WESTWOOD, Mass. – Tension was high on the back deck of Powissett Lodge as race director Melissa Arnold, official timer Norm Sheppard, and about a dozen runners and volunteers peered out into the woods. Two runners were approaching, but would they make it in time?

Arnold and Sheppard had already witnessed plenty of gritty performances on a rain-soaked Saturday, March 23, at Hale Reservation for the Trail Animals Running Club’s seventh edition of the To Hale and Back 6-Hour Ultra, but none packed quite the drama of this moment.

Jackie Scanlon and Elsa Konieczynski could see the finish at the lodge, and they could hear the cheers and words of encouragement. Still, the clock was ticking and time was almost up.

“One minute!” Arnold shouted. “Come on! You’ve got this!”

Scanlon and Konieczynski were determined. They worked together through the final twists, turns, ups and downs of the soggy course, fighting hard to stay upright on the slip-and-slide footing.

“Forty seconds!” a spectator called out, urging them onward.

Finally they popped out of the woods, dashed up a mud-caked hill, rounded the corner of the lodge and crossed the timing mat one second apart as the crowd cheered with glee. They made their way to a nearby picnic table, embraced and then plopped down on the rain-soaked bench to catch their breath.

“Nice! With seconds to spare!” an enthusiastic Matt Dibb exclaimed, congratulating them on their effort.

Sheppard rotated the time clock so Scanlon and Konieczynski could see for themselves.

Indeed they had cut it close. Scanlon, 27, and Konieczynski, 24, both of Somerville, Mass., finished 1-2 in the women’s field with 28 miles apiece, Scanlon finishing in 5:59:38 and Konieczynski in 5:59:39.

The last-minute drama capped a spirited day of running where the conditions were as challenging as they’ve ever been at To Hale and Back. The event had a little bit of everything during its first six editions – snow, sleet, sunshine and sprinkles – but never had it been so rainy and raw. It was a cold 33 degrees at the start as a light sprinkle fell. It warmed into the low 40s at the high point, but the pace of rain also picked up as the day progressed and the course turned into a muddy mess with plenty of puddles and slippery spots.

The soggy conditions didn’t deter the 88 runners in the 6-hour race, regardless of their goals for the day. Some planned to run for all six hours while others sought to run or hike a few loops to achieve a personal mileage goal, have a glorified training day, or shake out the legs from a recent 100-miler. A few even made it a family day on the trails.

Abigail Gilley, 13, and her grandfather, Stephen Westbrook, 61, both of North Waterboro, Maine, ran 21 miles together. It wasn’t the first time they’ve teamed up to share some big miles. Last summer, the duo completed 100.7 miles together in the 72-hour race at the Notchview Ultra.

The father-daughter team of Bill Gilpatric, 43, and Lizzie Gilpatric, 9, of Duxbury, Mass., ran two loops together for 7-mile finishes at To Hale and Back, with Lizzie sporting an ear-to-ear grin for most of the miles. Another family team also turned in a 7-mile day. Jenny Houlahan, 41, Nick Houlahan, 44, and their daughters Sophie, 9, and Lucy, 7, completed two loops of the course together on the wet and muddy trails.

Despite the tricky footing and sloppy conditions, nobody navigated the trails more deftly than Mat Ridley. The 33-year-old from Quincy, Mass., was the only runner to complete 10 laps and 35 miles, doing so in 5:45:13, as he earned the overall victory. It matched his mileage output from the 2022 race, which he also won. The next five men all finished nine loops for 31.5 miles. Brian Pitreau, 43, of Falmouth, Maine, and Patrick Couchot, 29, of Brookline, Mass., did so the fastest and joined Ridley on the men’s podium with Pitreau completing his laps in 5:09:13 and Couchot in 5:45:12. Other nine-loop finishers were Jason Kaplan, 42, of Boston, Mass. (5:52:57); Joseph Reeves, 46, of Surry, N.H. (5:53:38); and Adam Cook, 24, of Melrose, Mass. (5:57:25).

Another five men completed eight loops and 28 miles. They were David Alazraky, 42, of Needham, Mass. (5:33:18); Ryan Carroll, 46, of Plymouth, Mass. (5:36:22); Steve Maloney, 35, of Boston, Mass. (5:39:58); Chris Loftus, 49, of Hudson, Mass. (5:40:36); and Alex Jenny, 36, of Sudbury, Mass. (5:49:30).

Scanlon and Konieczynski were the only women who finished eight loops and 28 miles. The next four women all completed seven loops for 24.5 miles. Candice Lanzoni, 30, of Quincy, Mass., did so in 5:14:42, followed by Emily Daly, 30, of Boston, Mass., in 5:14:43. Taylor Verville, 33, of Kingston, Mass., completed her 24.5-mile day in 5:49:49. Emma Dixon, 28, of Dorchester, Mass., followed in 5:58:25, overcoming her own final-lap drama as the clock wound down.

Caron Cruises to Victory in 3.5-Mile Race

With a loud yeti howl as is TARC tradition, Patrick Caron blasted off the starting line of the 3.5-mile race and quickly disappeared into the distance. A short while later, the 26-year-old from Needham, Mass., snaked his way through the woods, up and down the final hills and across the finish line for a first-place finish in 23:01. Wes Traub, 32, of Brookline, Mass., followed a few minutes later as a distant second in 26:48, followed by Jason Salony, 41, of Milton, Mass., in 29:30.

Twenty-six runners completed the 3.5-mile race, all finishing in less than an hour. Phyllis Lowry, 57, and Abby McCabe, 42, both of Framingham, Mass., went 1-2 in the women’s field in 35:29 and 35:30, respectively, while the nonbinary field also saw a close finish for the win with Maxwell Hume, 36, of Dedham, Mass., finishing in 35:50 and Sofia Saderholm, 25, of Framingham, Mass., following eight seconds later in 35:58.