Our recap of New Englanders’ ultrarunning adventures during the June 21-23 weekend continues with outcomes from out West here in Part 2 of the roundup. We start in Washington, where Lynnsey Martin earned her first 100-mile finish. Then we head to California and scenic Lake Tahoe where several New Englanders took on the grueling 46K at the Broken Arrow Sky Race, which was won by former Vermont resident David Sinclair. Then we close out in Utah with the rugged White Pine Solstice.

Strawberry Fields Forever

Lynnsey Martin earned her first 100-mile finish at the sixth annual Strawberry Fields Forever Endurance Festival on June 22-23 in North Bonneville, Wash. Runners took on a 10K loop course on Strawberry Island in the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, gaining around 284 feet of gain per loop, as they pursued 100-mile, 100K and 50K ultra distances.

Martin, 25, of Bedford, Mass., was the lone New England resident at the event, and she set her sights on completing 16 loops of the course for 100 miles. She ultimately succeeded, placing eighth overall and second in the women’s field in 26:56:01. Fifteen runners finished the 100-mile race within 30 hours. Caleb Baybayan, 30, and Shannon Black, 44, both of Vancouver, Wash., were the men’s and women’s winners in 19:23:03 and 26:17:01, respectively. Another 25 runners finished the 100K and 59 completed the 50K.

Broken Arrow Sky Race

Five New Englanders were among the 499 finishers of the signature events – the 46K mini-ultra – at the eighth annual Broken Arrow Sky Race mountain-running festival on June 20-23 in Lake Tahoe, Calif.

The multi-day event included a 46K ultramarathon, as well as 23K, 18K, 11K, and Vertical K races, among others, but the 46K is the signature race at the festival that dubs itself the race “Where the Mountains Meet the Sky.” Runners took on the high alpine trails of Palisades Tahoe where a majority of the course is above treeline, and runners amassed more than 9,000 feet of climbing on steep, technical terrain.

Ultimately, there were 499 finishers of the 46K race within the 12-hour time limit. Former Vermont resident David Sinclair, 32, of Norden, Calif., won the race by a 10-minute margin and posted the third-fastest time in course history at 4:01:08 to lead the men’s field. Toni McCann, 30, of Cape Town, South Africa, led the women’s field in 4:52:34, the second-fastest women’s time in course history.

Leading the New England contingent was 28-year-old Colleen Sands of Princeton, Mass., who placed 52nd overall and 11th in the women’s field in 5:55:00, just 63 seconds outside the top 10. It was just the latest strong showing at a mountain race for Sands, whose credits include victories at the 2023 7 Sisters Trail Race and 2022 Ragged 50K. Sands also won the Bandera 100K earlier this year.

Other New Englanders among the finishers were 28-year-old Annika Rollock of Cambridge, Mass., who was 184th in 7:50:28; 25-year-old Simon Holt of Milford, N.H., who was 207th in 7:58:34; 32-year-old Kayla Donohue of Jericho, Vt., who was 379th in 9:50:14; and 62-year-old Joan Cullinane of Hampton, N.H., who was 421st in 10:14:24.

White Pine Solstice 55K

One New Englander was among the field of nearly 50 runners who took on the challenge of the White Pine Solstice 55K on Saturday, June 22, in Tooele, Utah. The sixth annual event challenged runners with high altitude, steep canyon roads and singletrack trails, rugged ridgelines, and trips to the summit of multiple high peaks including White Pine Peak at 10,323 feet and Kelsey Peak at 10,373 feet. During the course of 34 miles runners amassed around 12,500 feet of climbing.

Matthew Stewart, 40, and Elizabeth Butler, 42, both of Salt Lake City, Utah, were the men’s and women’s winners in 8:05:49 and 9:51:54, respectively. Brandon Hicks, 33, of Ludlow, Mass., was the only New Englander at the event. He completed the course in 16:42:22.

*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.