With the Trail Animals Running Club’s popular To Hale and Back 6-Hour Ultra just a week away, the March 15-17 weekend was relatively quiet for New England ultrarunners. Still, a few made time to travel for ultras in the South (Lake Martin) and Pacific Northwest (Siuslaw Dunes), while others stayed in the region and took part in the 12-hour ultra at the F.I.T. Rock Trail Race in Rhode Island. That included Lila Gaudrault of Cape Elizabeth, Maine, who threw down a 70-mile performance and earned the outright win. Gaudrault’s big effort leads off this edition of the roundup.

F.I.T. Rock Trail Race

Lila Gaudrault had a monster year of ultramarathon racing in 2023, topping the women’s field seven times and winning three ultras outright. She opened 2024 with another victory at the G.A.C. Fat Ass 50K during the first week of January, and followed it up with a fastest known time run of the Cape Cod Traverse, starting at the Sagamore Bridge and finishing at the Long Point Lighthouse in Provincetown.

On Saturday, March 16, Gaudrault turned in yet another dominant performance when she took part in the F.I.T. Rock Trail Race 12-hour timed event on Saturday, March 16, in Cumberland, R.I. Runners took in a 5-mile loop course that they sought to complete as many times as possible within the time limit. Runners were allowed to start a new loop any time within the 12-hour timeframe and receive credit for their effort. Twenty-one runners took part in the 12-hour race, and the top 10 all completed at least six laps for ultramarathon mileage. Gaudrault completed the most laps the fastest and the 21-year-old from Cape Elizabeth, Maine, won the event outright with 14 laps for 70 miles in 12:09:51. Joseph Bradshaw, 25, of New Bedford, Mass., matched Gaudrault’s mileage and finished second overall while topping the men’s field. Bradshaw started his 14th lap with less than a minute to spare and ultimately finished his 70-mile effort in 13:08:24 following a 1:09:13 final lap.

Derik Brouillard, 38, of North Smithfield, R.I., was the men’s runner-up and third overall finisher with 11 laps and 55 miles in 11:10:52. Allie Jacques, 24, of North Kingstown, R.I., finished fourth overall and second in the women’s field with 10 laps and 50 miles in 11:10:54. Douglas Lemes, 33, of Quincy, Mass., and Michael Foran, 33, of Middleboro, Mass., each completed 10 laps and 50 miles, Lemes doing so in 11:46:25 and Foran in 12:54:41.

Emma Dixon, 28, of Dorchester, Mass., rounded out the women’s podium with seven laps and 35 miles in 7:03:56. Colleen Mclaughlin, 35, of Cambridge, Mass., completed seven laps and 35 miles in 10:32:17. Other ultra finishers were Jen Huber, 47, of Middletown, R.I., and Maria Chevalier, 49, of Cumberland, R.I., who each completed six laps and 30 miles. Huber did so in 5:37:40 and Chevalier followed in 5:53:14.

Lake Martin Ultras

A year ago, Emily Brigham ran her first ultramarathon in Ontario at the Niagara on the Lake 50K. This year she has already raced three, earning podium finishes each time. Brigham placed third in the women’s field at the Southern Freeze 50K in January, followed by a mid-February third-place finish at the Fort Yargo Thrill in the Hills 50K. Both of those races took place in Georgia.

On Saturday, March 16, Brigham raced her third ultra of the year and earned her third podium finish in the 50-mile race at the Lake Martin Ultras in Alexander City, Ala. The event also offered a 100-mile race.

Brigham, 24, of Tiverton, R.I., placed 16th overall and was second in the women’s field in 12:38:48. Debra McKenzie, 54, of Niceville, Fla., was the women’s winner in 12:20:18. Kyle Kraeft, 34, of Tallahassee, Fla., topped the men’s field in 7:28:04.

No New England residents were among the 100-mile field, which saw 18 runners finish led by 30-year-old Zack Jordan of Ball Ground, Ga., in 21:43:29, on the men’s side, and 29-year-old Lauren Scribner of Pensacola, Fla., on the women’s side in 24:05:39.

Siuslaw Dunes 50K

Eric Hodgson’s latest trip to the Pacific Northwest included a top-10 ultramarathon finish when he took part in the third running of the Siuslaw Dunes 50K on Saturday, March 16, in Florence, Ore.

Hodgson made his ultra debut in 2019 in the Ultra Fest 50K in Easton, Wash., and then raced the Tiger Peak Challenge 50K in Issaquah, Wash., in 2022. At Siuslaw Dunes, Hodgson and his fellow competitors took on a point-to-point course at Honeyman State Park in the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area. The course threw a mix of forested singletrack trails, some beach running, and some open-space panoramic views, all while amassing around 2,100 feet of climbing. Hodgson, 42, of Enfield, Conn., placed ninth overall in 5:59:54. Mario Mendoza, 38, of Bend, Ore., earned the overall victory in 4:12:34 and broke the men’s course record by 2 minutes. Kelsey McGill, 32, also of Bend, was the women’s champion in 6:07:03.

Siuslaw Dunes kicked off what is expected to be a busy year of ultra racing for Hodgson. He has the White Lakes Ultras 12-hour up next in May, followed by the Catamount 50K in June, and Bubba’s Backyard Ultra in October.

Joining Hodgson among the finishers was 36-year-old Thomas Cadrin of Providence, R.I. Cadrin has been racing trails since at least 2017, but Siuslaw Dunes marked Cadrin’s first ultramarathon finish. He completed the course in 8:28:57.

Fifty-seven runners finished the race within 9 1/2 hours.

*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.