After starting in the South and then venturing to the Midwest and West, we close out our March 22-24 weekend roundups by returning to the Northeast. While many runners from the region stayed close to home and raced the TARC To Hale and Back 6-Hour Ultra in Massachusetts (see separate recap story), runners also took on ultras in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. We start in New York with the Spring on the Trails Endurance Runs and the inaugural Devil’s Shadow 50K, and then head to New Jersey for the rugged Mt. Tammany 10 before finishing up in Pennsylvania at the Bullshit Backyard Ultra.

Spring on the Trails Endurance Runs

New England ultrarunners earned spots on the podium in both the 12-hour and 6-hour races at the fourth annual Spring on the Trails Endurance Runs on Saturday, March 23, in Lagrangeville, N.Y. Runners competed on a 5K trail loop with around 250 feet of climbing per loop. Only loops completed within the time limit counted toward the total mileage.

Twenty-three runners took part in the 12-hour race with 15 achieving ultramarathon mileage. The top three men all logged 46.5 miles for the day, with 42-year-old Jonathan Koop of Valhalla, N.Y., beating the others by a comfortable margin. Matt Sze, 31, of Poughkeepsie, N.Y., was the runner-up, finishing his miles five minutes ahead of 40-year-old Trevor Meinke of Derby, Conn., who placed third overall. Jennifer Bernard, 36, of Hyde Park, N.Y., was fourth overall and the top female finisher with 43.4 miles.

Two more New England residents were among the 12-hour runners with ultra mileage. Nicholas Grant, 39, of Danbury, Conn., placed seventh overall with 37.2 miles, and 44-year-old Carl Hinkle of New Milford, Conn., was 14th with 27.9 miles.

Another 23 runners took part in the 6-hour race with five earning ultramarathon mileage. Joseph Edelstein, 28, of Shelton, Conn., was one of four runners to complete 10 laps for 31 miles, and he did so the fastest to earn the victory in his ultra debut. Cullen Aubin, 27, of Portsmouth, N.H., finished fifth with 27.9 miles. Mari Ann Corsa, 42, of Beacon, N.Y., was the first-place female with 24.8 miles.

Devil’s Shadow

The inaugural Devil’s Shadow 50K took place on Sunday, March 24, in Honeoye Falls, N.Y. Runners took on a 5.1-mile loop course at Mendon Ponds Park and had to complete six loops with around 3,000 feet of climbing. Twenty-two runners finished the race within 8 1/2 hours; all but two were New Yorkers. One of the non-New Yorkers was 44-year-old Travis McCalla of Fitchburg, Mass., who finished in 6:59:39. It was McCalla’s first ultra of the year as he builds up to the Infinitus 250-miler in May.

Tim Mateer, 31, of Ithaca, N.Y., and Jessie George, 32, of Fairport, N.Y., went 1-2 overall and were the male and female champions in 4:21:42 and 4:29:30, respectively.

Mt. Tammany 10

Joey Miller knows a thing or two about turning in big-time performances on tough trails. His ultra resume during the past decade includes countless strong performances, including victories at the 2019 Burning River 100 in Ohio, the 2021 Ozark Trail 100 in Missouri, the 2022 Cruel Jewel 100 in Georgia, and a runner-up finish at the gnarly Manitou’s Revenge 53-miler in New York in 2023. Miller, 35, of Berlin, Conn., added another big performance to his resume on Saturday, March 23, at the 12th edition of the Mt. Tammany 10 40-miler in Delaware Water Gap, NJ.

The rugged race includes 10 ascents and descents of Mt. Tammany and a total elevation gain of around 10,000 feet in 40 miles. Every year the race has a high DNF rate, and this year was no different as nearly half the field didn’t reach the finish line; just 24 of the 46 starters completed the race. Miller led the way with a hard-fought victory in 7:53:06, outkicking 35-year-old Justin Lewandowski of Newton, N.J., down the stretch. Lewandowski was a close second in 7:54:28. Miller’s time was the second-fastest in race history, trailing only Jason Lantz’s 7:05:18 performance from 2016. Miller was one of two New England residents among the finishers. Tom Starodaj, 36, of New Britain, Conn., placed 13th overall in 10:34:39.

Bullshit Backyard Ultra

A promise is made on the Bullshit Backyard Ultra’s registration page that attempts will be made to keep livestock off the course during the race. Given the last person standing event takes place on farmland, including through cow pastures, there is a very real possibility that runners may step in some bull manure along the way. Matthew Pfahl has taken on the challenge each year of the event’s four-year history, including on Saturday, March 23, in Lenoxville, Pa.

In 2021, Pfahl finished second overall with 41.7 miles. A year later he was the runner-up with 54.21 miles. Last year he finished 10th overall with another 41.7-mile effort. This time, the 37-year-old from Madison, Conn., was back on the podium with his best performance in four tries. Pfahl placed third overall with 14 hours of running and 58.38 miles.

Tommy Diehl, 26, of Baltimore, Md., led all runners with 18 laps and 75.06 miles. Mary Namestnik, 29, of Downer’s Grove, Ill., earned the assist while finishing as the top female with 17 laps and 70.89 miles.

*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.