Lars Sauvola knows the Wapack Trail extremely well. He made his Wapack and Back debut in 2009 when he finished third in the 21.5-mile race. He then raced the Wapack Fall Race 18-miler four times between 2009 and 2014, finishing in the top six each time. He returned to Wapack and Back in 2023 and raced to victory in the 43-mile race in 8:58:00.

Sauvola was back at Wapack and Back for its 16th edition on Saturday, May 11, in Ashburnham, Mass., and this time the 49-year-old from Rindge, N.H., set his sights on the 50-mile distance, the longest of the event’s three offerings. That meant completing an out-and-back run of the trail, along with seven additional miles resulting in nearly 11,000 feet of climbing – much of it on rocky, gnarly terrain.

Sauvola was one of 43 runners who gathered before sunrise for the start of the 50- and 43-mile races. Thirty-three of them would ultimately finish, including just seven at the 50-mile distance. Sauvola rolled through the 43-mile mark ahead of everyone and kept on going. Ultimately, he completed the 50-mile race well ahead of the field in 9:52:00. It was a dominant performance on a trail he will see again this fall when he takes on the Midstate Massive Ultra-Trail 100-miler, his debut at that distance.

Sauvola’s performance was notable both for how strong he ran and climbed from start to finish, as well as for who he had to beat out to win. Two-time defending 50-mile champion Chad Macdonald was back for another run at the course. Macdonald, 37, of New Boston, N.H., wasn’t quite as quick this year as he was in 2022 (10:28:00) and 2023 (10:41:00), but his time of 11:25:00 was good enough to be the runner-up this time. Matt Carbone, 40, of Melrose, Mass., was third in 11:40. Graham Simon, 30, of Boston, Mass. (12:49:00); Lyle Rautiola, 54, of Rindge, N.H. (13:15:00); Chris Coughlin, 35, of Paxton, Mass. ( 13:26:00); and Tim McKeon, 39, of Roslindale, Mass. (13:55:00) were the other 50-mile finishers.

Twenty-six runners finished the 43-mile race and its 9,200 feet of climbing. While 32-year-old Adam Ribeiro of Lowell, Mass., led all runners in 8:32:00, capping a successful Wapack debut performance and outdueling 2022 champion John Paul Krol, 39, of Fryeburg, Maine, who was second overall in 8:46:00, the most head-turning performance came from Kara Olivito.

Olivito made her Wapack debut in 2019 and capitalized on dry, warm conditions to set the women’s course record in 10:22:15. Five years later, Olivito returned to Wapack for another run at the 43-mile distance. The 41-year-old from Exeter, N.H., was better than ever. She led the women’s field from start to finish and smashed her previous best on the course by nearly an hour, winning in a record time of 9:27:00. She finished alongside Austin Frank, 25, of Bolton, Conn., and Jordan Speer, 36, of Newburyport, Mass., who were the third- and fourth-place men. Jack Buffington, 19, of Enfield, N.H. (9:34:00); Kevin Ellis, 39, of Richmond, N.H. (9:49:00); and Keith Bourassa, 42, of Keene, N.H. (9:58:00) were the only other sub-11-hour finishers on the grueling course.

Olivito was joined on the women’s podium by Christine Da Silva, 36, of Everett, Mass., who was the runner-up in 13:09:00, and Karen Clark, 36, of Lee, N.H., who finished third in 13:42:00. It was the Wapack debut for both Da Silva and Clark. Da Silva will return to the Wapack Trail in October for the Midstate Massive Ultra-Trail 100-miler.

Farnsworth Topples Course Record in 21.5-Mile Victory

After a winter and spring full of trips to New Hampshire for adventures in the White Mountains, Sophia Farnsworth entered the Wapack 21.5-mile race primed for a big day. Her preparation on rugged mountain trails paid off mightily. The 29-year-old from Stow, Mass., pushed the pace, navigated the rocky trails and 5,400 feet of climbing, and hammered her way to a first-place finish in the women’s field (seventh overall) and a new women’s course record of 3:54:00. Farnsworth broke the previous record of 3:57:29 that was set by Kristina Folcik in 2015.

Farnsworth’s strong performance came on a day where she had close company near the front. The 2023 runner-up, Lara Matthias, was back for a second run at the course. Matthias, 26, of Greenfield, N.H., finished in 4:15:00 in 2023, and she knocked 13 minutes off of that time for a 4:02:00 finish and second straight runner-up showing. Laura Ricci, 40, of Boston, Mass., and Lindsey Masterson, 42, of Peterborough, N.H., followed in 4:41:00 for third and fourth, and Katharina Malone Harling, 29, of Windham, Maine, was fifth in 5:06.

In the men’s field, 28-year-old Walter Muhonen of Peterborough, N.H., improved upon his fourth-place finish in 2023 (3:40:00) by earning the victory this year in 3:12:00. The 2023 champion (3:08:00), Travis Muhonen, 39, of New Ipswich, N.H., followed a minute later in 3:13 as the runner-up. Avery Traffie, 26, of New Ipswich, N.H., was third in 3:19:00, followed by Peter Bonito, 38, of Westmoreland, Mass. (3:20:00), and Dylan Schulze, 33, of Goffstown, N.H. (3:25:00).

Seventy runners finished the 21.5-mile race.