The month of March began quietly for much of the New England ultrarunning community. There were no local races in the region, and just a handful of New Englanders scattered throughout the country to race. Those who did sought warmer climates in the South and West, with races in Florida, Alabama, Arizona and California. We have them covered in this edition of the roundup.

Old Pueblo Endurance Runs

Annie Seekins found a classic event to make her ultramarathon debut. The 32-year-old from Searsport, Maine, headed west to race at the 33rd annual Old Pueblo Endurance Runs 50-miler on Saturday, March 2, in Sonoita, Ariz. The race took Seekins and her fellow runners on a tough course along the Arizona Trail, battling altitude, technical trails and big climbs while completing two 25-mile loops.

Sixty-four runners finished the race, led by 36-year-old Shaun Burke of Durango, Colo. – the 2023 Mogollon Monster champion and sixth overall finisher at Badwater 135 – in 8:21:07. Meghan Macardy, 41, of Marana, Ariz., was the first-place female in 9:02:49. Seekins had a strong day of racing and placed 17th overall, sixth in the women’s field, in 11:20:18.

Delano Park

Bennjamin Griffin has run countless ultras during the past 13 years, but in 2023 he ran his first ultra in Alabama when he took part in the Delano Park Endurance Run, logging 50 miles at the 17th annual event. Griffin had such a good time at the race that he returned for its 18th running on Saturday, March 2, in Decatur, Ala.

Runners had 50-mile and 12-hour options on the certified 1.00-mile loop course at Delano Park. Griffin, 37, of Pittsfield, Mass., opted for the 12-hour race for the second straight year. He was one of 105 runners in the field and he finished 27th overall with 47 miles. Twenty-three runners completed 50 miles or more, and 36-year-old Wesley Ormond of Huntsville, Ala., dominated the race with 77 miles. His closest competitors each completed 64 miles.

Nine runners competed in the event’s 50-mile race, led by 28-year-old Ran Crump of Madison, Ala., in 8:44:18.

Long Play Trail Run

The Long Play Trail Run was one of Paula Lunt’s earliest ultras. She took part in the 2016 race as a relative newcomer to the sport and came home with a victory. She returned in 2019 and placed ninth. Lunt, 58, of Tenants Harbor, Maine, returned to the race once again on Saturday, March 2, and had another strong run at the 11th annual event in Brooksville, Fla.

The single-loop course took place on the entirety of the 33.3-mile Croom Tract, a rolling singletrack loop through the Withlacoochee State Forest. One of just two non-Florida residents in the field, Lunt finished 23rd overall and sixth in the women’s field in 6:48:51. Sixty-six runners finished the race within 11 hours. Desie Wilson, 29, of Saint Petersburg, Fla., and Missy Smith, 34, of Spring Hill, Fla., were the men’s and women’s winners in 4:45:18 and 6:00:13, respectively.

North Marin Ridge Run

A year ago, Noland Priester took on the North Marin Ridge Run 50K for just his second ultramarathon attempt. On Saturday, March 2, Priester returned to the third annual event in Lagunitas, Calif., and successfully completed the course for a second time.

Priester, 39, who makes his home in Burlington, Mass., following a move from California last year, tackled the familiar trails of the Bay Area Ridge Trail System and had a strong day of running on the out-and-back course with its 7,400 feet of climbing. Ultimately, he placed 13th out of 25 finishers in 6:50:30. Priester improved his time by more than an hour from 2023.

Timmy Schmidt, 31, of Cupertino, Calif., won the race in 5:17:10.

*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.