New Englanders took part in no fewer than 20 ultramarathons across the United States during the Oct. 4-6 weekend, with a few races in the region but most scattered throughout the country. We’ll have as many of them covered as we can during the course of two roundups. Here in Part I, we look to the West and Midwest, where runners raced everything from 50K to 100 miles. We start in California, where New Hampshire resident Kara Olivito earned her latest podium finish on the West Coast, and then head to Oregon, Washington, Arizona, Colorado, Illinois and Arkansas.

Cuyamaca 100K

The trails of California have been mighty good to Kara Olivito. She ran her first ultra in the state in 2016 when she finished eighth at the Tahoe 200. Since then, she has finished on the podium every time she has returned to the state. In 2019, she was the runner-up at the Noble Canyon 50K and the Anza Borrego Cuyamaca 50-miler, as well as the champion at the Chimera 100K. In 2020, she was victorious at The Ranch 50K, and in 2023 she won the PCT 50-miler.

Olivito’s trend of successful racing in California continued when she ran the 12th edition of the Cuyamaca 100K on Saturday, Oct. 5, in Julian, Calif.

The course consisted of three separate loops on the trails of Cuyamaca Rancho State Park, starting with a 31.5-mile loop that included a trip to the 6,500-foot summit of Cuyamaca Peak, followed by 12.6-mile and 18.3-mile loops. 

Olivito was one of 242 runners who started the race. Of that group, 149 ultimately finished within 19 hours. Olivito, 42, of Exeter, N.H., finished eighth overall and earned a spot on the women’s podium as the second-place female in 13:04:15. Catherine Castro Villicana, 33, of Guadalajara, Mexico, topped the women’s field in 12:49:11 and was sixth overall. Greg Miller, 46, of Half Moon Bay, Calif., led all runners in 11:02:40.

Perpetua Coast 50K

A pair of runners from New Hampshire were among the finishers of the 10th annual Perpetua Coast 50K on Saturday, Oct. 5, in Yachats, Ore. Robert Fitzgerald, 47, of Plymouth, N.H., and Nick Wilson, 36, of Rumney, N.H., both conquered the scenic lollipop-loop course in the Cape Perpetua National scenic Area, taking in views of sandy beaches and shoreline bluffs along the way. Fitzgerald finished in 8:37:26 and Wilson followed in 8:37:48. Matt Daniels, 36, of Superior, Colo., and Sarah Clark, 35, of Corvallis, Ore., were the top male and female finishers in 3:46:15 and 5:24:30, respectively. Daniels set a new course record.

Baker Lake 50K

After running her first ultra with a 45-mile performance at the Ghost Train Rail Trail Race in 2023, Kayla Kendall headed to the Pacific Northwest for her second ultra adventure. Kendall, 31, of Portsmouth, N.H., took on  the 22nd edition of the Baker Lake 50K on Saturday, Oct. 5, in Baker Lake, Wash. Runners had 10 hours to complete the race, and Kendall was one of 79 runners who toed the starting line. She ultimately finished 64th in 8:11:44. Blake Medhaug, 36, and Kristina Randrup, 26, both of Seattle, Wash., went 1-2 overall and topped the men’s and women’s fields in 3:55:11 and 4:43:15.

Saddles 100

For his latest 100-mile challenge, Scot Slater headed to Arizona for the second annual Saddles 100 on Oct. 5-6 in Prescott. The race took runners on a challenging journey through the Granite Mountain Wilderness. Of the 77 runners who started the race, just 43 finished within 34 hours. Slater, 46, of Guilford, Conn., placed 18th overall in 27:55:46. Patrick Kavanagh, 34, of Scottsdale, Ariz., won in 21:40:32. Stephanie Rosebaugh, 42, of Prescott, Ariz., was ninth overall and the first-place female in 25:30:25.

The event also included a 50-mile race, though no New Englanders competed at that distance. Barry Weickert, 28, of Phoenix, Ariz., and Melissa Ostaszewski, 33, of Flagstaff, Ariz., were the men’s and women’s winners in 7:50:10 and 9:21:13, respectively.

Above the Clouds Ultra

Erin Egan has had a busy ultramarathon racing season in 2024. The 44-year-old from Moodus, Conn., finished both the Traprock 50K and CT Trailmixers Spring Fling 600 10-hour in April, as well as the Cross-Connecticut Run for mental Health Awareness 56-miler in September. For her latest ultra adventure, Egan traveled to the third annual Above the Clouds Ultra 50K on Saturday, Oct. 5, in Woodland Park, Colo.

The race included plenty of climbing, with scenic views of Pikes Peak along the way. Of the 64 runners who finished within 9 1/2 hours, Egan placed 23rd overall and eighth in the women’s field in 6:48:43. Stefanie Flippin, 35, of Pine, Colo., was the top female finisher and second overall in 5:04:09. Nathan Moody, 48, of Monument, Colo., led the men in 4:50:33. Both Moody and Flippin set new course records.

Hennepin 100

Runners chasing fast 100-mile times flocked to the ninth edition of the Hennepin 100 on Oct. 5-6 in Illinois. The event offered a flat, fast point-to-point course on the 104-mile-long Hennepin Canal State Trail from Sterling to Colona, providing a great opportunity to push the pace. Reese Slobodianuk, 29, of Barrington, Ill., went the fastest, winning in a speedy 13:14:56, while 44-year-old Wendy Krause of Park Rapids, Minn., led the women’s field in 19:10:01. Wilson Ray also headed to the race looking to post a fast time, and the 28-year-old from Cambridge, Mass., delivered. He placed 31st overall in 21:42:17. It was a personal best time for Ray at the distance, and his fourth 100-mile finish overall.

Ray was one of two New Englanders among the 170 finishers within the 30-hour time limit. Paulius Ragauskas, 43, of Norwalk, Conn., finished 49th in 23:07:34.

In the 50-mile race, Vikash Malik, 42, of East Lyme, Conn., had a big day and raced to a runner-up finish in 7:17:45. The strong showing by Malik, a former Wisconsin resident, wasn’t a surprise given his recent successes. He won the Badger Trail Races 50K in 2022 and was the runner-up at the Livingston Oval Ultra 6-hour in March. Phil Young, 38, of Davenport, Iowa, won in 4:54:45, and Deana Nyenhuis, 39, of Barrington, Ill., was the first-place female in 8:11:49. Joining Malik in representing New England in the 50-miler was Adrienne Okon. The 47-year-old from North Falmouth, Mass., finished 47th out of 93 finishers in 12:20:47.

Another 108 runners finished the event’s 50K race, though none were New Englanders,

Arkansas Traveller 100

In recent years, Brian Burke would have spent the Oct. 5-6 weekend in New Hampshire racing for endless hours at Bubba’s Backyard Ultra. This year, Burke opted for a trip to Arkansas.

Burke, 42, of Medford, Mass., spent the weekend racing the Arkansas Traveller 100-miler. The race included around 12,000 feet of climbing on the rolling singletrack trails and occasional steep climbs in the Ouachita National Forest.

Ninety-four runners finished the race within 30 hours; Burke placed eighth in 20:09:41. Defending champion Brendan Connell, 33, of Batesville, Ark., won in 15:08:34, and former champion Ashley Nordell, 44, of Sisters, Ore., topped the women’s field in 20:39:49.

*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.