BROOKLINE, N.H. – The goal seemed audacious, but that was precisely the point.

Friendships take on all sorts of forms. Some are rooted in childhood connections; others may grow out of work, book clubs, or other shared interests. For Scott Warren and Andy Godzinski, theirs is a brotherhood built on lofty dreams, big adventures and bold efforts.

“Most of the craziness is Scott’s idea,” Godzinski said. “Scott’s always pushing the envelope, and in doing so helping me see greater potential in myself than I could have ever imagined. We’ve run thousands of miles together and are totally comfortable waiting for each other to exit the hurt locker and get back to laughing and having fun on the trail. Scott only thinks BIG things, so it’s always an adventure. Being accountable to your training partner is something we both believe in and strive for. Neither wants to let the other down.”

Knowing their history, it’s understandable that when the buddies from North Reading, Mass., decided they wanted to run 130 miles at the Ghost Train Trail Race on Oct. 19-20, it wasn’t some attempt at showmanship or braggadocio. It was simply their idea of a good time.

It was an adventure – and an accomplishment – that was 12 years in the making.

A Chance Meeting, and a Budding Friendship

Scott Warren wasn’t much of a runner, but that didn’t stop him from signing up for the St. Peter’s Fiesta 5K in Gloucester in June 2012. It was there that through mutual friends he met Andy Godzinski. About a year later, Warren joined Godzinski on a run with the Ipswich River Road Runners in North Reading, where both men live. They soon began logging regular miles together. Eventually, the running club splintered and Warren and Godzinski were among a contingent that migrated to the trails.

“We clicked because our kids were older and we had more free time,” Godzinski said. “It was easier to get out for longer Saturday morning runs with no rec sports to rush off to. The initial goal was to just be in the woods and have fun.”

Warren had some big personal goals, including running an Ironman triathlon in 2016 and 2018. He also ran his first 100-miler at Ghost Train in 2016 (24:23:00), and his second in 2018 (23:17:46). Godzinski proved to be a valuable training partner and supporter during all of that training.

“Andy kept me company for a lot of my run miles,” Warren said. “He is such a great athlete! His base fitness is so much higher than mine. He would regularly keep me company on longer runs even when he wasn’t really training for anything!”

Warren suffered a severe hamstring injury in 2019 that ultimately sidelined him from racing for a few years. Though he was disheartened by the long-term setback, Godzinski provided support and encouragement that ultimately helped Warren get back on the trail.

“During that time, Andy was one of the few bright spots when running and trying to rehab,” Warren said. “For me, that’s when our friendship really blossomed and I truly understood the value of our relationship in terms of running.”

Warren was still healing when the COVID-19 pandemic struck in 2020. His running mileage was still limited, so he invited Godzinski to try mountain biking.

“COVID hit and he got me into mountain biking and we spent even more time in Harold Parker State Forest,” Godzinski recalled. “Pushing ourselves and having fun were really the only goals – initially.”

Big Dreams and Strategic Planning

As the months went by and the miles on the bike piled up, Warren’s hamstring grew stronger. He and Godzinski started packing on higher mileage on the trails. The more they ran, the stronger they got. They began pondering how to put their fitness to use.

Like many New Englanders seeking an adventure and some fresh air during the pandemic, the mountains called.

“In 2021, we focused a lot on the White Mountains and Andy and I got our 48 4,000-footers in a 4-month stretch at the end of that year,” Warren said. “This was also the beginning of me being able to run after the hamstring injury. I think this is also when we started really plotting things to do for the upcoming year. We would come up with these crazy routes to grab as many peaks as possible for the 48 and then go out and do it. Our motto seemed to be, “Make a plan and stick to it!”

The 4,000-footer effort ended with an unforgettable highlight.

“Scott and I completed them in four months, capping the effort on Moosilauke November 25, 2021 in a raging storm,” Godzinski said. “All his idea, and some of the most fun I’ve ever had.”

The adventures were just beginning for the pair. In the spring of 2022, Godzinski stunned Warren and their running friends when he texted the group with a screenshot of his registration for the 30-hour race at Ghost Train. He’d only done one prior trail race – the TARC Fall Classic marathon in 2013, but he had his sights set on running 100 miles. Warren quickly signed up to join him. The men had planned to do a Hut Traverse in the White Mountains that summer, so they trained together for both the mountain adventure and the trail race. Though the Hut Traverse didn’t pan out due to some medical issues Warren encountered, both men had stellar runs at Ghost Train. Warren finished as the men’s runner-up and fourth overall finisher in 20:57:18, and Godzinski followed moments later in 20:58:48.

“I PR’d by about 2.5 hours, thanks in large part to my training with Andy,” Warren noted.

A year later, Godzinski was sidelined with a foot injury, but Warren returned to Ghost Train once again. No runner in Ghost Train’s 15-year history had run beyond 115 miles in the 30-hour race; Warren believed 130 miles was possible.

“My goal was to try and break the record last year, but I started vomiting around 60 miles and was thankful to just finish the 100,” said Warren, who completed his 100 miles in 21:19:36. “I think I had the right attitude of 30-hour race vs. 100-miler, but if I am being honest I really could have gone after the record last year and would later regret my decision to bail at 100. Andy and I talked about the mental part of this a lot. I’ve often wondered how to ‘tether’ the positive mindset I have going into the race to the version of me that shows up 80-90 miles deep into these things. We change as the race evolves, and I feel like I lost focus last year.”

Aspirations and Accountability

Though he came up short of his goal in 2023, Warren didn’t stop believing 130 miles was possible at Ghost Train. In fact, he grew more certain that it was doable, especially if he and a healthy Godzinski went after it together. Good things tended to happen when their plans and preparation aligned, and they quietly put their training plans in motion.

“This year, Andy and I made a commitment to each other that there would be no more ‘talking’ about the things we were going to do,” Warren said. “The Hut Traverse and Ghost Train were either going to happen this year, or we would just accept that it wasn’t meant to be and move on.”

The Hut Traverse that eluded them two years earlier finally happened on July 20.

“Definitely the hardest thing I have ever done,” Warren said. “It’s a really technical 54-ish-mile run in the heart of the White Mountains with around 18-19K of vert. It was exactly what we needed to put the effort we would need for 130 miles into focus prior to Ghost Train.”

Following that hard effort in the mountains, both men were primed for the big effort that awaited them three months later in southern New Hampshire.

Raising the Bar

Carolyn Harper and Shane McNally were the first runners to complete 115 miles in the 30-hour race at Ghost Train, doing so in 2019. In 2023, Michael Whittemore matched that mileage standard. When Warren and Godzinski arrived at Camp Tevya on Saturday, Oct. 19, both men had 130 miles on their minds and believed their legs were prepared to accommodate the plan.

“As for the mindset of 30-hour vs. 100-mile, I think it really boiled down to wanting to break the record,” Warren said. “I always thought it would be cool for someone that was in their 50s to take down that record. I think a lot of people get into their late 40s and 50s and feel like they can’t be as active as they were when they were younger. I’d like to dispel that for folks and see people thrive later in life!”

They weren’t shy about their goal. At 59 and 55 years old, respectively, Godzinski and Warren jokingly refer to themselves at Statler and Waldorf – the cranky, elderly heckling characters from The Muppet Show – and had a Statler & Waldorf ‘24 campaign sign set up at their camp with check boxes to mark off the mileage as they went, concluding with a box for 130.

“We crossed off each lap 15-30-45-60…130 as we came in and anyone paying attention knew we had a big goal,” Godzinski said. “We trained against thinking 100 was it, and going back out was just sticking to the plan. We needed to prove we weren’t just blowhards!”

Both men agreed that they needed to run their own individual races if they were going to have a realistic chance of achieving 130 miles apiece. They didn’t run a single step together during the race, but they had opportunities to check in each time they crossed paths on the out-and-back course on the 7.5-mile long Granite Town Rail Trail. Those moments gave each man a boost and some extra motivation to keep going.

“Having Andy on course and seeing each other each lap was huge,” Warren said.

Godzinski agreed, adding: “ Knowing you had your best mate out on the course was an incredible comfort. Fist bumping as we passed each other, asking ‘how you’re feeling’ can make all the difference and lift your spirits. It’s lonely and not lonely at the same time.”

Though less than three minutes separated them after 15 miles, Godzinski gradually opened up a sizable gap during the ensuing trips through the course. He was 50 minutes ahead at the 60-mile mark and 80 minutes ahead at the 90-mile mark. Godzinski hit the 100-mile mark in 20:55:32, a mark matched by Warren in 22:22:59.

Though they prepared mentally to go beyond 100 miles, those extra miles didn’t come easy – especially for Godzinski.

“I think I scared a volunteer at the Milford aid station at mile 107.5,” Godzinski said. “My tongue swelled up and the lisp was so bad she couldn’t understand me. I was afraid she was going to pull me, so I headed back out and she walked with me for a bit. Luckily I saw her again at 122.5 and could thank her.”

Warren rapidly closed the gap on Godzinski during the extra miles, drawing within 11 minutes at the 115-mile mark but never quite pulling even. Ultimately, Godzinski completed his 130-mile performance in 28:47:07. Warren followed 16 minutes later in 29:03:03.

Looking back on their record-setting performances, both men were pleased with the accomplishment.
“In terms of what it means to me personally to have a share in that record… I am thankful it is with Andy,” Warren said. “It was a mission for both of us, and it would have felt a little hollow if only one of us got there. Other than that, I think the big thing is just to prove that anything is possible if you put your mind to it. Don’t use age as an excuse.”

Godzinski agreed.

“Honestly, Scott and I get together and just laugh and shake our heads in disbelief at what we did. We’re 55 and 59, and we crushed 130 miles. What old guys do that? We did, and in case anyone has any questions, we had a blast getting there! If I had one wish, I’d wish the master architect of the shenanigans could have passed me in the chute for the top spot.”