While dozens of trail- and ultrarunners took on the Vegan Power 50K in Massachusetts, several New Englanders sought out ultra opportunities beyond the Bay State during the June 21-23 weekend. Part 2 of this week’s roundup will catch up on how runners from the region did at ultras in the West, but here in Part 1 we stay on the East Coast with ultras in Maine, New York and Virginia. Big performances abounded, with New Englanders smashing course records at the burly and brutal Manitou’s Revenge in New York, and Lila Gaudrault delivering a sizzling effort at the inaugural 6 at the Springs in Maine. There are highlights galore in this edition of the roundup.

6 at the Springs

Gordon Collins and April Huddy put their community of Poland, Maine, on the New England ultrarunning map when they played host to the inaugural 6 at the Springs 6-Hour Ultra on Saturday, June 22, but it was rising star Lila Gaudrault who made sure the local race earned some national attention with her head-turning performance.

Gaudrault, 21, from nearby Cape Elizabeth, Maine, has delivered several dazzling performances already this year, including at the 100K and 50K distances as well as a 12-hour race. At 6 at the Springs, Gaudrault hammered the flat, 4-mile round-trip out-and-back on the historic rail trail for 11 loops and a 44-mile performance that earned her the overall victory.

Gaudrault’s 44-mile effort ranks as the second-biggest 6-hour mileage tally by a female runner at a North American race in 2024 according to UltraRunning Magazine’s record-keeping, and the sixth-best performance of any runner.

Gaudrault wasn’t the only runner to deliver a performance worthy of some national recognition. Kyle Simmons, 38, of Lewiston, Maine, finished 10 loops and 40 miles to place second overall and first in the men’s field. Simmons’ effort was tied for the 32nd-best 6-hour mileage tally by a male runner at a North American race this year, according to UltraRunning Magazine’s data tracking.

Joining Gaudrault on the women’s podium were Melissa Andersen, 37, of Steep Falls, Maine, and Jennifer Whynot, 41, of Windham, Maine, with seven laps and 28 miles apiece. Matching that distance were Amanda Mitchell, 43, of Poland, Maine, and Angela Landry, 48, of Standish, Maine. Simmons was joined on the men’s podium by Daniel Orr, 38, of Portland, Maine, and Adam Coogan, 31, of North Providence, R.I., who each completed nine laps and 36 miles. Brent Vanni, 49, of Yarmouth, Maine, was the fourth-place male with the same mileage.

The big performances highlighted a successful inaugural year for 6 at the Springs. Eighty runners toed the starting line, ranging in age from 7 to 66, and 16 achieved ultramarathon mileage.

Manitou’s Revenge

The Manitou’s Revenge Ultramarathon course is plenty daunting on its own, with its remoteness in the Catskill Mountains, burly terrain, scrambling, steep ascents and even steeper descents, and nearly 14,000 feet of climbing. Add in heat, humidity and thunderstorms, and the 53-mile journey from Winham to Phoenicia, N.Y., and the 11th edition of the event on June 22-23 was particularly gnarly even by Manitou’s standards.

Still, despite the double-dose of adversity that the course and the weather threw at them, many runners persevered – and some in remarkably strong fashion. Of the 117 who started the race, 91 finished within the 23-hour time limit and a pair of New Englanders set new course records.

In the men’s field, Daniel Grip, 44, of Belchertown, Mass., and Ben Quatromoni, 36, of Newport, Ri.I., ran together at the front for the first 35 miles or so, with 44-year-old Justin Kousky of Westport, Conn., and 26-year-old Reagan McCoy of Lock Haven, Pa., lingering nearby. Eventually Quatromoni pulled ahead, but Kousky eventually caught both Grip and Quatromoni in his push to the front after overcoming early stomach issues. Ultimately, Kousky prevailed with a new men’s course-record time of 10:24:28 and his first Manitou’s win following a runner-up finish in 2021. Quatromoni and Grip also dipped under the previous course record and were second and third overall in 10:28:42 and 10:38:15, respectively. McCoy was fourth in 11:20:36, followed by 39-year-old Matt Pacheco of South Hadley, Mass., in 11:47:38.

In the women’s field, 29-year-old Elizabeth McGurk of Lebanon, N.H., led nearly wire-to-wire and set a new women’s course record of 13:15:55 while also placing eighth overall. Women’s runner-up Bethany Titus, 37, of Syracuse, N.H., was a distant second in 14:48:30, followed shortly after by Sheryl Wheeler, 61, of Earlton, N.Y., in 15:19:23. Rounding out the women’s top five were Laura Ricci, 40, of Boston, Mass., in 15:44:03, and Lisa Rising, 33, of Somerville, Mass., in 16:22:36.

Eleven more New England residents were among the finishers. Austin Black, 33, of Bartlett, N.H., placed 13th overall in 14:19:17, followed by 45-year-old Jason Reynolds of Greenwich, Conn., who was 14th in 14:20:49. Jessica Crandall, 45, of Berlin, Conn., was 33rd overall and sixth in the women’s field in 16:34:53. Additional finishers were Steve Fleck, 40, of Mendon, Mass. (37th, 16:43:26); Chris Peter, 43, of Newmarket, N.H. (47th, 17:44:49); David Hollenbaugh, 55, of Boston, Mass. (53rd, 18:19:51); Brian Vanderheiden, 54, of Bethel, Conn. (54th, 18:33:12); Tom Page, 57, of York, Maine (68th, 19:52:58); Rebecca Doring, 35, of Cornwall Bridge, Conn. (73rd, 20:47:47); Jacqueline Fucile, 39, of Stark, N.H. (85th, 22:01:42); and Nick Fucile, 45, of Stark, N.H. ( 86th, 22:01:43).

Night Train 50K

A trio of New England residents were among the finishers of the seventh annual Night Train 50K on Saturday, June 22, in Farmville, Va., with one narrowly missing a spot on the podium.

The race took place on a rail trail through the countryside, starting and finishing at Camp Paradise. Though mostly flat, the course left runners fully exposed to the elements – including potential heat and rain. Runners had 9 1/2 hours to complete the 50K. Abigail Anderson, 48, of Marblehead, Mass., had a strong race, placing 23rd overall and fourth in the women’s field, just shy of the podium, in 6:03:35. Nikki Ressler, 21, of Glen Allen, Va., was the women’s winner in 5:16:33 while 27-year-old Tyrell Hughes of Roan Mountain, Tenn., led all 123 finishers in 4:16:24.

Joining Anderson among the New Englanders who finished were Marc Anderson, 50, of Marblehead, Mass., in 6:44:26, and Christopher Toney, 54, of Brooklyn, Conn., in 7:07:49.

*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.