Labor Day weekend had a mostly quiet ultrarunning calendar in North America, but there was a bit of action in New England and beyond. In Massachusetts, The Village Ultra once again welcomed runners to the New Salem Town Common for a choose-your-own-adventure-style run which will be highlighted in a separate article. In Maine, more than 150 runners gathered at Pineland Farms for an epic Last Man Standing showdown that saw the defending champion remain at the top. From there, we swing through Ohio and Iowa where runners from the region secured hard-earned finishes.

Last Man Standing Ultramarathon

Ryan Metivier is no stranger to the Last Man Standing Ultramarathon. The 48-year-old from Auburn, Maine, has been a regular at the event for years. He previously ran in the event in 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022, 2023. He was the runner-up in 2017 with 79.8 miles, and again in 2019 with 113.0 miles, with a fourth-place finish sandwiched in between with a 100.8-mile effort in 2018 that earned him fourth place. In 2023, Metivier finally broke through with a victory, winning with 147 miles after 35 hours of running on the 4.2-mile loop course that runners had to complete once per hour until only one runner remained.

When the event rolled around once again, it was no surprise to see Metivier there to defend his crown on Aug. 31-Sept. 2 at Pineland Farms in New Gloucester, Maine. He showed up ready to compete, and he did exactly what he set out to do. Metivier successfully defended his title on Aug. 31-Sept. 1 when he ran for 39 hours/39 laps and completed 163.8 miles, fending off a fierce challenge from Oliver Mednick who finished one lap behind with 159.6 miles. Jason Bigona was third with 37 laps and 155.4 miles. 

Five more runners lasted 24 hours or more and completed at least 100 miles. That group included Chase Arsenault (27 hours; 113.4 miles); Adrian Jankovic and Tate Sandrock (25 hours; 105.0 miles apiece); and Brendan Ciano and Matthew Zelaya (24 hours; 100.8 miles apiece).

The popular event had a large field with 191 runners who started the event and completed at least one 4.2-mile loop. Sixty-three runners completed at least 50.4 miles, and 29 completed at least 63.0 miles.

Tuscazoar Ultras

Nicole Whyte has her sights on running 100 miles by the end of the year – she’s entered in the Across the Years 100-miler in Arizona on December 28 – and she took a big step forward in her race-day preparation on Saturday, Aug. 28, at the Tuscazoar Ultras in Peoria, Ohio. The event offered 100-mile, 75-mile and 50-mile ultras, and Whyte, 42, of Northfield, N.H., took on the 50-miler.

Whyte finished in the top half of the field of 46 finishers, placing 21st overall and fourth in the women’s field in 13:49:42. Jeffrey Anzo, 27, of Brunswick, Ohio, led all runners in 8:53:11, and Cory Awwad, 46, of Monclova, Ohio, led the women’s field in 12:32:25. 

No New England residents were entered in the 100-mile or 75-mle races.

Booneville Backroads Ultra

Brendan Coffey put in plenty of work on Labor Day weekend as he hammered out 100K of running at the 11th annual Booneville Backroads Ultra on Aug. 31-Sept. 1 in Booneville, Iowa. The event offered 100-mile, 100K and 50K ultra distances, and Coffey, 26, of Cambridge, Mass., was the lone New Englander taking on the gravel roads of rural Iowa.

Coffey earned his first 100K finish, placing 12th out of 26 finishers within 21 hours as he crossed the finish line in 17:47:48. Brent Kennicott, 29, of Story City, Iowa, won the race in 11:32:05.

*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.