California. Here in part two we turn to the East, where New Englanders raced in Florida, Alabama, Georgia and New Jersey, and we lead it off with a pair of runners from the region who earned podium finishes at the Clearwater Running Festival 50K – a rare paved ultra – in sunny Florida.
Continue reading MassUltra Roundup: Clearwater, Mountain Mist, Southern Freeze, Frosty Fat Sass, and the ItchMonthly Archives: January 2024
MassUltra Roundup: AZT Oracle Rumble, Arches, Fort Ord, and Sean O’Brien
After a quiet start to 2024, the Jan. 26-28 weekend saw a flurry of activity from New England ultrarunners as they scattered from coast to coast to take on a variety of trails. In fact, runners from the region were so busy racing that we have the first two-roundup week of the year. We start with races in the West, where several runners took on ultras in Arizona, Utah and California. Krystyna Oszkinis’s ultra debut leads us off with her podium finish at the AZT Oracle Rumble 50K.
Continue reading MassUltra Roundup: AZT Oracle Rumble, Arches, Fort Ord, and Sean O’BrienMassUltra Roundup: Coldwater Rumble, Fort Clinch, and Dark Anchor
The 2024 ultrarunning season is just a few weeks old, but runners from New England are already making their presence felt on trails throughout the country. A few turned in big mileage in Georgia at the 34-hour Dark Anchor Ultra during the Jan. 20-21 weekend, while another earned his first ultra finish at Fort Clinch in Florida. And then there was Jason Baker, who hammered his way to a podium finish in the 100-mile race at Coldwater Rumble in Arizona. We have them all covered in this edition of the roundup.
Continue reading MassUltra Roundup: Coldwater Rumble, Fort Clinch, and Dark AnchorMassUltra Roundup: Bandera, the Shippey, and St. Croix Scenic
One of the biggest early-season ultras in the United States – Bandera – welcomed hundreds of runners to Texas, including several ultrarunners from New England. One of them – Colleen Chase of Princeton, Mass. – came home with a victory while eight others from the region also earned finisher’s buckles in the 100K race. Beyond Bandera, New Englanders also conquered ultras in frigid Missouri and sunny St. Croix, USVI, during the Jan. 12-14 weekend. We have them all covered in this edition of the roundup.
Continue reading MassUltra Roundup: Bandera, the Shippey, and St. Croix ScenicGoodwill, Good Times at 24th G.A.C. Fat Ass 50K
TOPSFIELD, Mass. – In the days prior to the G.A.C. Fat Ass 50K, concerns mounted about the possibility of a massive pileup of snow on the trails, in the parking lot, and on the roads leading to Bradley Palmer State Park.
Continue reading Goodwill, Good Times at 24th G.A.C. Fat Ass 50KMassUltra Roundup: San Tan Scramble, Frozen Flamingo, and Recover From the Holidays
The 2024 ultrarunning season officially opened on Saturday, Jan. 6, in traditional fashion with the 24th edition of the G.A.C. Fat Ass 50K in Topsfield, Mass. Around 250 runners took part in that classic event, and it will be featured in a separate recap. Still, a handful of New Englanders ventured outside the region to take on ultras during the Jan. 5-7 weekend, with some heading to nearby New York for the Frozen Flamingo 50K and Recover From the Holidays 50K, and others heading southwest to Arizona to race the San Tan Scramble 50K. We have them covered in this edition of the roundup.
Continue reading MassUltra Roundup: San Tan Scramble, Frozen Flamingo, and Recover From the HolidaysResults: 2024 G.A.C. Fat Ass 50K
The 24th running of the G.A.C. Fat Ass 50K took place on Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024, at Bradley Palmer State Park in Topsfield, Mass. Around 250 runners took part in running between one and five loops of the 10K course. Thirty-five runners finished five loops for a 50K, and another 15 runners earned marathon finishes.
Continue reading Results: 2024 G.A.C. Fat Ass 50KPhotos: 2024 G.A.G. Fat Ass 50K
The 24th running of the G.A.C. Fat Ass 50K took place on Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024, at Bradley Palmer State Park in Topsfield, Mass. Around 250 runners took part in running between one and five loops of the 10K course. The following are a sample of photos taken by MassUltra Editor Chris Wristen. Additional photos can be viewed on the MassUltra Facebook page.
Continue reading Photos: 2024 G.A.G. Fat Ass 50KMassUltra Roundup: Across the Years
The final miles of 2023 and first miles of 2024 were turned in by hundreds of runners on a 1.05-mile loop in Arizona at the 39th annual Across the Years endurance festival. A handful of New England residents were among those who logged last-minute ultras in 2023 or secured some of the first ultra finishes in the country of the new year. We have them covered in this edition of the roundup.
Continue reading MassUltra Roundup: Across the YearsMassUltra Roundup: Run Undead
The 2023 ultrarunning season came to a close in the final days, hours and minutes of the year. A handful of New England residents seized that opportunity to squeeze in one last ultra of the year. A few traveled to Arizona for Across the Years, which began on Dec. 28 and concludes today. One runner – Seng-Lai Tan – traveled to Alabama and began his final ultra in 2023 and wrapped it up during the early hours of 2024. His successful effort kicks off our 2024 coverage in this edition of the roundup.
Continue reading MassUltra Roundup: Run Undead