Mid-May stayed red hot for ultrarunning in New England. Here in Massachusetts, the second annual Free Spirit 50K welcomed runners to Leyden, and two more runners – 22-year-old Lukas Janulaitis of Manchester, N.H (12:11:46) and David Marsh, 21, of Marstons Mills, Mass. (19:07:00) – completed the Cape Cod Race Against the Tides unsanctioned solo run. Beyond the Bay State, runners took on the grueling Manchester 2 Monadnock 55-miler in New Hampshire and the Run Ragged Last Person Standing event in Connecticut, which saw Sarah Connor outlast everyone. We catch up on both of those events, as well as a pair of New Jersey ultras – Mayapple and 3 Days at the Fair – in Part I of the roundup from the May 17-19 weekend. In Part 2, we will venture outside of the Northeast, where runners from the region took on at least seven other ultras across the country.

Run Ragged Last Person Standing

After four years of crowning men as the winners of the Run Ragged Last Person Standing race, the CT Trailmixers celebrated their first female champion at the fifth edition of the event on May 18-19 in Berlin, Conn. Sarah Connor outlasted 19 other runners on the hilly, technical, approximately 3.1-mile loop course on the trails of Ragged Mountain, starting a new loop on the hour, every hour, until she was the only one left.

Connor, 35, of New Haven, Conn., endured 30 hours and 93 miles of running to secure her victory, setting a new women’s course record in the process. It was Connor’s debut at the event, though she entered with several strong performances on her resume previously, including as the women’s runner-up for the 2023 Ragged 75 Stage Race in New Hampshire, and the 2022 champion of the Bimblers Bluff 50K. She also finished the 2018 Yeti 100-miler in Virginia.

Connor outlasted Dillon Bell, 25, of New Milford, Conn., who was the runner-up with 89.9 miles. Bell was the third-place finisher in 2023 with 74.4 miles. Michael Portanova, 44, of Woodbury, Conn., was third this year with 68.2 miles, followed by Howie Breinan, 55, of Manchester, Conn., with 62.0 miles.

Manchester 2 Monadnock 55-Mile

A year ago, Conor Brown made his ultra debut with a 101.5-mile performance at Bubba’s Backyard Ultra. He’s building up for a return to Bubba’s in the fall and will take on the Jigger Johnson 50-miler in July as a final tune-up, but the 22-year-old from Manchester, N.H., kicked his preparation into high gear with a strong performance at the ninth running of the Manchester 2 Monadnock 55-miler on Saturday, May 18, in New Hampshire.

Runners once again made the point-to-point journey from Manchester to Jaffrey, mostly on hilly paved or dirt roads until reaching the base of Mt. Monadnock and taking a trip to the summit before dropping down to the finish at Poole Reservoir, amassing around 6,000 feet of climbing by the end of their journey. Fifteen runners started the race, and 13 finished within 15 hours. Brown was the fastest, earning the victory in 8:09:41. Thomas Leo, 35, of Henniker, N.H., was a distant second in 9:06:45. Leo was ninth at the 2023 race and improved by about 75 minutes this year. Jameson Boswell, 34, of Plymouth, N.H., finished third in 9:09:24 following a fifth-place finish at the 2023 Midstate Massive 100-miler.

First-place female Alison Roy, 40, of Kensington, N.H., was the fourth overall finisher in 11:16:50. It was her third straight year finishing the race and her first victory following runner-up finishes in 2022 and 2023. Casey Mendrala, 35, of Springfield, Mass., was the women’s runner-up and fifth overall in 12:02:33, earning her third finish of the race. She was the 2021 runner-up.

Anthony Flynn, 43, of Nashua, N.H, and David Johnston, 46, of Worcester, Mass., tied for sixth overall in 12:23:38. It was Flynn’s fourth time finishing the race and Johnston’s first. Maria Chevalier, 49, of Cumberland, R.I., was the third-place female in 13:23:21, good for her sixth straight finish at Manchester 2 Monadnock.

SMR Mayapple

It took a course-record effort to prevent Jayson Reynolds from winning the 50-mile race at the SMR Mayapple Trail Runs on Saturday, May 18, in Millburn, N.J. The 15th annual event offered 50-mile and 50K ultras on the trails of South Mountain Reservation.

Reynolds, 45, of Greenwich, Conn., was one of 13 runners to complete the 50-miler within 13 hours, and he had a strong run in his final tune-up before the Manitou’s Revenge 53-miler in June. Reynolds pushed hard and placed second overall in 10:35:33. The only runner faster – 33-year-old Oliver Marsh of New York, N.Y. – set a new course record in 9:44:45. Reynolds was one of two New England residents among the finishers. Armadeo Casas, 44, of Brookline, Mass., placed sixth overall in 11:15:43. It was his second ultra and first 50-miler. Sarah Strock, 41, of Selkirk, N.Y., was the women’s champion and only female finisher in 12:45:38.

Another 37 runners completed the event’s 50K race, led by 21-year-old David Tarallo of Lodi, N.J., in 4:27:53. Kim Valentine, 56, of Maplewood, N.J., was eighth overall and the first-place female in 6:57:35. Jes Parker was the lone New England resident among the finishers. Parker, 45, of Westport, Conn., finished 10th overall and was the women’s runner-up in 7:13:36.

3 Days at the Fair

No matter where she races these days, a course record is never safe when Lila Gaudrault steps to the starting line. The 21-year-old from Cape Elizabeth, Maine, left her latest mark on the ultrarunning world when she took on the 12-hour race at 3 Days at the Fair during the May 13-19 week in Augusta, N.J.. The popular event offers 144-hour, 72-hour, 48-hour, 24-hour, 12-hour and 6-hour races, as well as a 50K ultra, all on a 1-mile loop course through the Sussex County Fairgrounds.

Gaudrault was one of 33 runners in the 12-hour race, and she hammered the course for a record-setting 74 miles on her way to the overall win. It was a women’s course record by one loop, and the third-best performance by any runner ever in the event. Gaudrault was followed by overall runner-up Angela Scarinci, 41, of North Haven, Conn., who logged 63 miles. Alexander Rylyakov, 57, of Staten Island, N.Y., was third and topped the men’s field with 58 miles. Other New Englanders among the finishers were Kimberly Battipaglia, 52, of New Haven, Conn., and Vincent Framularo, 43, of Trumbull, Conn., who finished 50 miles apiece, and 50-year-old Albert Lione of New London, Conn., who completed 27 miles.

In the event’s longest race, the six-day, 144-hour ultra, 40 of the 46 runners completed 100 miles or more, 28 surpassed the 200-mile mark, nine achieved the 300-mile milestone, and two eclipsed 400 miles. Sean Gavor, 46, of Perth Amboy, N.J., led the way with 415 miles, one more than 67-year-old Trishul Cherns of Kingston, N.Y., who was the runner-up with 414. Jill Hudson, 62, of Seattle, Wash., led the women’s field and finished fourth overall with 320 miles. Three New England residents were among the finishers, with 72-year-old Ed Peters of Norwalk, Conn., placing eighth overall with 303 miles; 43-year-old Cindy Sullivan of Guilford, Conn., completing 222 miles; and 82-year-old Newton Baker of Montpelier, Vt., finishing 181 miles.

Fifty-three runners tackled the 72-hour race, including seven who finished 200 miles or more. Michael Davis, 43, of Hamden, Conn., was among that group, finishing seventh with 200 miles. Darren Words, 53, of Morristown, N.J., topped all runners with 237 miles while 49-year-old Jess Mullen of Seattle, Wash., was the first-place female with 202 miles. Other New Englanders among the finishers were Karen Giroux, 58, of Salem, Mass. (153 miles); Laurie Pattison-Gordon, 70, of Arlington, Mass. (149 miles); and Clifford Lange, 66, of Mattapoisett, Mass. (57 miles).

Of the 46 runners who took on the 48-hour race, 36 completed 100 miles or more, led by 56-year-old Mathiew Wiener of Glenmoore, Pa., with 160 miles, and 55-year-old Beth Pretti of Bethlehem, Pa., with 152 miles. Emmy Stocker, 65, of Old Greenwich, Conn., was the top New Englander, finishing 14th overall and fourth in the women’s field with 103 miles. Clare Gladstone, 56, of Ridgefield, Conn., completed 101 miles; Jenn Taylor, 47, of Salem, Mass., finished 72 miles; Lee Anne Zarger, 70, of New Milford, Conn., finished 63 miles; and Scott Perrapato, 68, of South Burlington, Vt., completed 53 miles.

Sixty-six runners competed in the 24-hour race, including five New England residents. Joseph Laskey, 59, of Southington, Conn., highlighted the day with his 86-mile effort, good for 10th place overall. Michael Condella, 36, of Revere, Mass., finished 71 miles; Fred Murolo, 67, of Cheshire, Conn., completed 61 miles, followed a lap behind by 60-mile finisher Leizel Alpajora-Del Toro, 52; and 52-year-old Robert Caccire of Stanford, Conn., with 50 miles. The top six runners surpassed the 100-mile mark, including men’s and women’s winners Scott Roman, 35, of Philadelphia, Pa. (130 miles) and Mary Worts, 49, of Morristown, N.J. (105 miles).

Twenty-six runners took on the 6-hour race, with two – Amanda Whittaker, 27, of Freehold, N.J. (33 miles) and Jennifer Davis, 50, of Cranford, N.J. (27 miles) – surpassing the marathon distance. Another 22 runners completed the 50K race; no New England residents took part in that race.

*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.