When Jenny Cavanagh created the Spring Fever Trail Races, the owner of TA Fitness in Weymouth, Mass., sought to share her passion for trail-running with members of her gym and other runners in the region. Runners embraced her invitation with 84 taking on any of the various options during the inaugural year.

The second edition of the event took place on Saturday, April 20, at Wompatuck State Park, and participation surged to 111 runners – including some familiar faces from the year before who came back for more.

The event once again offered an 8-hour ultramarathon, as well as 5-mile and 5K distances. The 5K course allowed for fast running on a mix of trails and pavement with around 150 feet of climbing. The 5-mile race challenged runners with 350 feet of climbing on a mix of dirt and pavement. The 8-hour race used the 5-mile loop, and runners could tackle the loop as many times as they wanted within the time limit.

The 8-hour ultra saw the most significant growth in year two. Just 17 runners attempted the time-based race in year one, but 42 embraced the challenge this year. That included defending champion Ed Donahue of Abington, Mass. He was one of three runners to complete eight loops and 40 miles at the 2021 event. Donahue, 40, again finished eight loops this year for a 40-mile tally. He again shared top mileage honors with two other runners. Miko Devedzic, 38, of Methuen, Mass., and Stephen Brown, 24, of Norwell, Mass., each also tallied 40 miles. The race was Devedzic’s first ultra since completing the Midstate Massive Ultra-Trail 100-miler in 2022, and it was Brown’s second ultra ever with his first coming at the Ghost Train 30-miler in October 2023. Another trio of top men finished seven loops and 35 miles apiece. They were Jeremy Frye, 35, of Marshfield, Mass.; Shane Thompson, 42, of Pembroke, Mass., and Eric Sullivan, 24, of Groton, Conn.

The top five women all finished six loops for 30 miles. That group included a mix of first-time ultrarunners and seasoned veterans. Molly Karp, 42, of Natick, Mass., and Lauren Puelo, 30, of Dorchester, Mass., each had several ultras under their belts prior to race day. Karp used the run as a training day leading up to the Riverlands 100-miler in May. Additionally, Catherine Linehan, 28, and Alexandra Colby, 23, both of Hingham, Mass., and Anna Gemelli, 41, of Norwell, Mass., earned their first ultra finishes with their 30-mile efforts.

In total, 17 runners completed at least six loops for 30 miles and ultramarathon finishes, up from seven last year.

Forty-one runners took on the 5-mile race, including Michael O’Connor who returned to attempt to defend his title from the year before. O’Connor, 29, of Weymouth, Mass., was successful in his effort, winning in 39:01 but missing his course-record mark by just nine seconds. Dave Dilorenzo, 51, of Arlington, Mass., was second in 40:44. Ismail Mohammed, 53, of Norwood, Mass., rounded out the men’s podium in 42:36 while placing fourth overall. The top two women broke the course record with 59-year-old Laura Dadagian O’Rourke of Marion, Mass., earning the victory in 40:55 and Monika O’Shea, 28, of Somerville, Mass., following in 44:35. A pair of runners – 40-year-old Erin Campbell of Westwood, Mass., and 29-year-old Anna Henderson of Pembroke, Mass. – tied for third in the women’s field in 49:50.

In the 5K race, Emma Hart followed up her runner-up performance in the women’s field last year by ascending to the top of the podium this time. Hart, 14, of Abington, Mass., won the women’s race in 33:56. Caitlin Neely, 13, of Abington, Mass., and Kristen Voehl, 50, of Milton, Mass., joined her on the podium in 33:55 and 36:19, respectively. In the men’s race, 52-year-old Chris Adams of Plymouth, Mass., and 36-year-old Kevin Sindjeu of Easton, Mass., tied for the win in 28:09. Matthew Johnson, 28, of Berkley, Mass., followed in 30:05 to finish third.