Our jam-packed roundup from the Oct. 4-6 weekend continues here in Part II with ultras in the East, stretching from New England to Georgia. We start in New Hampshire, where Bubba’s Backyard Ultra crowned a new champion for the first time in its six-year history. We then swing through Connecticut to the Forbidden Forest 30-Hour Ultra and NipMuck Trail Marathon, which add to the highlights from another busy week.

Bubba’s Backyard Ultra

Ed Clifford’s five-year reign as the Bubba’s Backyard Champion is over. After standing as the only champion in the history of the event, Clifford did not race this year and cleared the way for a new winner at the sixth annual Bubba’s Backyard Ultra on Oct. 5-6 in Center Conway, N.H.

One hundred runners took on the 3.5-mile loop course on logging roads, snowmobile trails, and forested singletrack with 250 feet of climbing per loop.

Fourteen runners surpassed the 100-mile mark, and history was made in the nonbinary and women’s categories. Arlee Hiskey, 30, of South Burlington, Vt., turned in the top performance ever by a nonbinary athlete at the event by finishing 10th with 112.0 miles. Maia Buckingham, 31, of Richmond, Vt., logged the fourth-most miles of the weekend – 133.0 – and set a new women’s course record, breaking her mark of 122.5 from 2022. It was the latest chapter in Buckingham’s storied history at the event. In 2023, she was the second-to-last woman with 115.5 miles (a mark matched by 35-year-old Sarah Connor of New Haven, Conn., this year), and in 2021 she was the final female with 94.5 miles.

Aaron Copeland, 41, of Strafford, N.H., stopped after 136.5 miles, leaving Danny Mejia and Marc Kelly to battle for the win. Kelly, 47, of New Britain, Conn., lasted three more hours and finished with 147.0 miles. Mejia, 29, of Portland, Maine, completed one additional loop and was the last runner standing with 150.5 miles. Mejia’s effort was the third-best performance in event history, trailing only Clifford’s 157.5-mile run and Brian Burke’s 154-mile assist in 2021.

Forbidden Forest 30-Hour

A year after winning the Forbidden Forest 30-Hour Ultra, David Stawswki returned to defend his title and chase the course record.Stawski logged 118.1 miles in his 2023 winning effort, missing the course record of 124.8 miles by just a few loops. Stawski made up that ground and then some at the seventh annual event Oct. 5-6 in Stratford, Conn.

Stawski, 43, of Manchester, Conn., got to know the 2.23-mile loop course at the Roosevelt Forest quite well last year, and that knowledge of the rocks and roots came in handy as he moved even more efficiently this time around. By the time he stopped after 28:23:53 of running, Stawski had circled the course 56 times for a new record of 128.8 miles. Runner-up Jason Kaplan, 42, of Boston, Mass., followed with 53 laps for 121.9 miles, the third-best performance by a runner in event history. Richard Tenaglia, 49, of Concord, Mich., was third with 105.8 miles.

Thirty-four runners took part in this year’s race, and 33 surpassed the marathon distance. Twenty-four runners ran 50 miles or more, and the top seven all surpassed the 100-mile mark. Other 100+-mile finishers were Jeremy Fair, 44, of New Freesom, Pa., and Damon Brett, 33, of Derby, Conn., with 103.5 miles apiece; and Doug Jones, 47, of Baltimore, Md., and Mike Stofko, 44, with 101.2 miles apiece.

Sarah Fair, 39, of Pakton, Pa., was the top female finisher with 89.7 miles. Maude Gorman, 30, of Hingham, Mass., was second with 87.4 miles, and Karen Giroux, 58, of Salem, Mass., was third with 71.3 miles.

NipMuck Trail Marathon

Checking in at 26.4 miles in length, New England’s shortest trail ultramarathon – the NipMuck Trail Marathon – celebrated its 41st edition on Sunday, Oct. 6, in Ashford, Conn. The New England classic once again tested runners with rocks, roots and hills, and 54 runners ultimately finished within 9 hours. Defending champion James Boeding, 32, of West Hartford, Conn., knocked 80 seconds off his time from last year and won again in 3:30:37. Daniel Rogoz, 32, of Hamden, Conn., was the runner-up for the third straight year in 3:38:53. Event newcomer Ryan Miller, 38, of Manchester, Conn., rounded out the men’s podium in 3:46:10. Brian Rusiecki, 45, of South Deerfield, Mass., and Hector Sanmiguel, 31, of Lebanon, Conn., rounded out the top five in 3:51:45 and 3:59:07, respectively.

In the women’s field, 26-year-old Emma Dolen of Boston, Mass., was victorious in her NipMuck debut in 4:41:46. Sheryl Wheeler 61, of Earlton, N.Y., followed in 4:49:23. It was Wheeler’s ninth time finishing NipMuck. She won the race in 2002, was eighth in 2006, third in 2007, fifth in 2017, fourth in 2018, third in 2019 and 2022, and the runner-up in 2023. Emma Dixon, 29, of Dorchester, Mass., rounded out the women’s podium in 5:14:11 in her NipMuck debut.

Buck 50

Several New Englanders sought out a big, burly 50K ultra, and they found it at the second annual Buck 50K on Saturday, Oct. 5, in Kattskill Bay, N.Y. The event featured rugged, remote trails in the southern Adirondacks near Lake George, with trips to the summits of several local peaks – including two trips to the top of Buck Mountain. By the time they were done, runners had covered 32,9 miles and amassed nearly 9,000 feet of climbing. 

Just 36 runners finished the race, and the top seven finished in less than 8 hours – including three New Englanders among that fastest group. Matt Ouellette, 36, of Newton, Mass., was the runner-up in 7:03:37, and it took a course record-setting performance by Matthias Kirchner to beat him. Kirchner, 41, of Cohoes, N.Y., won in 6:59:43. Patrick Couchot, 30, of Brookline, Mass., was fifth overall and the fourth-place male in 7:39:39.

In the women’s field, Kehr Davis, 47, of Pittsfield, Mass., secured a podium finish as the seventh overall finisher and women’s runner-up in 7:50:04. Shannon Capps, 39, of Philadelphia, Pa., was fourth overall and the first-place female in a course-record time of 7:22:33.

Other New Englanders who finished included Ryan Kinglsley, 29, of West Hartford, Conn. (12th, 8:09:26); Matt March, 38, of Tyringham, Mass. (14th, 8:15:57); David Jackson, 37, of Brookline, Mass. (27th, 9:01:13); Lauren Desautels, 37, of Newton, Mass. (28th, 9:08:01); Ethan Schalekamp, 26, of Somerville, Mass. (30th, 9:38:18); and Jacqueline Fucile, 40, and Nicholas Fucile, 45, both of Stark, N.H. (T33rd, 11:06:03).

Blues Cruise 50K

Just four weeks removed from a fourth-place finish at the Macedonia Trail Race 50K, Jenna Bednar was back on the starting line of a trail ultramarathon when the 30-year-old from New Milford, Conn., took part in the 18th running of the Blues Cruise 50K on Sunday, Oct. 6, in Reading, Pa. The event offered a loop course with rolling hills, plenty of singletrack trails, and one big climb. Of the 201 runners who started the race, 176 finished within 8 1/2 hours, including Bednar who finished in 7:53:17. Michael Kern, 27, of Royersford, Pa., led all runners in 3:58:48, and Elizabeth Doherty, 44, of Lancaster, Pa., topped the women’s field in 4:53:24.

Bull Mountain Epic 50K

John Halpin headed south for an epic adventure when the 58-year-old from Windham, Maine, took part in the eighth annual Bull Mountain Epic 50K on Saturday, Oct. 5, in Dahlonega, Ga. What awaited Halpin and his fellow runners was a course consisting of three separate approximately 10-mile loops on the Jake and Bull Mountain Trail System with plenty of singletrack, some technical areas, a trip to the summit of Bull Mountain and around 5,000 feet of climbing.

Fifty-six runners finished the race within the 12-hour time limit, led by 34-year-old Ben Stephenson of Waynesville, N.C., who was the men’s champion in 5:10:00. Yumeko Yoshida, 32, of Suwanee, Ga., was ninth overall and the top female finisher in 7:01:00. Halpin placed 36th in 8:58:00.

Red Barn Challenge

Runners rang in October with big miles at the fifth annual Red Barn Challenge 24-hour, 12-hour and 6-hour races on Oct. 4-5 in Lykens, Pa. The event took place on a 1-mile grass- and mulch-covered loop course through the Marzella Farm with around 70 feet of elevation gain per loop.

Forty-five runners took part in the 24-hour race, with three achieving 100 miles or more. Karl Feucht, 45, of Elizabethtown, Pa., led the way with 106 miles. Hillary Dolinsky, 35, of Arlington, Va., and Lisa Georgis, 55, of New Ringgold, Pa., tied for the top spot in the women’s field with 84 miles apiece. A pair of New Englanders also had big performances. Meghan Moscarelli, 26, of West Haven, Conn., was 13th overall and fourth in the women’s field with 72 miles, while 26-year-old Michael McDermott of North Branford, Conn., finished 19th overall with 64 miles.

No New Englanders were among the 23 runners in the 12-hour race which was won by 37-year-old Christopher Bertini of York, Pa., with 62 miles. Michelle Sipe, 52, of Royersford, Pa., topped the women’s field with 49 miles. Another 34 runners took part in the 6-hour race with eight surpassing the marathon distance. Kenny Ross, 27, of Lykens, Pa., and Holly Weiskopff, 49, of Liverpool, N.Y., were the top male and female finishers with 32 and 28 miles apiece. Andrew Zielinski, 33, of Hamden, Conn., was the lone New Englander to surpass the marathon distance, finishing tied for seventh with 27 miles.

*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.